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Marking and Kiss-Cutting Labels
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Marking Painted Metal
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Laser Cutting Carpet |
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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 and Kiss-Cutting Labels
Laser-markable labels provide an elegant solution for many labeling challenges, including equipment faceplates, bar-coded inventory tags, custom signage, and piping labels, to list a few.
The faceplate shown here was produced using a 25W CO2 laser, FH Series marking head, and WinMark Pro laser marking software. A 200 mm focusing lens - chosen to accommodate the 4.5" x 2" final label size - provided a 290-micron (0.011") spot size with a 5 mm (0.2") depth of focus. Some label elements such as switch and LED indicator cutouts were kiss cut to create clean holes through to the backing paper; while text elements were marked at lower powers, creating crisp, legible text and switch position guides. The last kiss cut trimmed the label stock to the exact size of the equipment faceplate.
WinMark Pro's Simple stroke font was selected for text objects that vary in height from 0.1 to 0.2 inches high. The company logo was created using a TrueType® font. Indicator lines were drawn and rotated in WinMark Pro, which now allows line rotation in increments of 0.01 degrees. All label text and indicator lines were marked with 6 watts of power at a velocity of 15 inches per second (IPS). Kiss cuts for label outline, switch, and LED cutouts were done using 22 watts at 15 IPS. Overall cycle time to mark and cut is 6.47 seconds per label.
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This faceplate was created entirely in our WinMark Pro software program. Overall cycle time to mark and cut each label is 6.47 seconds.
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Marking Painted Metal
Many diecast metal parts are powder-coated or painted to provide a corrosion barrier, as well as an aesthetically pleasing look to the finished piece. In cases where these diecast parts are assembled into larger components, it is often useful to mark pertinent manufacturing data as parts travel though the production process. This painted surface is an ideal coating for laser marking because both laser power and mark time are significantly reduced when compared to lasing bare metal surfaces.
This application called for marking an 11-character Data Matrix code on painted diecast parts. Because of the powder-coated surface, we chose a 40-watt firestar v40 laser, an FH Series marking head, and our WinMark Pro laser marking software for the marking setup. The marking head was fitted with a 125 mm focusing lens that provides a 180-micron (0.007") spot with a 3-mm (0.118") depth of focus over the entire mark field.
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The readable 3.33 mm (0.131") 2D code was marked on the painted metal surface using a firestar v40 laser and FH Series marking head.
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In WinMark Pro, we created a 2D Data Matrix code and entered an 11-digit string as 2D Barcode Text. In the actual production process, you could configure WinMark Pro to automatically generate sequential serial numbers or read a disk file containing specific manufacturing data for each piece. The code was resized so that each individual cell measures only 0.24 mm (0.009") square. We then set the 2D Barcode Bitmap property to "No" so that we mark each cell using unfilled vector circles instead of filled squares and entered a 2D Barcode Circle Radius of 70%. We set a marking Velocity of 635 mm per sec (25 inch/sec) on the Marking tab, set Resolution to 225, and entered a duty cycle percentage corresponding to 25 watts of Power.
Using these mark parameters on the powder-coated surface, we achieved cycle times of 0.28 seconds per part. As shown in the photograph, the 2D code has an overall dimension of 3.33 mm (0.131") per side. Using an RVSI vision system and verification software, the marks received an overall AIM (Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility Standard) grade of "B" for axial uniformity, error correction, percent contrast, and print growth.
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Laser Cutting Carpet
Cutting commercial and industrial carpet is another great CO2 laser application. In many cases, synthetic carpet is cut with little or no charring, and heat generated by the laser acts to seal edges to prevent fraying. Many specialized carpet installations in motor coaches, aircraft, and other small square-footage applications benefit from the precision and convenience of having the carpet precut on a large-area flatbed laser cutting system. Using a CAD file of the floor plan, the laser cutter can follow the outline of walls, appliances, and cabinetry - even making cutouts for table support posts and seat mounting rails as required.
The first photo shows a section of carpet with a support post cutout trepanned in the center. The carpet fibers are fused by the laser cutting process, which prevents fraying - a common problem when carpet is mechanically cut. The second photo illustrates the cleanly cut edge of the cutout section. The blend of fibers in this carpet exhibit no signs of melting or charring.
To cut this particular carpet sample, measuring 5.1 millimeters (0.2") thick, we installed a 127 mm (5.0") positive-meniscus focusing lens on our XY table. This lens provides a 200-micron (0.008") spot with a 6.35 mm (0.25") depth of field. For gas assist, we applied 2.8 bar (40 PSI) of clean, dry air to force vaporized debris down through the cut channel away from the fabric.
Using these cutting parameters, we achieved cut speeds of 6.35 meters per minute (250 inches/minute - IPM) with 100 watts of power and 12.7 meters/minute (500 IPM) with 200 watts of power. In both cases, the carpet was cleanly cut with no sign of melting or charring.
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The circular area in this 0.2-inch thick carpet was laser cut using 100 watts of power at a speed of 250 inches per minute.
A close-up of the cutout piece's underside shows the clean laser-cut edge.
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FH Flyer / Fenix Flyer Technical Updates
Synrad Technical Updates keep you informed of recent developments related to FH Flyer Marking Head or Fenix Flyer Laser Marker products. Sign up to receive these bulletins automatically via email at http://www.synrad.com/FH_Flyer/flyersupport_subscribe.htm
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Contact Us:
Please do not reply directly to this newsletter. E-mail questions or comments to synrad@synrad.com
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 ©2009 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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