I don’t have my 2.8W laser installed yet, but I’ve been wondering something. I’ve read elsewhere that these small lasers are temperature sensitive, and experiences posted here seem to validate that (as in, colder ambient temperatures = lower power output).
Would it be feasible/worth the effort to epoxy or clamp a common 30W printer hot-end heater cartridge to the laser’s heat sink, along with a thermistor? Starting gcode would include an M109 to heat up to a reasonable ambient temperature, like 25-30C. If the system is already warmer than that, or warms up to that, obviously the heater cuts off.
I’m thinking this could give the operator a consistent environment when trying to develop parameters for materials, no matter the local temperature.
I thought the usual issue was getting rid of excess heat. Or is that just the driver module, and not the actual emitter diode? I would think a few seconds at full power would warm things up nicely.
I suppose an even better question would be how much power loss are we talking about, and at what ambient temperature? Are you talking about a 0.5% loss at 0C? or 15% loss at 20C? How quickly does the laser diode itself heat the relevant “ambient” temp to a working temp? i.e., Are you digging into premature optimization and chasing decimal points that may not be worth the time, money, or aggravation?
Dunno - that’s why I was asking others here. I’ve read of users complaining of not being able to cut or engrave the same materials (at the same settings, at least) in the winter that they could in the summer. That implies that at least up to a point, these small lasers can’t self-heat at some temperatures, or at least not without being on for an extended period of time. Having the diode starting off at the same minimum temperature every time would seem to make life easier and a tad more predictable.
This question came up as my Primo is in the garage, which so far this winter has gotten as low as 36F. I have a space heater, but it would take quite a while to get the temperature up even 20 degrees, which is still no where near late spring through early fall temperatures.
My laser has seen at least 200 hours of action. My workshop ranges from 12-18 C, well colder than room temperature, and I have not had issues or noticed reduced output.
Interesting - thanks for the feedback. I wish I had bookmarked some of the other posts relating to this, for comparison. Maybe its not the issue some have made it out to be.
from my understanding of diodes, the temp being to low should not result in any noticeable performance difference. while over temp causes the diode to degrade and permanently loose power output. i could see that if the material to be cut was very cold the laser may not cut as well. this would be because it has to impart even more energy to get the material to the burning point (same way it take more energy to heat up cold water then warm water) but that might be offset by the speed at witch a cold material would absorb heat (as colder substances heat faster then hot ones). i think the only way to be sure of its effects would be to test it. if you decided to test it i would love to see the results!