Alignment Procedure 
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This procedure procedure explains how to align the laser on the Laser Etching Station.

Tools Needed:
 Lens Cleaning Kit
Power Gauge
Burn Paper
Set of Allen Wrenches (SAE and Metric)
Manual Laser Trigger
Safety Curtains

PROCEDURE:
  1. Go to the Laser Control Panel and turn the Control Mode keyswitch to the SETUP position.
  2. Turn the Laser Disable/Enable keyswitch for the laser to be aligned to the ENABLE position.
  3. Turn the remaining Laser Disable/Enable keyswitch to the DISABLE position.
  4. Next, turn the Beam Control selector switch to the MAN position.
  5. Attach the Manual Laser Trigger cord to the receptacle provided.
  6. Remove the two thumbscrews from the laser enclosure cover and then remove the cover.
  7. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton. The green indicator light inside the button will illuminate.
  8. Remove mirror 1 (top right) and clean it.
  9. Reinstall mirror 1 and remove mirror 2 (lower right).
  10. Install the cross-hair alignment tool into the mirror 2 enclosure.

    It may be necessary to place a piece of electrical tape on the outside of the cross-hair alignment tool to prevent it from falling out of the mirror enclosure.
  11. Start up the laser chiller.
  12. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton. The red indicator light inside the button will illuminate.
  13. Hold a piece of thermal sensitive paper below the cross hair alignment tool and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper.

    Always blow on the thermal sensitive paper before pushing the manual Laser Trigger button to direct the smoke away from the laser mirror.
  14. Inspect the image burned onto the thermal paper. All 4 quadrants of the image must be equal in size. If they are not, mirror 1 must be adjusted.
  15. Mirror adjustments are made by turning the 3 setscrews located next to the mounting screws.
  16. On mirror 1, turning the upper right-hand setscrew will move the laser beam to the left.
  17. Turning the upper left-hand setscrew will move the laser beam to the right.
  18. Turning the lower left-hand setscrew will move the laser beam up or down.
  19. Hold a piece of thermal sensitive paper below the cross hair alignment tool and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. Check the image. Repeat steps 14-19 until all 4 quadrants of the image are equal in size.
  20. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton. The green indicator light inside the button will illuminate.
  21. Next, remove the cross hair alignment tool and perform a power check by holding a wattmeter below mirror 1.
  22. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton. The red indicator light inside the button will illuminate.
  23. Push and hold the Manual Laser Trigger button until the wattmeter beeps.
  24. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton.
  25. Clean mirror 2.
  26. Reinstall mirror 2 and remove mirror 3 (lower left).
  27. Install the cross hair alignment tool into the mirror 3 enclosure.
  28. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton.
  29. Hold a piece of thermal sensitive paper in front of the cross hair alignment tool and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper.
  30. Inspect the image burned onto the thermal paper. All 4 quadrants of the image must be equal in size. If they are not, mirror 2 must be adjusted.
  31. On mirror 2, turning the lower right-hand setscrew will move the laser beam to the left.
  32. Turning the lower left-hand setscrew will move the laser beam to the right.
  33. Turning the upper right-hand setscrew will move the laser beam up or down.
  34. Hold a piece of thermal sensitive paper in front of the cross hair alignment tool and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. Check the image. Repeat steps 30-34 until all 4 quadrants of the image are equal in size.
  35. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton.
  36. Clean mirror 3 and re-install.
  37. Remove the two screws to disconnect the fine focus mechanism.
  38. Slide the Dynamic Z module forward to separate it from the Objective Lens.
  39. Loosen the Objective Lens fixture clamping screw and then remove the Objective Lens. Place the Objective Lens in a safe area.
  40. Place a piece of paper in front of the mirror enclosure to prevent dust or smoke form entering.
  41. Remove the front Dynamic Z module mounting screw.
  42. Remove the rear Dynamic Z module mounting screw.
  43. Remove the Dynamic Z module and set it on top of the laser enclosure.
  44. Remove the Selenium Window.
  45. Remove the aperture fixture.
  46. Loosen the clamping screw located on top of the aperture fixture and remove the aperture.
  47. Mount the cross hair alignment tool into the aperture fixture and tighten the clamping screw.
  48. Reinstall the aperture fixture in the Far Focus position.
  49. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton. The red indicator light inside the button will illuminate.
  50. Place a piece of thermal sensitive paper in front of the aperture fixture and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper.
  51. Check the burn image on the paper. The image should be circular in shape with no clipping. Place the aperture over the pattern to see if excessive clipping will occur.
  52. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton.
  53. If the image is clipped, loosen the Collimator bracket clamping screw and adjust the Collimator by rotating it to the left or right. Once the Collimator position is set, re-tighten the clamping screw.
  54. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton.
  55. Next, place a piece of thermal sensitive paper behind the aperture fixture and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper.
  56. Inspect the image burned onto the thermal paper. All 4 quadrants of the image must be equal in size. If they are not, adjust mirror 3 to make the correction.
  57. On mirror 3, turning the upper right-hand setscrew will move the laser beam to the left.
  58. Turning the upper left-hand setscrew will move the laser beam to the right.
  59. Turning the lower right-hand setscrew will move the laser beam up or down.
  60. Next, place a piece of thermal sensitive paper behind the aperture fixture and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper. Check the image and repeat steps 55-60 until all 4 quadrants of the image are equal in size.
  61. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton.
  62. Next, remove the aperture fixture and reinstall it in the Near Focus position.
  63. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton.
  64. Place a piece of thermal sensitive paper in front of the aperture fixture and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper.
  65. Inspect the image burned onto the thermal paper. All 4 quadrants of the image must be equal in size. If they are not, adjust mirror 2 to make the correction.
  66. Next, place a piece of thermal sensitive paper behind the aperture fixture and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper. Check the image and repeat steps 64-66 until all 4 quadrants of the image are equal in size.
  67. Repeat steps 47-66 until both the Near and Far Focus burn images are good.
  68. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton.
  69. Remove the aperture fixture, loosen the clamping screw located on top of the fixture, remove the cross hair alignment tool and reinstall the aperture.
  70. Reinstall the aperture fixture.
  71. Next, loosen the Dynamic Z module cover set screws.
  72. Once the set screws are loose, slide off the cover.
  73. Then, take the cross hair alignment tool for the Dynamic Z module and slide it onto the lens.
  74. Position the Dynamic Z module back into the laser enclosure and re-install the two mounting screws. There is a locating pin the Dynamic Z module must sit on to be properly positioned.
  75. Loosen the six Dynamic Z module clamping screws (3 on each side).
  76. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton.
  77. Place a piece of thermal sensitive paper in behind the Dynamic Z module lens and tap the manual Laser Trigger button. The laser will burn a pattern onto the thermal paper.
  78. Inspect the image burned onto the thermal paper. All 4 quadrants of the image must be equal in size.
  79. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER CLOSED pushbutton.
  80. If they are not, position adjustments are made by sliding the Dynamic Z module in or out.
  81. Once Dynamic Z module adjustment is set, tighten the six clamping screws (3 on each side).
  82. Remove the Dynamic Z module, remove the cross hair alignment tool and re-install the cover.
  83. Place the lens shroud back onto the Dynamic Z module.
  84. Position the Dynamic Z module back into the laser enclosure and re-install the two mounting screws. There is a locating pin the Dynamic Z module must sit on to be properly positioned.
  85. Remove the paper blocking the opening to the mirror enclosure and re-install the lens.
  86. Tighten the lens clamping screw.
  87. Slide the Dynamic Z module lens shroud onto the lens.
  88. Reconnect the fine focus mechanism.
  89. Clean the Dynamic Z mirrors.
  90. Clean the Selenium Window and re-install.
  91. Go to the Laser Control Panel and push the SHUTTER OPEN pushbutton.
  92. Take a power reading right after the Collimator and just before the Dynamic Z module using a Power Wizard. Record the values. Calculate the power drop from the value recorded in step 21 and the value recorded just before the Dynamic Z module. An acceptable power drop is 25 to 30 watts. Power drops larger than this are an indication of a problem in the system.
  93. Replace the cover on the laser enclosure.