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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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With the introduction of our new FH Series Flyer marking head, we can now produce many marks at cycle times that are 1.5 to 2 times faster than with our previous FH Index/Tracker heads. This is due in part to the faster speeds and quicker response of Flyer’s optical scanners. For example, we had previously tested a high-speed tracking application for a customer in the glass industry who was attempting to mark glass at a rate of 60 feet per minute (FPM). Because the mark had many elements, including a logo and 65 text characters, we could not meet their line speed requirements. When Flyer was released, we retested their application using the Flyer marking head. The results? Flyer easily exceeded the customer’s line speed requirement by 45%.
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To demonstrate, we created a mark file for a hypothetical glass company—XYZ Windows—and tested the file on both FH Tracker and FH Flyer marking heads. We set up our Flyer head with a 200 mm focusing lens that produces a 290-micron (0.011”) spot over a maximum mark field of 165 mm (6.5”). For laser power, we choose a Firestar t100 laser in order to achieve the power density necessary to mark glass at velocities over 18.3 meters/min (60 FPM). For more information on the new FH Flyer marking head, click here.
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Nylon (often referred to as polyamide or PA), is the most common synthetic polymer fiber available. A frequent use for nylon fiber is in the production of nylon webbing, which is used to produce hundreds of products for restraining, supporting, and securing loads. These products typically include horse halters and pet leashes, backpack, climbing, and parachute harnesses, as well as seat belts, tow straps, and lanyards. For this customer application, we were asked to determine optimum speeds for cutting 1.14 mm (0.045”) thick nylon webbing. The beam delivery setup for our XY cutting table consisted of a 63.5 mm (2.5”) positive meniscus lens with a 100-micron (0.004”) focused spot and a 1.8 mm (0.07”) depth of field. We used 0.7 Bars (10 PSI) of clean, dry air (CDA) delivered coaxially with the focused beam as an assist gas. |
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This application test was performed to quantify the spot welding capability of our Firestar f400 laser. The goal was to determine weld penetration depth into 1.22 mm (0.048”) thick 304 stainless steel at various pulse widths. Beam delivery for our spot welding setup consisted of a 101.6 mm (4.0”) focusing lens that produces a 0.13 mm (0.005”) diameter spot with a 3.1 mm (0.122”) depth of focus. With an expanded incoming beam diameter of 11.3 mm (0.44”), this optical setup is equivalent to an ƒ9 lens speed where the ƒ-number equals lens focal length / incoming beam diameter at the optic. At this material thickness, initial trials showed little difference between helium and argon assist except at weld speeds of 508 millimeters per minute (20 inches/minute) where helium penetrates deeper due to its higher ionization potential and smaller welding plume. Based on this information, we chose argon assist at a pressure of 0.34–0.69 Bars (5–10 PSI) to obtain a flow rate of 110–153 liters per minute (3.9–5.4 CFM) through a 3.2 mm (0.125”) diameter nozzle. At a power level of 400 watts, we fired pulses of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 milliseconds (ms) into the stainless steel. After cross-sectioning, see the accompanying microphotographs, penetration depths and surface weld widths were measured and recorded as shown in the table below.
The post weld analysis shows only a slight increase in penetration as pulse width is lengthened, because of increased losses due to heat conduction. The most efficient penetration into the 1.22 mm (0.048”) thick 304 stainless steel is achieved with pulse durations between 5–20 ms. |
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Search our online library for more applications of Synrad's sealed CO2 laser technology. Sort by material or process. |
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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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