Synrad Firestar f series User Manual

technical reference
35
Synrad Firestar f-Series operator’s manual
Technical overview
Focusing optics
When selecting a focusing optic, the primary consideration should be material thickness and any vertical
tolerances that occur during nal part positioning rather than making a selection based only on minimum
spot size. The chosen focal length should create the smallest possible focused spot while providing the
depth of eld required for the material to be processed.
Caution
possible
equipment
damage
Trace amounts of contamination on the laser’s output window (or
on any optic in the beam path) can absorb enough energy to damage
the optic. Inspect all beam delivery optics periodically for signs of
contaminants and carefully clean as required. In dirty environments,
purge laser optics using ltered air or nitrogen to prevent vapor and
debris from accumulating on optical surfaces.
Optics are fragile and must be handled carefully, preferably by the mounting ring only. Be careful to select
optics that are thick enough to withstand the maximum assist gas pressure available for the process. This
is especially important in metal cutting applications using high-pressure assist gases. Cleanliness is another
important issue aecting performance and becomes increasingly important as laser power increases. Dirty
or scratched lenses will under perform, exhibit a vastly shortened lifetime, and may fail catastrophically.
When the laser application requires air as an assist gas, use only breathing quality air available in cylinders
from a welding supply company. Compressed shop air contains minute particles of oil and other contami-
nants that will damage optical surfaces. If compressed shop air is the only choice available, it must be
ltered to the specications shown in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1 Assist gas purity specications
Assist Gas Typical Purpose Specication
Air Cutting/Drilling Breathing Grade > 99.9996% purity; ltered to ISO Class 1
particulate level
Air Cutting/Drilling Compressed Instrument-grade air ltered and dried to
ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 1, 2, 1 (< 10 1.0–
5.0 µm particles/m
3
; < –40 °F dew point;
< 0.01 mg/m
3
oil vapor)
Argon Welding High Purity Grade > 99.998% purity; ltered to ISO Class 1
particulate level
Helium Welding High Purity Grade > 99.997% purity; ltered to ISO Class 1
particulate level
Nitrogen Cutting/Drilling High Purity Grade > 99.9500% purity; ltered to ISO Class 1
particulate level
Oxygen Cutting/Drilling Ultra Pure Grade > 99.9998% purity; ltered to ISO Class 1
particulate level

Synrad Firestar f series Specifications

General

Brand	Synrad
Model	Firestar f series
Category	Measuring Instruments
Language	English