Due to the cold winter climate, it's crucial to master anti-freeze techniques for laser welding and cutting machines. Here's a brief introduction. Pay close attention to the following three key aspects:

1. Since laser equipment uses water as a cooling medium, the operating environment temperature should be above 5℃.

2. In winter, if the workshop lacks heating or the ambient temperature may drop below 5℃, and the laser is only not used at night or on weekends, the machine can still be left running. This ensures the cooling water continues to circulate and won't freeze.

3. If your factory or workshop is closed for extended periods during holidays and the machines are not in operation, pay close attention to winter insulation. Drain all water from the chiller, laser, cutting head, and lenses to prevent freezing and damage.

The Great Snow solar term has just passed, and the first strong cold air mass of winter is approaching! People are donning thick, warm coats to protect against the cold. Meanwhile, we must also take timely measures to prevent laser equipment from freezing during cold waves! Yichen Laser provides you with some technical information and solutions for freeze prevention:

I. Basic Principles and Methods of Freeze Prevention: 

All liquids have a "freezing point." When the temperature of a liquid drops below this freezing point, it will solidify. However, deionized water or purified water expands in volume during the freezing process, which can damage the pipes and seals of the water-cooling system. To avoid damage to the laser, output head, and water chiller caused by the cooling liquid freezing, there are three solutions:

• Solution 1: If there is absolutely no power outage in the area, do not turn off the water chiller at night to ensure the coolant is in circulation and its temperature does not drop below the freezing point.

• Solution 2: After each day's use, drain the coolant from the laser, laser output head, and water chiller.

• Solution 3: Use antifreeze as the coolant.

II. Cooling Water Drainage Method and Piping Design Scheme: 

Open the drain valve of the chiller to drain all the water. Remove the filter element and drain the water, as this water cannot be drained and must be prevented from freezing and bursting the casing. For any water that is difficult to drain, use compressed air to blow it out. To prevent water from flowing back into the laser and damaging the precision sensors inside, the water valves must be closed.

1. Water circuit connection diagram:

2. Valve status during normal operation (red closed, yellow open):

3. Automatic purging using the water chiller before shutdown: With the water chiller powered on, close the red valve and open the yellow valve. The water chiller will then automatically pump water from the internal tank to the storage tank until there is no significant water flow. Turn off the water chiller power.

4. Purge water with low-pressure air:

5. Water chiller drain port normally open: Finally, open the water chiller drain port to empty the remaining water in the tank.

Note: All cooling water in the laser, laser output surface, and water chiller must be completely drained to effectively protect the entire water cooling system and related components!

III. Using Antifreeze for Antifreeze: 

When the operating environment experiences frequent power outages or lacks the capability for daily coolant draining, antifreeze must be used. Antifreeze base fluid is generally composed of alcohol and water, requiring high boiling and flash points, high specific heat and conductivity, low viscosity at low temperatures, minimal foaming, and non-corrosiveness to metal parts and rubber hoses. When selecting or mixing antifreeze, its freezing point should be 5°C lower than the lowest ambient temperature.

1. Using Ethanol for Short-Term Antifreeze: If there is a power outage and the coolant cannot be drained, temporary short-term antifreeze is required. Ethanol (alcohol) can be added to deionized or purified water. The amount added should not exceed 40% of the tank volume, as ethanol is highly corrosive, corroding grease, paint, rubber parts, and metals. Therefore, it cannot be used for extended periods. Within one week, the coolant must be drained and the cooling pipes cleaned with purified or deionized water. If further antifreeze is required, a dedicated antifreeze must be selected.

2. Use specialized antifreeze from professional brands: We recommend CLARIANT, which offers two types of antifreeze suitable for laser systems:

1) Ethylene glycol-water type.

2) Propylene glycol-water type.

Note: No antifreeze can completely replace deionized water and should not be used year-round for extended periods. After winter, the piping must be cleaned with deionized or purified water, and deionized or purified water should be resumed as the coolant.

If possible, we still recommend improving the electrical environment, keeping the water chiller running, or upgrading the cooling water circuit design to make daily cooling water drainage easier and faster.

The above are some key points to understand regarding antifreeze techniques for laser equipment in winter. Only by mastering these techniques can you better protect your laser equipment.

That's all for today's sharing! Feel free to leave us a message if you have any questions!