SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com  
Thursday, October 2, 2003
Issue 72

Cutting & Marking Plastics. The high absorption of many plastics
to the CO₂ wavelength, combined with their low thermal
conductivity, makes them ideally suited to laser processing.
 

Cutting Polystyrene	Marking PVC Tubing	Marking Ultem Plastic

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 Compressed Polystyrene

   Polystyrene is a ubiquitous plastic found in everything from computers, to automotive parts, to toys and other consumer products. The compressed polystyrene sample in the photo to the left was cut using a Synrad Evolution 240W laser. The process resulted in clean cuts with minimal melt back and no discoloration of the material. An X-Y motion table with a 5" lens, and an assist gas of 10psi N2  were used to cut the plastic at a speed of  90 inches per minute.  

Marking PVC Tubing

   This PVC tubing was marked using a 25W laser and FH Series marking head driven by Synrad’s WinMark Pro laser marking software. PVC is one of a number of plastics that results in contrasting, engraved marks when exposed to the 10.6 micron CO2 wavelength. Applied laser power determines mark speed, engraved depth, and can increase mark contrast. In general, opaque and transparent PVC products exhibit slightly engraved marks with good contrast.

   Because the overall mark area was large enough to require the use of a 370mm focusing lens, spot size was 540 microns (0.021”). The unfilled TrueType text was marked using 23W of power, while the filled TrueType text was marked using 11W. Both objects were sized to a height of 0.1” and marked at a velocity of 40 inches per second at a resolution of 300. Overall cycle time was 0.9 seconds.

Marking Ultem

   Well-known for its high strength and excellent heat resistance, Ultem is a plastic that is commonly used in the manufacture of electrical components and medical devices. The extremely small electrical part was marked with .041"-high text using just 6W of laser power, an FH-Series marking head and 80mm lens.  The engraved mark was made at a speed of 40 inches per second, with a total cycle time of 0.21 seconds. 

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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