SYNRAD, INC. - http://www.synrad.com  
Thursday, December 18, 2003
Issue 77

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 Designs on Fabric

   Because laser cutting is a non-contact process, it is ideal for creating intricate patterns on a variety of materials. This application involved cutting a five inch-by-five inch wide design on cotton/polyester fabric. In addition to accurate, repeatable cuts, the Synrad CO2 laser cuts and seals edges cleanly so that fraying of the fabric is eliminated.  

   An FH Series marking head delivered 40 watts of laser power through a 125 mm focusing lens. Spot size was 290 microns (0.011") with a 3 mm depth of focus. We set a mark Velocity of 5 inches per second to cut through the 0.0055"-thick cotton. The entire pattern (144 individual shapes) was cut in a cycle time of just 20.98 seconds.

Marking Glass Ornaments

   Although not the usual glass marking application, it is the season for holiday ornaments. The coated glass type, as seen in the photo to the left, is easily marked with a low-power CO2 laser. In this case, the colored coating is ablated from the glass ornament leaving behind a reflective silver finish.

   After setting up a 25W laser and FH Series marking head driven by WinMark Pro laser marking software, we installed a 200 mm focusing lens (290 micron spot size) so that the 5 mm depth of focus could accommodate marking text across the curvature of the globe. Since WinMark Pro allows the use of any TrueType font installed in your computer's Fonts folder, we chose to mark the "2003" text object using a standard Arial TrueType font. Next, we set Text Height to 0.25”, set Text Filled to "Yes" and set Text Curve Detail to 600. In addition, we changed several mark parameters from their default settings – Velocity was set to 45 inches per second, Power was set to 15 watts, Bi-Directional Raster was set to "Yes", and Resolution was set to 600. Cycle time for the filled four-character mark was 2.03 seconds.

Cutting Custom Foam Trays

   Many types of products, ranging from delicate electronic devices to camera gear to precision tools, are often shipped in cases lined with foam panels. Using a Synrad CO2 laser in conjunction with XY motion control allows the user to cut exact shapes or outlines of the desired piece. The cut width, or kerf, is approximately 1/16" so that items are held firmly in place, yet easily accessible. An electronic drawing of the actual part outline is used by the XY motion software to cut the profile, which provides the required spacing to achieve a good fit because of the negligible kerf. This eliminates the need to create an oversized drawing of the part.  

  The 1"-thick foam sample shown here was cut using 125 watts of power at 65 inches per minute. Beam delivery was through a 7.5" focal length plano-convex lens with a 305-micron (0.012") spot size and 13.8 mm depth of focus. A 3-PSI nitrogen gas assist prevented any charring or discoloration of the edge or surface of the cut. 

   It is important to note that in cases where maximum line speed is not an issue, CO2 powers as low as 25 watts can successfully cut this foam material at thicknesses up to one inch.

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

To unsubscribe, please reply to this email and type REMOVE in the subject line.