SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com  
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Issue 69

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.

Cutting Stainless Steel

    In addition to their non-contact cutting proficiency, lasers easily cut complex shapes from many different materials. The bracket shown on the left was cut from a sheet of 24-gauge (0.0235") stainless steel and even includes laser cut through-holes for mounting.

   A Synrad 240W laser focused through a 2.5" positive-meniscus lens provided the 0.004" diameter beam for cutting, while 60-PSI oxygen provided the gas assist. XY motion for the flying optics system was programmed for a linear cut speed of 75 inches per minute. Some dross is present on the cut edges. Cleanly cut edges are possible in situations where post-cut material dressing is not an option. See Applications Newsletter Issue #58 for more information.

Engraving Wood

    This handgrip pattern was engraved on a hardwood handle using 60 watts of power delivered through an FH Series marking head. A 370 mm lens focused the CO2 beam down to create a 540-micron diameter spot with a 20 mm depth of focus. In order to achieve the require depth and texture in the sycamore stock, the mark file was designed to deliver four passes at a marking velocity of eight inches per second. Total cycle time for engraving the 1-inch by four-inch pattern was 62 seconds.

A handgrip was engraved on hardwood using a
Synrad laser and FH Marking head.

Cutting Rubber-Coated Aluminum

    Because bare aluminum is reflective to the 10.6 micron CO2 wavelength, it makes an excellent backing plate for many CO2 laser applications. In this case, a 0.013-inch thick rubberized coating used in the aerospace industry was applied to an aluminum plate so that specialized geometric shapes could be "kiss-cut" out of the rubber material. An FH Series marking head steered 100 watts of power through a 125 mm focusing lens onto the rubber-coated aluminum plate. The 125 mm lens provides a 180-micron spot with a 3 mm depth of focus covering a nominal mark field of 74 mm by 74 mm (85 mm by 105 mm max.).

    Test shapes such as circles, squares, and rounded rectangles were cut at mark velocities ranging from 28 to 35 inches per second. Cycle times for individual objects were 0.25, 0.33, and 0.50 seconds respectively. All shapes cut from the rubber exhibit cleanly cut edges.

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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