Paperboard is widely used for packaging and cartoning food products to provide rigidity and mechanical support. Laminating an ultra-thin aluminum foil to the paperboard adds oxygen and moisture resistance that serves to prevent spoilage of food. In the aseptic packaging industry, the final touch is an inner layer of polyethylene that makes the package liquid-tight. This combination of materials combined with UHT (ultra-high temperature) sterilization allows milk and juice products to be shipped and stored without requiring refrigeration until opened by the consumer.

For this application trial, the customer asked us to determine the feasibility of laser cutting 102 mm (4.0”) diameter foil-coated paperboard tubes to length. Because the composite tubes have a wall thickness of 1 mm (0.04”), we set up our cutting head with 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. A 2.8 bar (40 PSI) air assist, delivered coaxially with the beam, was used during the cutting process to remove vaporized material from the cut area.

Pyrex® is a tough, durable, low-expansion borosilicate glass widely used in the manufacture of pipettes, flasks, and other Pyrex glassware found in laboratories throughout the world.

This unique application calls for sealing Pyrex glass pipettes by welding one end. Welding glass (or metal) is an ideal CO2 laser application because the laser provides an excellent pin-point heat source capable of generating millions of watts per square centimeter depending on laser output power and focused spot size.

Our glass welding setup consists of a rotary stage suspended beneath a gas jet manifold affixed to the laser faceplate. The manifold holds 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. A gas jet fitting below the optic provides a connection for the assist gas, which in this case is 0.07 bar (1 PSI) of clean, dry air.