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Well the saga continues….. Since the last laser post, the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been playing catch 22 with me. Neither has ever destroyed a laser device before, and can’t decide how. To make things worse I am stuck in the middle. CBP needs a form, FDA does not know who fills it out. Then Good old Washington State EPA requires a license for the recycler. No one knows what is going on. The welder has a water cooler, and a refrigeration system. When I told the FDA the unit contained dihydrogenmonxide DHMO (water H2O) and a HFC 409 and their head exploded. The EPA and FDA spun up and can not decide what to do. CBP treats it like a bad batch of apples but won’t issue some release form to FDA with out a HAZMAT determination. Today I am still waiting for CBP form 4647..
Can this get worse??? Why sure
The manufacturer says they will replace the unit under warranty and has shipped the new one door to odor from the factory. (They exported it before it was approved for entry into the USA). That is good if they really did. I finally convinced the vendor, the customs detention and failed inspection was on just my machine only, not all of them. They played stupid until the last minute until I sent a threat to have them banned in the USA for non compliance to the CFR, and be put on the no entry list. Nice to be retired navy, and have an Admiral in charge of Radiation health (CDRH). So maybe new machine, dingers crossed
Then I sent the customs forms to AMREX, asking for an insurance refund on the purchase. They went to eBay with a dispute, eBay then held the amount from the vendor. Then eBay rejected the dispute and still have not released the funds. So the Manufacturer will not release the warranty replacement from bond until it clears. 10 calls and emails to AMERX and eBay can not seem to clear the dispute. My account shows no disputes, vendors says still pending.. So I broke the welding unit down into several piles of parts. Laser stuff, power stuff, cooler stuff, computer stuff, preparing for disposal. Several piles all covered by different state recycling laws.
On a more positive note, this machine is amazing, the welds, cleaning, cutting etc are like the videos. It take a couple hours to to figure it out. The chinglish manuals are not easy, but after you have gone over them 4-5 it starts to make sense. It’s just like MiG, except the wire feeder pushes the gun, and the nozzle needs to rough the material being welded, not as a ground but to keep the beam at the weld and not the shop. We only got a few hours on it before I had to brake it down. Welds 0.5mm wide in 18 ga steel, spot welds like a pro, cuts up to 10mm thick, cleans paint, dirt and corrosion with ease. Does heat the metal up some, but no more that a car in the sun in the summer. the YouTube videos ate real, takes some practice but works. Uses Nitrogen to blow on the lenses to keep them clean when cutting . I will try clean dry air when the next one arrives.
enough for now, cross your fingers, I may get through this yet.
Can this get worse??? Why sure
The manufacturer says they will replace the unit under warranty and has shipped the new one door to odor from the factory. (They exported it before it was approved for entry into the USA). That is good if they really did. I finally convinced the vendor, the customs detention and failed inspection was on just my machine only, not all of them. They played stupid until the last minute until I sent a threat to have them banned in the USA for non compliance to the CFR, and be put on the no entry list. Nice to be retired navy, and have an Admiral in charge of Radiation health (CDRH). So maybe new machine, dingers crossed
Then I sent the customs forms to AMREX, asking for an insurance refund on the purchase. They went to eBay with a dispute, eBay then held the amount from the vendor. Then eBay rejected the dispute and still have not released the funds. So the Manufacturer will not release the warranty replacement from bond until it clears. 10 calls and emails to AMERX and eBay can not seem to clear the dispute. My account shows no disputes, vendors says still pending.. So I broke the welding unit down into several piles of parts. Laser stuff, power stuff, cooler stuff, computer stuff, preparing for disposal. Several piles all covered by different state recycling laws.
On a more positive note, this machine is amazing, the welds, cleaning, cutting etc are like the videos. It take a couple hours to to figure it out. The chinglish manuals are not easy, but after you have gone over them 4-5 it starts to make sense. It’s just like MiG, except the wire feeder pushes the gun, and the nozzle needs to rough the material being welded, not as a ground but to keep the beam at the weld and not the shop. We only got a few hours on it before I had to brake it down. Welds 0.5mm wide in 18 ga steel, spot welds like a pro, cuts up to 10mm thick, cleans paint, dirt and corrosion with ease. Does heat the metal up some, but no more that a car in the sun in the summer. the YouTube videos ate real, takes some practice but works. Uses Nitrogen to blow on the lenses to keep them clean when cutting . I will try clean dry air when the next one arrives.
enough for now, cross your fingers, I may get through this yet.
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