Supplied air pump

A small air pump is supplied with the BRM Budget. It provides approximately 0.1 bar of pressure. You connect the air pump to the back of the laser machine. Then the air hoses are connected from the back of the machine to the right side of the machine. This is where you will find a bolt on the outside. It is connected to an air regulator. The air hose is also connected to the air regulator. From the air regulator, the air hose goes via the Y- and X-axis to the air coupling that is attached to the nozzle.

The air regulator has a flow valve with which you can adjust the number of liters per minute. By turning the bolt on the right side of the machine that goes to the air regulator, you can add more or less air.

Should I always add air?

Some materials improve when you add a little more air, whereas other materials require less air. However, it is important to always add some air. If you fail to do so, smoke can settle on the lens. Then dirt will remain on it. If you start cutting or engraving again, you can burn the dirt into the lens, making the lens unusable. The lens must then be replaced to be able to cut or engrave properly again.

If you often add relatively small amounts of air, you should check the lens more often to see if it is still clean and clean it more often if necessary.

Click here to read an article on cleaning the lens.

Hardly any air comes out of the nozzle, now what?

If there is less air than you expected, you can check whether you have opened the flow valve properly. Inside the air regulator, there is a small piece of mesh. You can remove the hoses from the air regulator. In one of the connections, you will find this piece of mesh. Some dirt may have accumulated on it, preventing the air from flowing through it. You can use a needle or something similar to remove the dirt.

It can be a bit tricky to reach the mesh. If you need to remove the air regulator from the machine, you must mark which hose is on which side of the air regulator so you can reconnect the air regulator correctly. You can unscrew the nut on the outside of the machine to loosen the air regulator.

Removal of the mesh from the air regulator allows the dirt to pass through the air hoses freely. This allows the dirt to easily reach the lens and this can cause the lens to wear out faster. We, therefore, do not recommend removing the mesh.

Is it possible to connect a compressor to the BRM Budget without adjusting anything?

No, you cannot just connect a compressor to the air supply. The hoses in the machine are not made for the pressure that a compressor provides. The hoses can handle about 0.5 bar, if you apply more pressure the hoses will break. Also, the airflow will remain continuous, because there is no valve on the machine that closes when you are not working. Because of that, your compressor will run empty very quickly. Should you wish to work with a compressor, please submit a ticket and we will help you.