SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com  
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Issue 75

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 Thin Sheet Material

   Very thin sheet materials encompass those materials less than 0.01” thick including woven fabric, thin plastic, sailcloth, Mylar, and multi-layer polyester or airbag materials (where each layer does not exceed 0.01”). Although cutting action is accomplished by chemical degradation, the ratio of material thickness to focused beam size makes processing of thin materials an excellent CO2 application. Processing speeds are very high, laser power requirements are low, and assist gas usage is greatly reduced or eliminated.

    We tested both of the applications featured to the left using an XY motion system and focused the beam through a 2.5” positive meniscus lens (0.004” spot size and 0.07” depth of focus). Compressed nitrogen at a pressure of 5 PSI provided the assist gas.

Cutting Stencils

   Stencil cutting is another creative CO2 application made easier due to the simplicity of changing or customizing designs seen on paper, cardstock, or plastic templates. Depending on the overall finished size, graphic designs are cut using either an FH Series marking head (9.5” x 11.7” maximum field size) or an XY motion system, where substantially larger sheets are handled.

    We cut the decorative sample shown to the left from paper stock using 40 watts of power focused through an FH Series head and a 200mm lens. The 290-micron (0.011”) focused spot spans a rectangular mark area measuring 134 x 165 mm (5.3” x 6.5”). Marking Velocity was set to 40 inches per second and Resolution was set to 250 while all other WinMark Pro settings were left at default values. Cycle time to cut this stencil pattern was 1.3 seconds. Paper edges cut cleanly and exhibit no discoloration.

   The industrial side of stencil cutting is gasket making. Although generally made from thicker (and often, multilayer or composite) materials, gaskets are similar to stencils in that the CO2 laser system is easily programmed to cut contours and trepan mounting holes precisely and repeatably.

Laser Cutting Setup for Non-Metals

The careful selection of laser parameters will ensure the overall success of a cutting application. This how-to article describes general setup considerations for CO2 laser cutting of non-metal applications including plastics and organic material.

To download the (pdf) article click the following link :Laser Cutting Setup for Non-Metals

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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