SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com  
Thursday, April 1, 2004
Issue 84

SYNRAD's sealed CO₂ lasers are used in a variety of industrial processes including cutting, welding, drilling, and marking. This news brief showcases some of the interesting materials and products that are processed daily by Synrad's line of CO₂ lasers and marking heads.

Cutting Mild Steel

Mild steel exhibiting a cleanly cut edge with no underside dross

Detail of  the narrow kerf width inherent in CO₂ laser cutting


0.102” thick mild steel cut using 400 watts at 70 IPM

SYNRAD’s new Firestar f400 laser combines high power and superb mode quality (TEM₀₀, 95% purity, M² <1.1 ±0.1) for superior performance in metal cutting applications. When cutting metal, power density, not wavelength, ultimately determines cutting performance.

As an example, we cut this shape from 0.102” thick mild steel with 400 watts at a speed of 70 inches per minute (IPM) while achieving a cleanly cut edge with no underside dross. Power density at the focal point is on the order of 49–52 MW/in², which is far above the 5 MW/in² threshold for vaporizing mild and stainless steels.

The second photograph illustrates the narrow kerf width inherent in CO₂ laser cutting. The kerf in this example measures only 0.0045” wide.

Marking and Cutting Cardboard

 


Detail of the 2D Data Matrix code marked at 16 IPS using 20W with a Resolution setting of 150.





 

The sample shown left demonstrates the ability of Synrad CO₂ lasers and marking heads to mark verifiable codes on shipping grade cardboard. The FH Series marking head was fitted with a 125 mm HP (high power) focusing lens that provides a 3.2” × 3.9” mark field, a 180-micron (0.007”) spot size, and 3 mm (0.118”) depth of focus.

We marked the Code 128 barcode, readable by an RVSI MXi handheld scanner, at a Velocity of 13.5 inches per second (IPS) using 50 watts of power. Resolution for the 13-character code was set to 75.

The 2D Data Matrix code marked at 16 IPS using 20W with a Resolution setting of 150. An RVSI vision system verified the code, which exhibited 39% contrast and received a passing AIM (Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility) grade of “A” for axial uniformity, print growth, and error correction.

Both text objects were marked at 18 IPS using 50W with a Resolution of 255. WinMark Pro’s Spot Marking Style was set to Yes and a Spot Mark Duration of 6 (600 microseconds) was specified. Overall mark cycle time for the barcode, 2D code, and both text objects was 7.4 seconds.

Although cardboard cutting is normally performed on an XY table using Nitrogen assist gas, we cut these samples with the same marking head and lens setup used for marking. We began by importing a drawing of a 1.8” × 2.7” rounded rectangle into WinMark Pro. The 0.148” thick cardboard was cleanly cut using 120 watts of power at 10 IPS in two Mark Passes. Cycle time for the cut was 1.73 seconds.

Marking a Test Matrix

Test matrix on Laser Markable Ceramic Tile using the Synrad v40

When performing sample testing on unfamiliar materials, it’s often useful to mark a matrix that displays Resolution versus Power (at a fixed Velocity) or displays Velocity versus Power (at a fixed Resolution). If the mark consists of filled objects, a matrix of filled squares demonstrates the best mark parameters for filling shapes or raster-scanning imported images.

For text objects, a matrix of unfilled squares will demonstrate optimum values for marking single stroke lines. After you have chosen appropriate Power and Resolution (or Velocity) values based on the matrix results, you can experiment with changing other WinMark Pro object properties to fine-tune the mark to your particular requirements.

Browse Synrad's Applications Database

Search our online library for more applications of Synrad's sealed CO₂ laser technology. Sort by material, process, or industry.

http://www.synrad.com/search_apps/Default.htm

Do you have an interesting application using Synrad Lasers?  Would you like to see it published in the Synrad Newsletter?  We would love to hear from you!  Please send your story ideas to: editor@synrad.com

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Copyright (c) 2004 SYNRAD, Inc. All rights reserved.