Why do I need to replace my mirrors?

Question:

Quick Answer:

Mirrors start to fail and reflect less laser light due to: Oxidation from humidity, Scratches from improper cleaning procedures, fumes/dust burned into the lens during normal usage.

Complete Answer:

Mirrors start to fail and reflect less laser light due to: Oxidation from humidity, Scratches from improper cleaning procedures, fumes/dust burned into the lens during normal usage.

The normal mirrors with a laser machine are made with Molybnium. These mirrors work nicely for a while, but do not last for several years. You could find that the effective laser power is reducing. This is because of damage to the mirror surface. The newer style mirrors are tested to be better because they are made of silicon wafer with gold coating. the silicon does not have the same thermal problem as the molybnium. The gold does not oxidize at nearly the same rate as the molybnium.

I have experienced that the gold is also easier to clean from a disaster burn situation. It is also better to recycle the gold.

FAQ item was submitted: 5/30/2012 By: Raymond L. Scott

Contact: Raymond L. Scott ... Owner Engineer, ray@rabbitlaserusa.com, (513) 217-5707

Related Topics: new mirror, replace mirror, damaged mirror, molybnium, gold