 |
|||||||||||
|
SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com |
 |
||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
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. |
|||||||||||
|
Today’s advanced composite materials fall into three main classes: Ceramic Matrix Composites, Metal Matrix Composites, and the most common type—Polymer Matrix Composites or PMCs. Polymer composites are created by adding reinforcing fibers such as aramid, carbon, graphite, or glass to a thermosetting resin like epoxy or polyurethane. Although the material properties of individual fibers are not spectacular by themselves, the combination of fiber and resin properties along with the design of the fiber geometry within the composite combine to produce lightweight, durable materials that are quickly replacing metals, notably in the aerospace industry.
|
|
||||||||||
|
The first photo shows a woven PMC material that was cut using 2.8 bars (40 PSI) of clean, dry air as the assist gas. The cut edge exhibits a light charring, which is typical of the chemical degradation cutting method where laser energy degrades the material to a point that the material is removed under pressure of an inert assist gas. Because edge quality was important in this particular application, we modified our assist gas setup for high-pressure nitrogen. As seen in the second photo, the use of a high-pressure (12.4 Bars or 180 PSI) nitrogen assist gas significantly reduced edge charring on the PMC material. It’s important to note that although gas consumption increased by 355% using high-pressure nitrogen (an N2 flow rate of 2.73 CFM @ 180 PSI versus 0.77 CFM @ 40 PSI for air), the relative costs of high-purity nitrogen and breathing grade air means that gas costs increase by only 200% in achieving substantially better cut edge quality. |
|||||||||||
|
Flat cables are becoming increasingly popular in the automotive industry as manufacturers add more electronic devices and sensors in order to increase the safety and efficiency of the modern automobile. Flat cables are important because the designer can position devices that require many conductors inside very tight spaces such as doors, roofs, and even seats. Where traditional round cable diameters could range from 3.2 mm to 6.3 mm (0.125–0.250”) or greater, flat cables with equal or greater wire cross-sections have typical thicknesses of only 0.38 mm (0.015”). In this application, the request was to ablate the polyethylene (PE) insulation from specific locations on the cable without damaging the three copper conductors. |
|
||||||||||
|
Because copper is reflective to the 10.6 µm CO2 wavelength, wire stripping in general is a perfect application for Synrad sealed CO2 lasers. Careful selection of power and speed parameters ensures that the copper or surrounding insulation is not over-heated or damaged in any way. Our beam delivery setup consisted of a Firestar t-Series laser coupled to an FH Flyer marking head. The Flyer head was fitted with a 125 mm high-power lens that provides a 180-micron (0.007”) spot over a mark field spanning 80 mm x 99 mm (3.3” x 3.9”). In WinMark Pro, we created the two shapes to be ablated and precisely positioned them using WinMark’s four-digit (0.0001”) position accuracy. We then set a Power, duty cycle percentage, corresponding to 60 watts and a scanning Velocity of 2286 millimeters per second (90 inches/sec). At these settings, we were able to remove the 0.09-mm (0.003”) thick PE coating—a total surface area of 99.32 mm2 (0.154 in2)—in 0.59 seconds. The polyethylene insulation was completely vaporized, leaving a bare copper conductor with no debris, vapor, or thermal damage. |
|||||||||||
|
Sandpaper is a generic term for very different types of abrasives including garnet (a naturally abrasive silica mineral), iron oxide, or synthetic materials such as aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and zirconia alumina. Depending on whether these materials are intended for manual use on a pad or sanding stick or destined for a mechanical drum, belt, or disc sander, the abrasive may be bonded to a cloth, paper, foam, or fiber backing. What these very different combinations of abrasives and backings have in common is that they are all easily cut using a CO2 laser. The laser’s obvious advantage is that its non-contact cut method is far superior to the mechanical cutting of abrasive materials. The less obvious advantage is that more and more abrasives are being pre-cut for ease of installation and use. From specialty pre-cut fan shapes for sanding sticks to the more common circular and rectangular shapes for disc, belt, and pad sanders, manufacturers are responding to the need for custom-cut abrasives to fit specific products. To process these samples, our beam delivery setup consisted of 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 focus. For assist gas, we used clean, dry air at 1.4 Bars (20 PSI). On an XY table, we cut 220-grit paper-backed silicon carbide, measuring 0.38 mm (0.015”) thick, using 100 watts of power at speeds of 35.6 meters per minute (1400 inches/minute or IPM). A thicker 0.75 mm (0.0295”) sheet of silicon carbide with a paper/cotton backing was cut with 100 watts at line speeds of 21.6 meters/minute (850 IPM) and we achieved speeds of 44.5 meters/min (1750 IPM) using 200 watts of power. |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Search our online library for more applications of Synrad's sealed CO2 laser technology. Sort by material or process. |
|||||||||||
|
Synrad, Inc. 4600 Campus Place Mukilteo, WA 98275 Tel: 1-425-349-3500 Fax: 1-425-349-3667 E-mail: synrad@synrad.com |
|||||||||||
| To unsubscribe, please click here. | |||||||||||
|
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. |
|||||||||||
