LED Strip Illumination for a Laser Cutter Project
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Evaluating Duris E5 PowerFlex LED Strips and making up an assembly for a laser cutter.
We were sent some samples of the new Duris E5 PowerFlex Series LED strips and, just as it so happened, we had an application that these would be a great match for: fitting out an old desktop laser cutter chassis with much improved work area illumination.
The plan is for the laser cutter to become something of an experimental platform, with a number of interesting features and which we can use to try out different technologies, such as employing LED laser diodes for the cutting light source, instead of a far less convenient water cooled CO2 tube. Therefore good illumination is vital so that we can carefully observe cutting in operation.
Duris E5 PowerFlex
PowerFlex from Intelligent LED Solutions is a range of high density and brightness, flexible LED strips that are based around the Osram Duris E5 LED, incorporating constant current drivers, protection diodes and 3M thermal tape. We were provided with samples in the following pitches:
Offering a range of luminous fluxes, with these all having the same warm white colour temperature of 3000K and requiring a 24V constant voltage power supply. These particular strips can be cut at every 45mm, 90mm and 100mm respectively, with pads where wires are soldered on.
Putting them to test
Anything but a scientific test, I decided to simply wire up the 7.5mm strip to see how bright it was. Now, as someone who has no real experience with lighting technology beyond that of the average person off the street, I wasn't exactly sure how bright 3456lm/m would be. However, now I am able to tell you this: extremely bright! The 7.5mm pitch strip can be seen above and the photo in no way does this justice — the light produced was rather intense to say the very least.
For comparison, and once again not that the photos really do this justice either, above can be seen the 25mm pitch variant.
Assembling a 15mm pitch module
Although the 25mm pitch strip would have probably sufficed, I decided to err on the side of caution and go with the brighter 15mm, as the laser safety glass window which will eventually be installed will more than likely have reasonably low transmission across much of the visible spectrum.
The strip was laid across the laser cutter chassis, just above where there was previously an incandescent bulb used as a source of illumination, before being cut to length.
The LED strip samples provided were accompanied by aluminium extrusion and diffuser kits. Once the parts had all been cut to length the strip was affixed to the aluminium extrusion via the 3M self-adhesive thermal tape. Wires were then soldered on for the power supply and end caps fitted.
Laser cutter chassis
As can be seen above, the laser cutter is really just a carcass at this point in time. Specification of the motion control system and cutting laser started a little while ago, and those components will be sourced over the coming months as the retrofit design starts in earnest.
However, we've now made a start and at least have the work area illumination sorted out. Initial testing with the finished LED module temporarily propped inside the old bulb fitting suggests that this should be a marked improvement on the original solution, not to mention more efficient.