SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com  
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Issue 71

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.

Marking Stainless Steel

   With extremely small focused spot sizes, lasers offer high resolution and control when marking small parts. These stainless steel capsules (used in the electronics industry) were marked using a Synrad Evolution 125W CO2 laser and FH Series marking head. Applying 120 watts of power through a 125mm HP (High Power) lens produced consistent, contrasting marks with no overburn.

   WinMark Pro’s Array property was used to create a two-by-two array so that four pieces are marked in a single session. The part mark consisted of thirteen stroke characters (1.37mm high) lased at a velocity of 10 inches per second using a text resolution of 750. Total cycle time for the four pieces was 0.77 seconds.

Engraving Plastic

   CO2 lasers produce either an engraved or color contrasting mark on plastics, depending on the composition of the material. In most plastics, an engraved mark is created. Engraved marks are extremely readable, and resilient to wear or damage.

   The door latch mechanism in the photo on the left was marked using a 10W laser, FH Series marking head, and 370mm lens. The 3mm high readable engraved text was created at a speed of 3 inches per second with a cycle time of 0.6 seconds.

Only 10W of  power was required to mark this
plastic part.

Cutting Photographic Paper

   In this application, an XY stage provided beam motion while a 2.5” lens (0.004” spot size with a 0.07” depth of field) focused a 100W beam onto photographic paper. Using nitrogen assist gas at 20 PSI, a cut speed of 1,750 inches per minute was achieved. The cleanly cut edge exhibited a slight amount of discoloration.

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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