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SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Issue 122
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Cutting Nylon/Foam Laminate
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Cutting Polyester Fabrics
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Marking Decorative 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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Cutting Nylon/Foam Laminate
Nylon/foam laminates are used in numerous products where support and padding are important. Many uses are found in the health care industry as liners for orthotic appliances such as braces and supports. General consumer uses for nylon/foam laminates include 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 setup 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.
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Using 100 watts of power we achieved sealed clean
cut edges at a speed of 3.94 meters per minute.
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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.
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Cutting Polyester Fabrics
When manufacturing polyester materials, the polymer can take two very different forms—as a fiber, typically used to produce fabrics, rope, and carpet; and as a plastic, used for making bottles, balloons, and packaging film.
For this application test, we cut several thicknesses of polyester fabric that was either dyed or printed. Our cutting setup consisted of a 63.5 mm (2.5”) optic that provides a 100-micron (0.004”) focused spot and a 1.8 mm (0.07”) depth of focus. For gas assist, we delivered 20 PSI of clean, dry air coaxially with the beam through the gas jet nozzle. All cutting trials were done at the requested power level of 25 watts.
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This application involved cutting several
polyester fabrics of different thicknesses using
25W. Each sample resulted with clean cut
sealed edges with no discoloration.
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The light blue fabric measures 0.26 mm (0.010”) and was cut at a line speed of 11.43 meters/minute (450 inches/minute–IPM). The dyed dark blue fabric, measuring 0.40 mm (0.016”) was cut at a speed of 5.72 meters/minute (225 IPM). We cut the printed yellow/red polyester material, also measuring 0.40 mm, at a speed of 5.08 meters/min (200 IPM). Cut edges are clean with no discoloration. Note also the CO2 laser’s signature sealed cut that serves to reduce or eliminate frayed fabric around the edges.
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Marking Decorative
Glass Bottles
As manufacturers of glass products continue to learn about the ease of use and cost savings that result when replacing labeling, etching, or blasting operations with CO2 laser marking, they are finding more and more products to mark, label and even decorate. Today, it is common to find window panes, automotive glass, CRT displays, and glass bottles being laser marked with serial numbers, part numbers, 1D and 2D codes, corporate logos, and decorative artwork.
The photo shows an example of a decorative glass bottle marked using an FH Series marking head. We used a 125 mm focusing optic that produced a 180-micron (0.007”) spot with a 3 mm (0.118”) depth of focus. At a galvanometer velocity of 18 inches per second (IPS) and a power of 19 watts, we marked the 20 mm by 13 mm (0.80” x 0.52”) image in an overall cycle time of 0.94 seconds.
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Using an FH Series marking head, we marked a
decorative pattern on the glass bottle shown above.
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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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Applications newsletter now available in Simplified Chinese!
To subscribe, visit www.synrad.com/chinese/subscribe.
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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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