Laser Marking Anodized Control Panels

Anodized aluminum panels are commonly used for faceplates on control panel assemblies as these surfaces are exposed to increased wear and corrosion due to frequent human operator usage. The anodized coating provides increased protection and longevity to the surfaces of the faceplates. Laser marking these panels is an attractive option because the anodized surface typically provides an excellent white contrasting mark and the protection layer is left undamaged with only the pigment in the anodize layer changing color.

For this particular application, a 193 mm x 269 mm (7.6” x 10.6”) panel was marked with human-readable labels for the switch and device cutouts in the panel. In order to mark the panel in a single indexed mark session, a 370 mm focal length lens was installed in an FH Flyer marking head. This lens produces a focused spot size of 540 mm (0.021”) throughout a maximum field size of 241 mm x 297 mm (9.5” x 11.7”). Laser power was supplied by a Synrad 100 W laser and the Flyer head was controlled by our WinMarkPro laser marking software.

The mark file consisted of 0.25” high Bold Arial TrueType text objects. For all of these objects, the Velocity property was set to 2540 mm/s (100 IPS) and the Power property was to a duty cycle equivalent to 100 W. The Text Filled property was set to Yes and the Filled Font Resolution was set to 300 scan lines per inch. Normally this resolution would be too high for the large spot size of the 370 mm lens but the very fast scan velocity “tip writes” the surface using only the tip of the Gaussian profile resulting in a smaller apparent spot size. The resulting white mark has great contrast against the black anodized surface and was completed in a cycle time of 9.61 seconds.   

Laser Cutting Mild Steel Pipe

Mild steel pipe is commonly used in many applications ranging from machinery and equipment fabrication to industrial plumbing to sign posts and fencing. The walls of these pipes are often cut, notched, or drilled to obtain precision part fit-up for welded pieces and to provide accurately-located fastener holes or holes for various types of welded or threaded fittings.

Typical mechanical cutting or drilling methods, like saw blades and drill bits, dull quickly while thermal cutting methods, like plasma cutters, have a large (and sometimes ragged) cut kerf. This makes the non-contact aspect of laser processing very attractive for these types of applications. As with all other aspects of metal fabrication, care must be taken to determine the condition of the pipe prior to processing (clean, oily, or dirty), the grade of mild steel specified (1018, 1060, etc.), and the pipe thickness as all of these variables affect cut quality and speed.

For this particular application, 2-inch diameter, schedule 5 (0.065" thick) mild steel pipe (50 mm nominal diameter, 1.65 mm thickness) was laser trepanned to create a series of 7.6 mm (0.3") diameter holes. For this process, a Synrad 400 W laser was used in conjunction with an XY table and cutting head outfitted with a 2.5" focal length lens that provides a 100 micron (0.004") focused spot size. Pure oxygen gas assist at 6.9 bar (100 PSI) was sent through a 0.9 mm (0.0345") diameter nozzle to accelerate the cutting process and eject the molten steel. With this cutting setup, a series of 0.3" holes were successfully cut in the 1020 mild steel pipe at a rate of 30 millimeters/second (70 inches/minute). The resulting cut edges have minimal dross and heat affected zone.

Introducing our Latest Addition

The new firestar ti80 is the latest addition to the ti-series family. Now available in 60, 80, and 100W models, the ti-series features field proven technology in a smaller, fully integrated package. All three models feature identical dimensions for easy switch-out. The firestar ti-series is compact, low cost, energy efficient, and delivers high power, fast pulsing, and optical quality essential for applications such as laser coding and large area engraving, where high-speed scanning or modulating of the laser beam is required.

Built to meet the needs of today's demanding marketplace, the ti-series' combination of compact size, high performance, and low price enables our OEM customers to succeed in their worldwide markets. More information on the ti-series, including specifications, mechanical drawings, and 3D models, is available on our website:www.synrad.com/tiseries