Author: Ikenna Ofoha

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Getting The LaserBeam Back On Track

June 16th 2022 the LaserBeam queue was officially cleared. We will be shipping LaserBeam orders made after June 14th 2022 before the end of this month. We will be focusing on reordering low inventory items, adding spare parts to the shop and updating the software section of the LaserBeam resources. 

If Your LaserBeam Just Shipped:

New In depth Laser Videos: 

If you ever wanted an in depth video guide for the LaserBeam we have just the 3 part video set for you. Our resident contact guru Scott put together these videos to help you get set up with your LaserBeam 

We’ve also included them in the LaserBeam Resources

Moving Forward: 

  • We are working on getting our supply chain into shape 
  • Ordered another 400 Drivers from Makerfabs, we should resume shipping LaserBeams before the end of the month
  • We are doing inventory checks so we can place orders immediately for any low stock parts 
  • We will be posting spare parts and add-ons to the shop: 48×30 Longer Cables, Lens pack, Focus Finders, Air Assist etc. 
  • Lightburn is currently available for purchase directly from us: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/lightburn/

LaserBeam Changes: 

  • We will now start shipping LaserBeams with new longer, nylon covered cables. These have been added to any current 48×30 customers who ordered the LaserBeam. 
  • The added length gives 48×30 extension customers the needed added length and provides all other Longmill sizes extra length. We will be adding these to the store for anyone to purchase soon
  • We will now start shipping updated Laser Mounts which are smaller, lighter and easier to mount

 As we wait for the new Driver order, current LaserBeam orders will have a lead time of 2-4 weeks and we will push to lower this. Thank you all for being so patient and supporting the product as well as the company!

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Bittele Sent 1oz Boards Again. Makerfab Drivers Waiting To Be Cleared At The Local Center

Bittele has let us down again and in turn I feel like I have let you the customer down. The 200 drivers we received from Bittele were thoroughly tested and were found to be 1oz boards again. We waited a long time for them to rectify their first mistake and have the components moved from the old 1oz boards to new 2oz boards but again we received 1oz boards.

How we tested this:

  • 1oz copper drivers can only provide about 2.5A or 4W of optical laser power and those are the exact values we found when testing these new drivers
  • Next we took samples from 2oz copper boards, 1oz copper boards and the boards we just received under a magnifying tool and we found they match the copper from the 1oz copper. (Top – 1oz copper, middle – boards we received, bottom – 2oz copper)
  • Next we did a 4 point measurement test to get a more solid comparison with the 2oz copper boards, 1oz copper boards and the boards we just received. These measurements so the clear difference in a 2oz copper driver and the ones we just received.
  • Our last test was to guarantee the issues we saw came from the copper and not any components, so we took a 2oz pcb and we swapped all electronic components from the boards we received to the 2oz pcb and this driver worked perfectly. This showed us that the parts were fine and it is 100% a 1oz copper pcb

What are we doing about it?

As you know, we decided to order drivers from Makerfabs just in case anything like this happened. We did, they have shipped 200 drivers and they are currently going through customs clearance in a local sorting facility. We have provided POA this morning and have our invoices ready to be provided as soon as they are requested from us. The estimated delivery date in June 1st but DHL has a tendency to drag customs clearance, so I will be on the phone with them multiple times a day until we get it cleared.

We will go through the same testing process above to make sure they are true 2oz copper driver pcbs and we will ship as soon as they pass testing. Andy pointed out that as soon as those Bittele drivers failed their first test I should have taken a day to update you all, I will make it a point to delivery even the worse news in a more timely manner. We are in the same situation here as I am not happy until you have received your LaserBeam orders and I will not stop working until I get it done.

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LaserBeam Drivers Are On The Way!

After a very long wait, we finally have our first set of LaserBeam drivers that have been shipped to us today and we are excited for them to arrive so we can test, assemble and ship orders. 

In order to save time we had Bittele begin shipping partial orders as they were completed. Our first partial order will be 135 drivers that were shipped express earlier today and expected to arrive Friday 20th. If they arrive on time, I will test each driver over the weekend so we can begin assembly and shipping orders next week. I will work as many hours as needed to ensure 135 orders are shipped by Friday 27th.

There are currently 165 LaserBeam orders in the queue and we will be receiving more partial driver orders before the end of the month in order to finish fulfilling the queue of orders. 

Going forward, over the next few weeks we will receive another 265 drivers (not including this first 135 drivers) and another 400 drivers from MakerFabs. This gives us enough stock for the rest of the year, which gives us time to continue to streamline the supply chain, make more informational laser videos, start posting replacement parts on the shop and design other products around the LaserBeam ecosystem. 

As always, we appreciate the support and patience.

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LaserBeam Driver Delay Update

This update is for all LaserBeam customers that have not received their orders. 

Most of you probably know that we have been dealing with supply chain delays for the past 3 months and recently that delay came to an end. That is the good news, copper heatsinks and power supplies arrived and the laser diode assemblies have been assembled. 

The bad news is Bittele, our pcb manufacturer, manufactured our drivers on 1oz copper pcbs instead of our requested 2oz copper pcbs. This will cause a delay for LaserBeam orders shipping out. 

The details: 

  • We cannot ship out drivers with 1oz pcbs, this will cause the voltage regulator and other key components to operate out of safe specifications
  • Bittele and their team is committed to rectifying this mistake
  • This will delay the driver shipment by 20-25 days which delays the LaserBeams shipping out

What we are doing about this:

  • Bittele has been instructed to remake all pcbs with 2oz copper
  • Bittele has been instructed to disassemble all components from the 1oz copper pcbs 
  • Bittele has been instructed to reorder all generic capacitors and resistors that cannot be disassembled from the 1oz copper pcbs
  • We will place a completely new order for 200 assembled drivers with PCBway in the hope that they can potentially manufacture and ship drivers before Bittele can.
  • Both this new order and our delayed order will give us 6 months of driver stock so that we can avoid this type of delay from ever happening again. 

Like always, if you cannot wait for the new drivers to arrive for any reason. Please send in a ticket requesting a refund, we completely understand. Feel free to reorder when we begin shipping product. I appreciate the support of all customers. 

Contact us here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/contact-us/

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LaserBeams Have begun Shipping this Monday – Resources will be Live Thursday end of day

Hello all Laser customers, Monday December 20th we began shipping our LaserBeam pre-orders out. I am working everyday to make sure we can get our first 300 pre-orders out the door before the end of the year.

I will be in the office next week, testing, packing and shipping LaserBeams.

I made the decision to begin shipping before our resource section was live because I did not want to delay shipping while I finished our resource section.

Each laser and laser driver is tested before shipping and I will have resources posted before Thursday end of day.

For now I will be providing the User/Safety Manual pdf with our tutorial video that was made for the Youtube Channel earlier this year for those who have received your Laser before Thursday.

7W-LaserBeam-Component-User-Safety-Manual-Download

I appreciate you all for sticking with this project and I’m still working hard until you all have Lasers and resources.

Cheers,

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The Final Stretch! Laser Update

Completed Milestone

Over the past few weeks we have finalized our design for the driver case, air assist and laser shield. We have placed an order with a local PCB manufacturer, and they are on track to complete our laser driver PCB December 17th. Our focus now is to have all parts packed and assembled so that when the driver PCBs arrive, it will be the only part of the laser to assemble, pack and we can begin shipping. 

The specific milestones below have been completed since the last update:

  • Ordered our driver PCB Assemblies in bulk
  • Finalized our design for the driver case, air assist and laser shield and begun production on these parts
  • Completed FDA submission documents

The roadmap for the rest of the month is as follows:

  1. Receive completed driver PCBs [Dec 17th]
  2. Test drivers [Dec 18th-19th]
  3. Begin driver assembly and shipping [Dec 20th-23rd], shipping out our first 300 LaserBeam pre-orders

Next Tasks

Regulations

  • Our FDA submission documents are being reviewed and will be sent out December 13th  

Production

  • Get final packaging foam prototyped and cut     
  • Continue 3D printing and laser cutting parts

Assembly 

  • We have assembled 300 laser diode assemblies (which includes the heatsinks and laser diode, not the driver)
  • We have received our steel laser mounts and will assemble to the laser diode assembly with compliant safety and product stickers  
  • Assemble the PWM signal cable, the last cables to be assembled
  • Pack and label AC cables and power supplies

Remaining Milestones

  • FDA Report Reviewed and Submitted [Dec 13th]
  • Assemble driver PCB enclosure [Dec 17th]
  • Test each LaserBeam system [Dec 18th-19th]
  • Pack LaserBeams [Dec 20th-23rd]
  • Ship LaserBeams [Dec 20th-23rd]

Ordering Additional Safety Glasses & Lenses: 

https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser-accessories/

Check out the link above if you need to order additional LaserBeam accessories that you didn’t order in your original LaserBeam preorder. You won’t be charged any additional shipping and your order will be combined with your LaserBeam Pre order! 

Sienci LaserBeam Pre Order:

Place your Sienci LaserBeam Pre order here:  https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser/

Answering your FAQ: 

Send your Laser Questions Here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/contact-us/technical-help/

Check out our LaserBeam FAQ video, I take all your unanswered questions from the LaserBeam livestream and try to give you guys more clarity on the LaserBeam add on. 

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If you missed the last update, check it out here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/2021/11/16/testing-ordering-fda/

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7W LaserBeam Sent Off For Testing

Completed Milestone

On November 2nd we sent off our 7W LaserBeam product for independent testing. With the help of the test project coordinator, we will ensure that our product meets all Class 4 laser product requirements. That could mean making changes to the driver design and/or improving our safety/user manual. 

Next Tasks

Safety and User Manual

While we wait to hear back from the test project coordinator we will continue to have our packers assemble parts that we are confident in, and would not be affected by the results of the testing. 

Parts to assemble: 

  • Laser diode extension cord 
  • PWM signal cord
  • Laser diode heat sink assembly 
  • Laser cooling fan

As we wait for updates from the independent testing facility, we will continue to plan ahead for Batch 2, to avoid future delays in shipping. Batch 1 includes the first 300 pre-orders, scheduled to deliver by end of the year. 

Supply chain tasks:

  • We will be upgrading our acrylic router mount to zinc plated 10GA sheet metal
    • This will further reduce any vibrations that come from the laser cooling fan or LongMill movement
  • We will begin ordering more parts for Batch 2 of the LaserBeam production, which should take 1-2 weeks
    • Copper heat sinks
    • Safety glasses
    • A/C power cables
    • Laser diodes
  • Once the Laserbeam passes testing, we can order the driver PCBs

Remaining Milestones

  • Pass IEC 60825-1 tests
  • Receive testing report
  • Order our driver PCB Assemblies in bulk 
  • File FDA reports
  • Assemble driver PCB enclosure 
  • Test each LaserBeam system
  • Pack LaserBeams 
  • Ship LaserBeams

Ordering Additional Safety Glasses & Lenses: 

https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser-accessories/

Check out the link above if you need to order additional LaserBeam accessories that you didn’t order in your original LaserBeam preorder. You won’t be charged any additional shipping and your order will be combined with your LaserBeam Pre order! 

Sienci LaserBeam Pre Order:

Place your Sienci LaserBeam Pre order here:  https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser/

Answering your FAQ: 

Send your Laser Questions Here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/contact-us/technical-help/

Check out our LaserBeam FAQ video, I take all your unanswered questions from the LaserBeam livestream and try to give you guys more clarity on the LaserBeam add on. 

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If you missed the last update, check it out here:

https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/2021/10/22/almost-ready-for-independent-testing/

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Prepping 5A LaserBeam Driver For Independent Testing

5A Working Laser Driver

I am very glad to announce that we have a working 5A LaserBeam driver. Although this is exciting and we can now begin to move forward, there is still a lot of work to be done before we can confidently begin shipping the LaserBeam out.

LaserBeam 5A Driver v7

  • Stable 5A max current 
  • Full power mode & PWM mode
  • Set max power (Current – A) with dip switch
  • Interlock switch option (add Estop .etc) 
  • Key switch 
  • Power reset button
  • Power on & emissions LED 

v7 5A Driver Test Results

New Enclosure Design

Independent Testing

In order to ship our LaserBeam to our customers in Canada, United States & Internationally, we must comply with: 

  • RED Regulations: Canadian Radiation Emitting Devices Regulations 
  • FDA CDRH: 21 CFR 1000 – 1050: US FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health
  • IEC 60825-1: International Electrotechnical Commission Laser Regulations  

We are confirming compliance by having an experienced company test our laser.

What’s Left to Do

  • Receive and populate a cleaned up version of our v7 LaserBeam driver
  • Send completed LaserBeam product to the Test Engineer
  • Pass IEC 60825-1 tests
  • Receive testing report
  • Order our driver PCB Assemblies in bulk 
  • File FDA reports
  • Assemble driver PCB enclosure 
  • Test each LaserBeam system
  • Pack LaserBeams – End of November 
  • Ship LaserBeams – Early December

Ordering Additional Safety Glasses & Lenses: 

https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser-accessories/

Check out the link above if you need to order additional LaserBeam accessories that you didn’t order in your original LaserBeam preorder. You won’t be charged any additional shipping and your order will be combined with your LaserBeam Pre-order! 

Sienci LaserBeam Pre Order:

Place your Sienci LaserBeam Pre order here:  https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser/

Answering your FAQ: 

Send your Laser Questions Here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/contact-us/technical-help/

Check out our LaserBeam FAQ video, I take all your unanswered questions from the LaserBeam livestream and try to give you guys more clarity on the LaserBeam add on. 

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If you missed the last update, check it out here:

https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/2021/09/23/laserbeam-first-working-laser-driver/

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LaserBeam: First Working Laser Driver

 

3A Working Laser Driver

I would like to share with the LaserBeam community that v6 of our driver design was our first operating Laser Driver. There’s good and there’s bad but this is a huge milestone, giving us a lot of confidence in continuing to improve and get the design where it needs to be.

Positive Driver News

  • We currently have a working 3A Laser driver that can operate with the Longmill controller & gSender to produce high quality engraving and cutting results 
  • All safety features operate as intended (Key switch, interlock, power failure reset button, led status)
  • Control max current output with dip switches (up to 3A reliably right now)
  • Switch between full power continuous mode and PWM input mode working
  • Power your Laser cooling fan, driver cooling fan and air assist fan working

Negative Driver News 

  • We currently are not able to provide a stable 5A current to the diode (3A is the max right now)
  • Holding down the reset button turns the driver on (small error)
  • There is a small amount of power leakage; when in continuous or pwm mode there is a small amount of current running into the laser diode. This is an issue because unless a current is selected in continuous or a pwm signal is being sent to the driver there should be no amount of current available

v7 Driver Improvements 

  • Upgrade passive components and double copper layer amount in order to achieve a stable 5A 
  • Power and function switch changed to panel mount for more flexibility for driver design
  • Get rid of signal inversion mode and potentiometer in order to solve low power leakage and simplify design

v6 Driver Results 

Next Steps

  1. Test v7 Laser Driver
  2. Working on Laser Resources
  3. We are currently finalizing our air assist design and I’m very happy with the results
  4. New Update October 7th 2021

Ordering Additional Safety Glasses & Lenses: 

https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser-accessories/

Check out the link above if you need to order additional LaserBeam accessories that you didn’t order in your original LaserBeam preorder. You won’t be charged any additional shipping and your order will be combined with your LaserBeam Pre-order! 

Sienci LaserBeam Pre Order:

Place your Sienci LaserBeam Pre order here:  https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser/

Answering your FAQ: 

Send your Laser Questions Here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/contact-us/technical-help/

Check out our LaserBeam FAQ video, I take all your unanswered questions from the LaserBeam livestream and try to give you guys more clarity on the LaserBeam add on. 

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If you missed the last update, check it out here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/2021/08/30/laserbeam-driver-development-shipping-update/

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LaserBeam: Driver Development & Shipping Update

 

When will the LaserBeam ship?

During my time at Sienci Labs, I have learned a lot about rapid prototyping, quality control, and listening and working with our amazing community. Andy & Chris our Founders have always advised me to always give myself more time than needed. It’s a lesson I have not fully taken in until now, I feel like I have learned to set more realistic expectations on the timelines it takes to develop a new product. I do believe for the price, we are developing the best laser diode attachment on the market. The last piece of the puzzle is a 5A laser driver that meets the standards of the company and my own. I have no doubt that we will get there but we need time. The driver needs to work well, be tested independently and then ordered in bulk. That’s all that is left with development. We are currently at version 5 of the driver prototyping, we may need 1-2 more before I am confident enough to send off for independent lab testing and bulk ordering. The original ship date I picked was the first week of July, then first week of August then end of August. Instead of telling you we can ship early  October. I need to take Andy & Chris’ advice and give myself and those I’m working with enough time to do this right and to not continuously push the date by small increments. Your support on this new product and journey to developing it really does mean the world to me. Thank you Sienci Labs community!  We do hope to ship earlier than the new listed date but I think it’s best to allow more time than I believe we need. 

*Final shipping update is December 2021 (absolute latest)*

What caused this delay?

  • I hired 2 international electronics designers, I misjudged their experience with laser diodes and constant current drivers. 
  • Neither designer was able to develop something that could perform the tasks we needed v1-v4.
  • The best design we received was v4, it had working safety features and delivered current to the diode, only issue was that is was not constant current and was not a high quality design
  • Slow design work pace: I hired these designers in April 2021 and only had received designs that could be tested in July. This is the root cause of our 3-4 month delay
  • I am now disputing the payments we made to them and working with a new local designer full time and he is working night and day prototyping the new laser driver design. 
  • I am working between the Sienci office and our new designers office in order to keep the project moving forward and continuously test and debug designs at a much faster pace
  • This ultimately stems from my own inexperience hiring electronics engineers and designers. This did teach me a lot

5A Laser Driver Update

  • With all that said, version 5 of the driver was tested last night and had some issues
  • To much inductance/resistance in the traces leading to the voltage regulator 
  • Reverse polarity protection was not included
  • The way feedback was provided to the mosfet was causing issues with the constant current
  •  Version 6 is being worked on as we speak and we’ll be placing a new PCB order tomorrow to fix all the issues listed above. 

Production News

  • We have finalized the LaserBeam Logo 
  • Both aluminum & copper heatsinks have been tested with great results 
  • Focus ring & springs have been tested and packaged with great results 
  • We have a stock of 200 7w Diodes
  • Fans have arrived and will be tested next week
  • New batch of power supplies have arrived and will be tested next week 
  • Extension cables are being prepped for packaging 

Timeline (8-16 weeks): What needs to be done?

  1. Driver Development: currently working on v6 of the prototype (1-2 Weeks)
  2. Testing: send a driver off for testing  (1-2 Weeks)
  3. FDA Compliance: file our test reports with the FDA (1-2 Weeks)
  4. Order Drivers: order the drivers in bulk (4-8 Weeks)
  5. Ship: Package and ship LaserBeam Pre-orders (1-2 Weeks)

What If I can’t wait that long?

Please send us an email or give us a call and we will process your refund. I never want to disappoint community members and customers but at Sienci Labs we value transparency over everything. Some of you run your businesses with the Longmill and you anticipated having a Laser for certain projects/jobs, we understand if you need to make different plans and explore other options. 

For those of you who still want to  wait, first of all thank you. It’s because you guys have supported this project from day one that I get to develop a product that the community will use and hopefully enjoy in the very near future.  

Ordering Additional Safety Glasses & Lenses: 

https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser-accessories/

Check out the link above if you need to order additional LaserBeam accessories that you didn’t order in your original LaserBeam preorder. You won’t be charged any additional shipping and your order will be combined with your LaserBeam Pre-order! 

Sienci LaserBeam Pre Order:

Place your Sienci LaserBeam Pre order here:  https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/product/laser/

Answering your FAQ: 

Send your Laser Questions Here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/contact-us/technical-help/

Check out our LaserBeam FAQ video, I take all your unanswered questions from the LaserBeam livestream and try to give you guys more clarity on the LaserBeam add on. 

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If you missed the last update, check it out here: https://sienci-upgrade.cospark.io/2021/07/26/laserbeam-driver-complications/