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SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Issue 140
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Marking Polyimide
Labels
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Cutting Flame-Retardant Polypropylene
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Marking Stainless Steel
at Low Power
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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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Marking Polyimide Labels
High-temperature polyimide labels are commonly used in the circuit board industry where product labeling must withstand high temperatures, cleaning solvents, fluxes, and wave soldering processes. Polyimide labels are also specified for many aerospace and military applications where long-term component temperatures do not exceed 180 °C (356 °F), but short-term temperatures could reach a maximum of 280 °C (536 °F).
The product labeling requirements for this project called for laser-marking a 2D Data Matrix code, a Code 3 of 9 barcode, and an 8-digit human-readable text string. To do this, we created a mark file using our WinMark Pro laser marking software. We created a 12 × 12 2D code object with an overall size of 3.83 mm (0.1509”), which equates to a single cell size of 12.6 mils (0.32 mm).
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We created high-contrast readable text and
barcodes on this high-temperature polyimide
label using just 10 W of CO2 laser power.
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The Code 3 of 9 barcode was sized to a Barcode Height of 2 mm (0.08”) and a Barcode Thick to Thin Ratio of 2.1. For the human-readable text string, we used the built-in Simple stroke font to create a text string measuring 1.8 mm (0.07”) high with 0.25 mm (0.01”) of Extra Character Spacing to enhance readability.
To mark the 0.11 mm (0.0044”) thick polyimide label, we set a Power value corresponding to 10 watts and a Resolution value of 300 for all objects. We set marking Velocity for the 2D code to 1651 mm/second (65 inches per second—IPS), 889 mm/sec (35 IPS) for the 1D barcode, and 1143 mm/sec (45 IPS) for the text object. Our FH Series marking head was equipped with a 125 mm lens that provides a 180-micron (0.007”) focused spot with a 3 mm (0.118”) depth of focus. Using these parameters, we achieved high-contrast marks on the polyimide labels in an overall cycle time of 0.69 seconds per label. Both 2D and 1D barcodes were scanned and verified using an RVSI CM4000 vision system.
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Cutting Flame-Retardant Polypropylene
One of the primary uses for flame-retardant (FR) polypropylene is in the manufacture of low-cost, low-temperature electrical insulating products, replacing polycarbonate, polyester, and PVC as the material of choice in thermoforming and punching processes.
In addition to its flame-retardant properties, FR polypropylene is non-hydroscopic and is now available in halogen-free formulations. Common products manufactured from FR polypropylene for the electrical/electronics industry include insulating shields, barriers, enclosures, and spacers.
This application calls for cutting through a sheet of 1.6-mm (0.062”) thick flame-retardant polypropylene and its 4-mil thick adhesive/paper backing. Our cutting setup consisted of a Firestar f201 laser with its beam directed through a set of XY flying optic mirrors and down through a cutting head.
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This sheet of 62-mil thick flame-retardant polypropylene and a 4-mil thick self-adhesive
paper liner exhibits a cleanly cut edge with only
slight melt back at the lower edge when cut with
200 W at a speed of 225 inches per minute.
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The head assembly contains a 63.5 mm (2.5”) positive meniscus lens that provides a 100-micron (0.004) spot with a 1.8 mm (0.07”) depth of focus and a gas assist port where we introduced 1.4 bar (20 PSI) of clean, dry air as an assist gas.
The polypropylene is positioned face down (paper side up) to 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 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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Marking Stainless Steel at Low Power
Marking stainless steel at reasonable line speeds often calls for a CO2 laser in the range of 60 to 100 watts of power. However, in applications that can tolerate an extra process step or two, you can obtain high-contrast, permanent marks using only 25 to 35 watts. The key is to coat the stainless surface with a laser markable material such as TherMark™ or CerMark™. After the mark surface is coated (using a paint or spray) and allowed to dry, the CO2 beam fuses the material into the stainless surface to form a permanent, highly-contrast mark.
The accompanying photo shows an image bonded into the surface of a stainless steel container using this process. To create the mark, we first imported a bitmap graphic into our WinMark Pro laser marking software. We set a Power (duty cycle percentage) corresponding to 35 watts, a marking Velocity of 127 mm per second (5 inches/sec), and a Resolution of 600. Using a Synrad CO2 laser, FH Series marking head, and an FLA125 mm focusing lens, we marked the 28 mm × 50 mm (1.1” × 2.0”) image in a cycle time of 4.5 seconds. |
The bitmap graphic shown was permanently laser bonded to a stainless steel container using 35 watts of power at a speed of 5 inches per second.
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Browse Synrad's Applications Database
Search our online library for more applications of Synrad's sealed CO2 laser technology. Sort by material, process, or industry.
http://www.synrad.com/search_apps/Default.htm
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Contact Us:
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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Copyright © 2006 SYNRAD, Inc. All rights reserved.
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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