How to clean a laser head - Mr Beam II dreamcut [X] : Mr Beam Lasers Support

Before we get started, it's important to make sure you've landed on the right laser cleaning guide. The Mr Beam II dreamcut [X] can be identified by the small [X] mark on the top right of the laser head cover. Like the Mr Beam II dreamcut and dreamcut [S], it also has the brass tube for the air supply, the so-called dreamcut tube.

1. The required cleaning tool at a glance

1: safety glasses

2: Keyboard vacuum cleaner

3: Respirator mask

Mr Beam Cleaning Kit:

a: Glass cleaner

b: Brush

c: Torx 8 Screwdriver

d: Wattestäbchen

e: Cotton swab

f: Bellows

2. Remove laser head

1. Important: First, turn off the Mr Beam and unplug the power cord from the wall outlet. Wait about two minutes until the circuit board has completely discharged.

2. If the laser head is in the home position, you can move it to the center by (a) carefully moving the X axis forward and (b) moving the laser head to the center. This will make it easier for you to reach the laser head.

3. On the back of the laser head there is a black fastening clip that fixes the white ribbon cable. Please pull it out carefully by about 2 mm at the corners. Remove the cable by pulling it carefully.

4. Carefully pull the compressor hose off the brass tube.

5. Unscrew the laser head from the holder. Replace the knurled nut on the laser head so as not to lose it.

3. Laserkopf auseinandernehmen und reinigen

Attention: Please use gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning. Please wear a respirator and protective googles to prevent potentially harmful dirt particles from entering your eyes or respiratory tract.

1. Loosen the screw on the back of the laser head with a 2mm Allen key or a Torx 8 screwdriver. Then you can remove the front panel, which will directly expose the inside of the laser head.

2. Vacuum off the dirt from the front cover. Due to the resinous residues of the plywood, the cover gets a yellow or brown coating when cut. This can be quickly removed with a cloth moistened with glass cleaner.

3. Now use the bellows or keyboard vacuum cleaner to remove the particles from the case's surface. Especially the cooling fins and the fan have to be cleaned from dirt. You can also use the brush from the cleaning kit.

4. If the fan is particularly stubbornly dirty, you can remove it to clean both sides. To do this, unscrew the left of the two screws on the left side of the laser head until it no longer sticks out inside the housing.

If there is a lot of resin on the fan, it is best to use a resin remover diluted with water to clean the filter with a cotton bud.

5. If you want to replace the fan at some point, you also have to loosen the small screw on top of the circuit board. Then take it out and carefully unplug the fan from it. Do not pull on the cable, but only on the connector itself. A pair of pointed household tweezers is particularly suitable for prying it out.

6. Then you only have to clean the laser channel with a cotton swab.

Note: Thanks to the air supply through the compressor, however, there should be no dirt found here. If you do find a lot dirt there, the compressor should be checked.

Moisten one side of the swab with a little glass cleaner and clean the inside of the hole and the lens with a fresh swab. With the other side of the cotton swab, you can then dry out the channel again.

4. Reassemble the laser head

1. If necessary, put the board and fan back in place first. The side on which the three case struts are visible must point downwards. The fan then sits at an angle in the case again to guide the air through efficiently.

Correctly installed

Incorrectly installed

2. Then tighten the screw on the side again so that the fan does not slip out again.

3. Check briefly whether the nozzle is dirty inside and then place it back in the laser channel.

4. Then you can place the front panel back on the housing. This prevents the nozzle from falling out.

5. Fasten the front panel using the screw on the back.

Note: Make sure that it is centered. You can tell by the left retaining lug, which is then centered in the recess.

6. Now you can re-install the laser head into the still switched off Mr Beam. To do this, insert the ribbon cable with the contacts facing upwards into the black clip and carefully clamp it by pushing it back in.

Also put the tube back on the brass tube. Then screw the laser head to the holder in the Mr Beam.

Note: In some cases, you may need to perform a camera calibration after cleaning if the laser is not in the exact same place as before. So if you have bigger offset than usual, you can find the camera calibration tutorial here.