Power Inlet Re-Repair

My quick and dirty repair of the power inlet module lasted about five weeks, and then burned up, as seen here:

So this time I ordered and installed a replacement part (Interpower 83110131) and got a new power cord.

Instead of the excessive 20A fuses that came with the laser, I installed a 15A fuse. I plan to measure the actual current draw soon. Full Spectrum now says it should be only 5A surge and 1.5A continuous. However, when the laser was first installed it was popping a 15A circuit breaker, so I don’t believe their numbers. If I can drop down to a 10A fuse, I will, because that IEC connector is only rated for 10A.

 

9 thoughts on “Power Inlet Re-Repair

  1. Weird. Apparently the solder joint was the fuse last time!

    I wonder though why this would fail? Why is it getting so hot, and why now?

    Hopefully the new one lasts and it was just a faulty part!

  2. You are really scaring me:(

    From: Lacking any really good way to probe this, I tried poking the sharp ends of the voltmeter’s probes through the soft insulation on the wires.

    and onwards….no, no, no!

    Can the model number be used to find a manual online in .pdf form? most machines can be found that way. It might cost $5 or so.

    There is probably something wearing out on the machine/ laser end causing the machine to draw more current to compensate. I’m not sure where you obtained this machine, but it could have had some up and coming issues when you got it, not unlike a used car:(

    (I am not familiar with laser machines, but I am an industrial electrician.)

  3. I just read the whole adventure, and now see you did originally get the machine new. I still think the problem is closer to the business end of the machine. Something big is wearing out IMHO.

  4. There isn’t anything “big” in the machine that can fail that way. There’s no big motor in this kind of machine. Mechanically it is driven by three modest-size stepper motors, each one of which is driven by an electronic drive module that has limited current capability.

    The power supply for the laser tube is a separate box with its own current limiting.

    If the machine were drawing excess current, it would be blowing the fuse in the power inlet module, or the circuit breaker at the panel, not burning up the power inlet module.

  5. I thought you mentioned it originally had a 20A fuse when the company said it should be using about 1.5A/ 5A. That sounds like a potential for current in excess of the design. Fuses aren’t always to protect the equipment, they are sometimes to protect the building from the equipment. I still think measuring the amp draw to see what the machine as a whole (and some interior components) are actually using is in order. The only way to really know what sort of power is supposed to be used by any part in operation is to get the diagram.

    Did you mention what size circuit breaker the machine is on now?

  6. It’s the circuit breaker’s job to protect the building wiring. It’s a 20A breaker, which matches the wire gauge that’s in the wall.

    The laser is a Full Spectrum Laser Pro LF 48×36 with the 150W option. If you’re looking for the manual, it’s right on this site under the Download menu. If you’re expecting it to contain detailed specs on the AC power input, well, it doesn’t.

    I do intend to measure the current consumption at the next opportunity.

  7. Full Spectrum Laser now confirms that that’s about right. They don’t have a current current measurement on the 150W configuration we have, but they measure 8.46A on a 120W machine.

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