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SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com |
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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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Degating Polycarbonate One of the most common methods for creating plastic parts is injection molding. Granular plastic resin, along with any colorants or additives, is heated and injected under pressure into the mold cavity. In the case of a multi-part, cold runner mold, a feed channel and runners connect the injection orifice with each cavity gate in the mold.
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Because laser degating is a non-contact process, lasers eliminate the need for knife or die replacement. The most important benefit however, is the laser’s ability to be reprogrammed quickly and easily to degate a new or redesigned part. In addition, laser degating is a thermal process that tends to produce a smooth cut edge versus mechanical methods that may leave a sharp edge at the trim point. The photo shows the results of degating a polycarbonate cover using our Firestar f201 laser and an FH Series marking head. This galvanometer-based cutting method offers the added benefit of a familiar Windows® based user interface through our WinMark Pro laser marking software. We equipped our FH head with an 80 mm focusing lens that provides a 116-micron (0.005”) spot size and a 0.8 mm (0.032”) depth of focus. At 200 watts of power, we cut the 0.93 mm (0.0365”) thick sprue at a speed of 18 inches per second (IPS) in a cycle time of 0.05 seconds per part. Similar cuts were also made using only 60 watts of power. In this case, the cutting velocity was 3.5 IPS and the cycle time per part was 0.09 seconds. |
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Although steel and stainless steel parts are commonly laser marked “as-is”, the addition of a paint or anodize coating helps to reduce cycle times and lower costs since the installation of a lower power laser is possible. Coatings also make it possible to mark non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper, and brass with CO2 lasers. We began by installing a 125 mm lens to an FH Series marking head. This lens provides a 180-micron (0.007”) spot size with a 3 mm (0.118”) depth of focus over an 86 mm x 106 mm mark field. In WinMark Pro, we created a three-line, 28-character text object and set a Text Height of 3 mm (0.125”), set Text Justification to Center, and added 0.25 mm (0.01”) of Extra Character Spacing. On the Marking tab, we set Power (duty cycle percentage) to correspond to a power level of 25 watts and then set a marking Velocity of 75 inches per second. At these settings, the mark was completed in a time of 0.28 seconds per part. |
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Our FH Series marking heads are found in hundreds of high-speed production applications where they mark products 24 hours a day, seven days a week; however, it might surprise you to know that a large number of FH heads are also used for cutting numerous products or materials in these same environments. When it comes down to low-volume or customized products however, the combination of a Synrad CO2 laser, FH Series marking head, and WinMark Pro software is just as unbeatable. Need to create a different part or prototype a new design? Simply import the appropriate CAD or graphics files, set marking (or cutting) parameters, and begin producing parts. Has the substrate changed thickness? Have material properties changed? Simply adjust Power and Velocity values in WinMark Pro, press F1 to fire the mark, and then check results. |
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Many materials are quickly and easily cut with a marking head, particularly those that do not require an assist gas. This example shows a stylized sailing ship image cut out of 100# cover stock for a greeting card cover. The cutting setup consists of a Synrad laser and FH Series Index marking head driven by WinMark Pro. The 125 mm lens provides a 180 micron (0.007”) focused spot spanning a maximum field size of 86 mm by 106 mm (3.4” x 4.2”). At a power level of 25 watts, we cut this particular image out of 0.3 mm (0.0105”) thick cover stock at a Velocity of 4 inches per second in a cycle time 6.35 seconds per piece. |
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Search our online library for more applications of Synrad's sealed CO2 laser technology. Sort by material, process, or industry. |
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Applications newsletter now available in Simplified Chinese! |
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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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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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