When winter is coming, temperature is getting lower and lower, do you know how to take care of your fiber laser source? Let’s check it together.
Why do we need to take this kind of step?
As we know, density of ice is lower than water. Once chilled water which flow through core components inside fiber laser source freeze, their volume will be larger and will also cause great damages to pipeline, then seriously affect the safety of core components and cause heavy losses.
What are fiber laser source’s requirement for temperature?
Usually temperature for operating need to be around 5-45℃(41-113℉). If outside, condition of machine won’t be stable, machine will be damaged probably such as internal chilled water pipeline get frozen.
What will cause fiber laser source or chiller freeze easily?
1. The temperate is lower than 0℃(32℉), there is no heating facilities, machine stops to run in long time.
2. The temperate is lower than 0℃(32℉), there is heating facilities, machine stops to run in long time due to vacations.
3. Chiller is outdoor.
(Remarks: reason which causes freeze is not confined to those above)
Measurement
1. Keep temperature is higher than 0℃(32℉) (if can’t, pls check No.2);
2. Always keep fiber laser source and chiller running to prevent water from freezing (if can’t, pls check No.3);
3. Drain water inside fiber laser source and chiller, methods are below:
(a) Drain water inside tank of chiller and pipeline of chiller. When you drain water inside pipeline of chiller, you can take off water pipe from chiller, then use the compressed gas with pressure less than 3.5Bar ventilates the four water inlets and outlets separately. Picture of four water inlets and outlets is below.
(b) After removing the upper and lower quick-insertion water pipes of the deionization barrel, using compressed gas to blow from top to bottom and blow the remaining water out. Then connecting the upper and lower quick-insertion water pipes back to the deionization barrel. This process can prevent the deionization barrel from freezing basically.
(c) Removing the water pipe of inlet and outlet, using the compressed gas with pressure less than 3.5Bar ventilates the four water inlets and outlets until drain water inside pipes of fiber laser source out basically.
(d) Draining water inside other water pipes of laser fiber source and chiller out. Pls note that you need to exit gas from water pump, otherwise water pump will be damaged.
4. If don’t want to drain chilled water out every day, you can use antifreeze.
(a) Don’t use for long time
Antifreeze has its own lifespan. If exceeding that time, it will go bad. So when weather get warm, you need to discharge antifreeze.
(b) Don’t use different brand or different series antifreeze together
Chemical material is different in different brand, there will be chemical reaction after using together. Not only it won’t anti-freeze, but also case some polluted remaining.
(c) Except famous brand such as Dowtherm or Clariant, you can also use anhydrous alcohol to prevent frostbite in short time. When adding anhydrous alcohol to purified water or deionized water, pls note that increased amount can’t exceed 33% of water pump volume. Because anhydrous alcohol is highly corrosive, metal, grease, paint and rubber parts will be corroded, it can’t be used for long time. You need to drain half a month as a cycle and use purified water or deionized water to clean pipes.
(d) The proportion of antifreeze and water can be determined according to the temperature in different regions:
| Proportion | Anti-freezing temperature |
| 6:4(6 antifreeze to 4 water) | -42℃~-45℃(-107.6℉~113℉) |
| 5:5(5 antifreeze to 5 water) | -32℃~-35℃(-89.6℉~95℉) |
| 4:6(4 antifreeze to 6 water) | -22℃~-25℃(-71.6℉~77℉) |
| 3:7(3 antifreeze to 7 water) | -12℃~-15℃(-53.6℉~59℉) |
| 2:8(2 antifreeze to 8 water) | -2℃~-5℃(-35.6℉~41℉) |
e) Pls note that any antifreeze can’t replace purified water or deionized water. After winter passing away, you need to clean antifreeze inside water pump and pipes completely, then change to normal chilled water and original data, ion cylinder is also needed to change. And before turning on the machine, pls exhaust the water pump, otherwise, it will be damaged.
