Is any runtime data available?

[brok09]

I’ve been using mostly Proofgrade Medium Density Draftboard with approximately five hours runtime. There is a noticeable cloudy buildup on the interior surfaces due to smoke/resins. The exterior of the laser tube shows this easily.

I think Maintenance lists 40 hours runtime between lens cleaning. I worry that the laser light might interact with smoke/resins deposits to damage these areas.

But the Glowforge folks have done the testing, so follow the maintenance guidelines.

Question: Can the runtime on a specific GF unit be accessed?
This would be a helpful number to know.

[scott.wiederhold]

@brok09

Can the runtime on a specific GF unit be accessed?

Not by the end user.

The unit itself does not store any stats locally, and anything that may be collected in the cloud (the device sends a steady stream of sensor data and logging entries back to the mothership) is not currently available to us.

[Jules]

Pretty sure that was a hopper request though. (From the early days.)

[dwardio]

Also, the 40 hours is more of a guideline. Some materials will require earlier cleaning. MDF, acrylic, and Corian seem to be especially “dirty.”

[evansd2]

I’ll add rubber stamps to that list. One decent-sized engrave will absolutely house your unit.

One rubber engrave and you’ll be doing a full clean. Trust.

[dan]

Indeed, and agreed. If you’re using a lot of Draftboard or Proofgrade 1/8" plywood, 5-10 hours might be a better plan. We’ll look at updating our recommendation about that, which was based on data from before we launched those products in their current form.

[brok09]

From now on I’ll save the runtime that the app gives just before launching the PRINT for each project in a database.
Good to know some of the materials that shorten time between suggested maintenance cleans.
Thank you all.

[shawn8]

Has anyone seen, has there been any update on runtime data being available?

[jbmanning5]

No.