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SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com |
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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. |
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In many packaging applications, the combination of a preprinted label and laser marking is a perfect fit. In addition to the base label color, the images on a label can include several spot colors or even a four-color process print for realistic full-color graphics. Laser marking adds the ability to add customized information including date codes or lot numbers on-the-fly at the time of actual product packaging. A case in point is this packaging for processed meats, which consists of a self-adhesive gold foil label that is overprinted with both spot and process color. At the time the product is packaged and sealed, the manufacturer is required to mark a date code on the package. The CO2 laser makes a perfect non-contact marking tool and ablates the ink away from the gold foil, leaving an impressive gold-colored mark that matches the packaging perfectly.
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To create the mark, we set up an FH Flyer marking head with a 370 mm lens that provides a 540-micron (0.021”) spot with a 20 mm (0.788”) depth of focus over the extents of a 241 mm x 297 mm (9.5” x 11.7”) mark field. In our WinMark Pro laser marking software, we created an eight-character date code using the European Standard (DD.MM.YY) format. Using WinMark Pro’s automated Date Code Text property forces WinMark to read the computer’s internal date/time clock prior to each mark so the date is always accurate. When FH Flyer is operated in stand-alone mode, Flyer’s real-time clock accurately keeps track of date and time parameters, even when power to the head is cycled off. The date code text measures 3.18 mm (0.125”) tall with 0.46 mm (0.018”) of Extra Character Spacing and was created using European, one of WinMark Pro’s twelve built-in stroke fonts. We then set a Power, duty cycle percentage, equivalent to 25 watts and set a marking Velocity of 635 millimeters per second (25 inches/second). At these parameters, we cleanly ablated the ink away from the gold label in a cycle time of 0.13 seconds per label.
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This application demonstrates the ability of CO2 lasers to create high-contrast, permanent marks directly on stainless steel parts. The first batch of these tapered alignment gauges were originally produced on a milling machine that cut V-notches to indicate each index line—a process that added over an hour for each matched set of gauges. Using a Firestar CO2 laser and FH Series marking head, we precisely marked index lines AND dimensions in a cycle time of 21 seconds per set of gauges. Our marking setup consisted of a Firestar t100 laser, an FH Series marking head, and our WinMark Pro laser marking software. The FH head was equipped with a 125 mm HP high-power lens that provides a 180-micron (0.007”) spot with a 3 mm (0.118”) depth of focus. We imported the customer’s DXF file into WinMark Pro at 1:1 using WinMark’s Vector Import Scale property. WinMark Pro’s object placement accuracy of 0.0025 mm (0.0001”) is critical because each index line corresponds to a 0.051 mm (0.002”) increase in the gauge’s taper. To obtain the best mark quality, we created dimension text using European—one of WinMark’s twelve built-in stroke fonts. We set Text Height to 2.54 mm (0.10”) and added 0.19 mm (0.008”) of Extra Character Spacing to aid readability. |
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On the Marking tab, we set a duty cycle percentage (Power) corresponding to 100 watts, a Velocity of 381 mm per second (1.5 inches/sec), and a Resolution value of 400 DPI. After placing a set of taper gauges in a fixture to hold them in precise alignment to one another, we marked the entire file seen here—128 characters and 62 index lines—in a cycle time of 21 seconds. The interaction of the laser’s intense beam on the stainless steel surface produces a permanent, high-contrast mark that will endure for the life of the part.
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One of the primary uses for flame-retardant (FR) polypropylene is in the manufacture of low-cost, low-temperature electrical insulating products to replace polycarbonate, polyester, and PVC materials. In addition to its flame-retardant properties, FR polypropylene is non-hydroscopic and is now available in halogen-free formulations. Products manufactured from FR polypropylene for the electrical/electronics industry include insulating shields, barriers, enclosures, and spacers. For this application trial, the customer requested that we cut through a sheet of 1.6-mm (0.062”) thick flame-retardant polypropylene and its 0.1 mm (0.004”) thick adhesive/paper backing. Our laser cutting setup consisted of a Firestar f201 laser with its beam directed by a set of XY flying optic mirrors down through a cutting head. The head assembly contains a 63.5 mm (2.5”) positive meniscus focusing lens that provides a 100-micron (0.004”) spot with a 1.8 mm (0.07”) depth of field. To aid the cut process and protect the focusing lens, we introduced 1.4 bar (20 PSI) of clean, dry assist air into the cutting head’s gas assist port.
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The flame-retardant polypropylene sheet was positioned face down (paper side up) on the table so we could obtain a clean cut through the self-adhesive backing. At a power level of 200 watts, we achieved cut speeds of 5.72 meters per minute (225 inches/minute). In addition to achieving a clean cut through the adhesive paper backing, the FR polypropylene provides a cleanly cut edge (no residue or charring) with just a slight melt back on the lower edge.
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Synrad, Inc. 4600 Campus Place Mukilteo, WA 98275 Tel: 1-425-349-3500 Fax: 1-425-349-3667 E-mail: synrad@synrad.com |
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SYNRAD and Synrad product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of SYNRAD, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
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