Novanta v40, User Manual

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CLEANING GUIDELINES PAGE | 80
Cleaning guidelines
Debris or contaminants on the laser’s output coupler or external beam delivery components may affect
laser processing and lead to damage or failure of the optics and/or the laser. Carefully follow the steps
below to inspect and clean the optical components in the beam path. Before beginning the cleaning
process, read this entire section thoroughly to ensure that all cleaning materials are available and that
each step is completely understood.
• Wear latex gloves or finger cots (powder-free) to prevent contamination of optical sur-faces by
dirt and skin oils.
• Never handle optics with tools; always use gloved hands or fingers.
• Hold optics by the outer edge; never touch the coated surface.
Important Note: Exercise great care when handling infrared optics; they are much more fragile
than common glass materials. Optical surfaces and coatings are easily damaged by rough handling and
improper cleaning methods.
•
Always place optics lens on a tissue or suitable equivalent material for protection; never place
optics on hard or rough surfaces.
•
It may be necessary to use a cotton ball or fluffed cotton swab instead of a lens wipe to uniformly
clean the entire surface of small-diameter mounted optics.
•
Before using any cleaning agents, read Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and observe all necessary
safety precautions.
Caution: Possible Equipment Damage
Because of their smaller beam diameter, v40 lasers have significantly higher power densities than
previous NOVANTA lasers. This means that even a small amount of contamination on the laser’s out-
put window (or on any optic in the beam path) can absorb enough energy to damage the optic.
Inspect the output window and other beam delivery optics periodically for signs of contaminants and
carefully clean as required. In dirty environments, purge laser optics using filtered air or nitrogen to
prevent vapor and debris from accumulating on optical surfaces.