Synrad's Applications News
Synrad, Inc. - www.synrad.com
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Issue 244
Applications at a Glance
Cutting Nylon/Foam Laminate
Marking Vinyl Fabric
News from Synrad
Alternative Wavelengths Aid Specific Applications
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Browse Applications Database
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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 features news and information from Synrad, and highlights some of the interesting materials and products that are processed daily by Synrad's line of CO2 lasers and marking heads
Featured Application: Laser Cutting Nylon/Foam Laminate

Nylon/foam laminates are used in a number of products where support and padding are important. Often used in the health care industry as liners for orthotic appliances such as braces and supports, nylon/foam laminates are also found in many consumer products, including instrument cases - for musical as well as delicate instruments - and padded bags for laptop computers, cameras, and other sensitive devices.

The material used in this cutting trial is composed of a woven nylon fabric bonded on either side to a foam core, for an overall thickness of 7 mm (0.275"). To determine cut quality and cut speed, we set up our XY table with a 63.5 mm (2.5") positive meniscus optic that provides a 100-micron (0.004") focused spot and a 1.8 mm (0.07") depth of focus. Clean, dry air (CDA), at a pressure of 20 PSI, was delivered coaxially with the beam as gas assist.
Laser Cut Foam Laminate
Using 100 watts of power we achieved sealed, clean cut edges at a speed of 3.94 meters per minute.
 
 


At a power level of 100 watts, we achieved cut speeds of 3.94 meters per minute (155 inches/minute). As shown in the accompanying photo, the cut edge is cleanly cut with no evidence of vapor or residue. An additional bonus of laser cutting is that fabric edges are sealed, which prevents fraying and presents a nicely finished edge.
Marking Vinyl Fabric

Vinyl (also known as poly vinyl chloride or PVC) is one of those ubiquitous materials seen everywhere in modern life, in part because it is both water- and flame-resistant. At one end of the vinyl spectrum are products such as wire insulation, vinyl siding, and PVC pipe; the other end of the spectrum includes vinyl shoes, raincoats, and upholstery. Vinyl fabric is used in many outdoor applications, especially when exposed to the elements where UV and mildew/water resistance is essential. This category includes seats and cushions for outdoor furniture, boats, automobiles, and ATVs.

All of these vinyl products exhibit one similarity - they result in a nicely contrasting image when marked with a CO2 laser. In the past, we have shown contrasting marks on various types of PVC and PVC-coated products, including tubing and wire insulation. As shown in the accompanying photo, vinyl fabric demonstrates the same high-visibility, high-contrast mark.

We produced these marks using an FH Series marking head equipped with a 125 mm lens. This lens provides a spot size of 180 microns (0.007") and covers a mark area up to 3.4" by 4.2" (85 mm x 105 mm). The logo was created in WinMark Pro using an Arial TrueType outline font at a Text Height of 0.4375". We used 25 watts of power for both samples - the black vinyl sample was marked at a Velocity of 50 inches per second (IPS) in a cycle time of 0.47 second; the grey vinyl was marked in 0.38 seconds at a Velocity of 75 IPS.
Laser Marked Vinyl Fabric

Both black and grey vinyl fabrics were marked using 25 watts of CO2 power and exhibit sharp, high-contrast images.

Alternative Wavelengths Aid Specific Processing Applications

Synrad's 9.3µm Series Lasers

Synrad's 48-1, 48-2, and firestar v30 lasers are available in 9.3µm models.

 

The majority of CO2 laser applications, including those featured above, are processed with a standard 10.6-micron wavelength laser. However, some CO2 lasers can be modified to produce wavelengths around the 9 to 10µm range. This shorter wavelength may prove beneficial to certain applications - most notably, when cutting or marking certain plastics that have been found to be more absorptive of a 9.3, 9.6, or 10.2µm wavelength.

Although, in many cases, a material could be processed using a 10.6µm laser, choosing a CO2 laser with a wavelength that is better absorbed by the material reduces the required processing time and therefore, the thermal impact of the laser. Not only are faster processing times achieved, but the quality of the cut or hole can be greatly improved. Marking applications may also see improved quality, as highlighted in our Applications Lab's recent comparison of a 9.3 and 10.6µm laser in a PET marking application: http://www.synrad.com/e-newsletters/04_01_10.htm

In addition to PET, plastics such as Kapton and Polyimide demonstrate higher absorption at a shorter wavelength. For these applications and others, Synrad offers 9.3µm versions of its 48-1, 48-2, and firestar v30 laser models. Contact a Synrad sales representative to discuss your specific application and find out if you could benefit from an alternative wavelength CO2 laser.

More information on our 9.3µm series lasers can be found on our website at http://www.synrad.com/93Series.
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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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