Help, there is a double line in my cutting and engraving work

When you are cutting or engraving, you may notice a second line appearing with the same shape but slightly off. When cutting, one line is often thinner and still goes into the material. The second line is usually wider and leaves a superficial mark only.

What causes this 'shadow line'?

This shadow line occurs because the laser beam in the nozzle, the tip at the bottom of the lens shaft, hits the side of the hole. Normally, the laser beam passes through the center of the hole in the nozzle. If the beam does not pass through the center, it collides with the material of the nozzle. This means you do not have a proper laser beam on your product and there can therefore be a second line.

You can check this by sticking a piece of masking tape on the bottom of the nozzle and shooting a pulse. Then unscrew the nozzle from the lens shaft and look through the nozzle hole from the inside. Please be careful, the nozzle may have become hot! If all goes well then you will see that the hole in the masking tape is nicely centered inside the hole in the nozzle. When there is a deviation then you will see that the hole in the masking tape is not sitting nicely in the center of the hole in the nozzle. It also often happens that the hole in the tape is not round but has become oval.

How do I correct the 'shadow line'?

Establish whether you have had a collision with your material. If there has been a hard collision then the laser head may no longer be perpendicular to the table. A small deviation can be enough to cause a 'shadow line'.

If you notice that the laser head is not perpendicular to the table, you will have to adjust the alignment of the laser head.

Click here to read more about how to align the laser head of the BRM Pro.Click here to read more about how to align the laser head of the BRM Original.

If the laser head is perpendicular to the table or you have adjusted the perpendicularity of the laser head, you need to check the mirror alignment completely. A shadow line can also arise from mirror alignment that is slightly off.

If you can't solve the problem, we will be happy to help. Just send us a ticket with some pictures of your result and we will look into how we can help you best.