 |
|||||||||||
|
SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com |
 |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
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. |
|||||||||||
|
Mylar® adhesive tape is frequently used in processes as diverse as handling IC wafers, insulating electrical components, sealing photograph or document archives, and even for kite-making. This application called for trepanning 10-mm diameter holes through 0.2 mm (0.008”) thick adhesive-coated Mylar and a 0.05 mm (0.002”) thick liner. Because future projects require intricate cuts over a small area, we selected an FH Series marking head equipped with a 125 mm focusing lens to provide XY motion. The 180-micron (0.007”) spot from the FLA 125 lens covers a maximum mark field of 85 mm by 105 mm (3.4” x 4.2”) with a position accuracy of 0.017 mm (0.0007”).
|
|
||||||||||
|
At a power level of 60 watts and a cutting Velocity of 356 millimeters per second (14 inches/second), we cut each 10-mm diameter hole in 0.12 seconds. The Mylar tape and liner exhibits cleanly cut edges with no discoloration or dross present.
|
|||||||||||
|
Glass-filled or glass-reinforced plastics such as polypropylene and ABS are commonly used in the manufacture of various electrical and automotive components. While the glass fibers primarily add strength to parts, they have the added benefit of helping to create highly contrasting marks in CO2 laser marking applications. The accompanying photograph illustrates the fine detail possible when laser marking a glass-reinforced plastic component. In this application, the overall mark size, 2D code and human-readable text, covers an area measuring only 4.25 mm by 7.28 mm (0.167” x 0.286”). Using WinMark Pro, we first created 2D Data Matrix and stroke text objects using the same 18-character data string for both. To prevent the possibility of a data mismatch between the 2D code and text strings in a manufacturing environment, WinMark Pro allows you to link two or more objects together using From Another Object and Assign From properties so that shared mark data always remains synchronized. |
|
||||||||||
|
We sized the Data Matrix code so that it measures 3.6 mm (0.140”) on a side and set the 2D Barcode Bitmap property to No. This forces WinMark Pro to mark the code by drawing vector circles instead of raster scanning filled and unfilled squares. In addition to decreasing cycle time, this feature allows you to reduce circle diameter to eliminate potential print growth errors—in this case, we set the 2D Barcode Circle Radius property to 40% and achieved “B” grades using our barcode reader’s verification software. We created the three-line human-readable text string using our Simple stroke font with a Text Height of 1.04 mm (0.041”) and 0.13 mm (0.005”) of Extra Character Spacing. The final step is to configure mark parameters. Because we specified an 80 mm focusing lens with its 116-micron (0.005”) spot for this application, we needed only 10 watts of power at a marking Velocity of 254 mm/second (10 inches/sec) to create the high-contrast CO2 mark shown in a cycle time of 0.44 seconds per part.
|
|||||||||||
|
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.
|
|
||||||||||
|
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 102 millimeters per second (4 inches/second) in a cycle time 6.35 seconds per piece.
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Synrad, Inc. 4600 Campus Place Mukilteo, WA 98275 Tel: 1-425-349-3500 Fax: 1-425-349-3667 E-mail: synrad@synrad.com |
|||||||||||
| To unsubscribe, please click here. | |||||||||||
|
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. |
|||||||||||
