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SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Issue 119
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Marking High-Impact Plastics
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Cutting Felt Lined Vinyl
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Kiss-Cutting PET-G Sleeves on Glass Bottles
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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 High-Impact Plastics
High-impact plastics such as polystyrene and ABS have many uses in modern manufacturing and fabrication including appliance, instrument, and computer housings, bath/shower units, and both interior and exterior automotive parts to name just a few. These tough, safe, lightweight, and cost-effective plastics are easily injection-molded or thermoformed and—especially in automotive applications—are rapidly replacing steel and aluminum pieces.
As part of the molding/forming process, ABS and polystyrene components are readily trimmed, degated, or cut with CO2 lasers. When it comes to identification, these same materials are also easily laser marked with part numbers and logos as well as 1D and 2D barcodes. The CO2 interaction causes both polystyrene and ABS to exhibit engraved marks with some contrast.
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This instrument case demonstrates an
engraved, nicely contrasting laser mark.
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To achieve this look, we created a text object using our WinMark Pro laser marking software. After typing in “SYNRAD R&D” as the Text Caption (on the Format tab), we selected TrueType as the Font Type and for True-Type Font, chose Arial. Text Height was set to 0.2535 inches. On the Marking tab, we set a Power value equivalent to 25 watts, and entered a Velocity of 75 inches per second. Using an FH Series marking head fitted with a 125 mm focusing lens (180 micron spot / 3 mm depth of field), we marked the 9-character text string in a cycle time of 0.20 seconds.
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Cutting Felt Lined Vinyl Covers
Felt backed vinyl is frequently used in the manufacture of front end masks for cars, trucks, and RVs as well as covers for bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, RVs, and even backyard barbeque grills. This vinyl/felt combination forms a durable, breathable covering that protects painted surfaces from weathering and chipping. Because these covers are custom tailored for each specific product, a significant amount of labor is expended in cutting large sheets or rolls to the desired pattern. CO2 laser cutting offers a cost-effective solution in the production process. By simply selecting the correct file from a CAD library, a large-area laser cutting system can quickly (and precisely) cut the desired shapes.
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The black vinyl/white felt laminate shown measures
2 mm (0.0805”) thick and was cut using 100 watts
of power at a speed of 500 inches per minute.
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To determine cutting parameters, we setup our XY table with a 2.5” focusing optic that provides a 100-micron (0.004”) spot with a 1.8 mm (0.07”) depth of focus. Gas assist consisted of clean, dry air (CDA) at a pressure of 20 PSI. The black vinyl/white felt laminate shown measures 2 mm (0.0805”) thick and was cut using 100 watts of power at a speed of 500 inches per minute. The cut felt exhibits some slight discoloration, however the vinyl is cleanly cut and there are no signs of melt-back on either material that could damage painted surfaces.
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Kiss-Cutting PET-G Sleeves on Glass Bottles
The newest trend in the packaging industry is to encase glass or plastic containers in a pre-formed, full-body PETG (glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate) shrink sleeve. These sleeves are easily printed with colorful logos or labeling information and can even extend up around the cap for added tamper protection.
This customer request involves a twist on a common CO2 laser application—kiss-cutting self-adhesive labels away from a coated paper liner. The unique requirement in this case was to kiss-cut a decorative pattern after the 4.5-mil PETG sleeve is formed around the glass bottle.
To perform this operation, we setup a Synrad laser and an FH Series marking head equipped with a 125 mm focusing lens. This 125 mm lens provides a 180-µm (0.007”) spot size with a 3 mm (0.118”) depth of focus. Using WinMark Pro, we created a 2.60” x 1.44” ellipse, and then set a Power level (duty cycle percentage) corresponding to 25 watts and a Velocity of 45 inches per second. At these settings, we cleanly cut the PETG sleeve with no effect on the glass bottle. Cycle time for each cut is 0.20 seconds.
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For this application we kiss-cut the 4.5-mil
PET-G sleeve with a decorative oval shape.
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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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We're available in Chinese!
The Synrad web site is now available in simplified Chinese.
http://www.synrad.com/chinese/index1.html
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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 (c) 2005 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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