Applies to: NOVA 10, NOVA 14 and NOVA 16
This guide shows how to run a 5 point test on an AEON NOVA. The test is a good way to find out why the machine is not cutting or engraving, and a final check after you have gone through the full alignment.
What you need
- Painter’s tape
Run the test
Power the machine on and let it reset fully.
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Jog the laser head to the center of the bed, within 5 mm:
Machine X Y NOVA 10 500 350 NOVA 14 700 450 NOVA 16 800 500 -
Press a 1” to 2” piece of painter’s tape firmly into the nozzle, so it forms a divot. The divot shows where the beam hits in relation to the edges of the nozzle hole. If air from the nozzle blows the tape off, lower the flow with the air regulator dial.
Close the lid and quickly press PULSE on the keypad.
Open the lid and gently remove the tape from the nozzle, without touching the divot or the pulse spot. Do not fold or rotate the tape. Its orientation matters, because the position of the pulse mark tells you which adjustment to make. Drawing a small arrow on the tape helps you keep track of direction.
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Inspect the pulse mark. Look at its shape, and at where it sits in relation to the center of the divot.
Adjust the alignment as needed, using the process below, to bring the pulse mark as close to the center of the divot as possible. After every adjustment, always pulse into a fresh spot on the tape to see where the mark has moved.
Once the pulse is centered in the divot at the center of the bed, put a fresh piece of tape on the nozzle as in step 3.
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Pulse the machine at 5 points, moving the tape each time to match where the machine is being pulsed: the center of the bed, the back left corner, the back right corner, the front left corner and the front right corner.
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Inspect the results. If all the pulses hit the same spot across the bed, the 5 point test is complete.
Adjust the pulse mark
The alignment knobs on the Mirror 3 bracket do two jobs: the general alignment of Mirror 3, and the fine positioning of the pulse mark in a 5 point test. In the Mirror 3 alignment procedure, the sliding lens housing is taken off the laser head. Here the lens stays in place, so the adjustments need more precision.
Note: Make every adjustment in reference to the center pulse point. Only run the full 5 point test once the center pulse mark is acceptable.
The steps are the same for each direction. Only the knob changes:
Loosen the lock nut on the brass alignment knob for that direction.
Tighten the alignment knob slightly (turn it clockwise).
Tighten the lock nut.
Put a fresh piece of tape on the nozzle.
Pulse in the center of the bed.
Remove the tape and inspect the position of the pulse mark.
Repeat until the pulse mark is centered in the divot.
Move the pulse mark left
Move the pulse mark right
Move the pulse mark down
Move the pulse mark up
Need a hand?
Email support@aeonlaser.us or call 321-260-2325. More ways to reach us are on the Support page.