Sealed CO2 lasers are used in a variety of industrial
processes including cutting, welding, drilling, and marking.
Lasers up to the mark
MANY manufacturers now specify direct part marking (DPM) of components and even
sub-components so that each piece has a unique identity that is a permanent part of the
component. Although there are many methods for marking parts, the best solution for
high-throughput manufacturing is laser marking. Laser marking is the most versatile
DPM method when it comes to creating permanent marks (marks not affected by
normal wear and tear or harsh chemical solvents) that contain data unique to each
individual piece speeding by on a conveyor. Despite misconceptions that CO2 lasers are
only effective at marking organic or plastic materials, there are many successful
marking applications on mild and stainless steel, tool steel, and even titanium.
Here we highlight one method of using a CO2 laser to directly mark machined
stainless steel housings. The mark set-up consisted of a Firestar t100 laser, FH Flyer
marking head, and a copy of Synrad’s WinMark Pro laser marking software. The Flyer
head was fitted with a 125mm high-power lens that provides a 180μm spot with a 3mm
depth of focus. The mark consisted of three lines of text for a total of 24 characters.
The photo shows the result of laser marking the machined stainless surface. Overall
cycle time to complete the 24-character mark was 27.2 seconds. In cases where the end
user does not require a specific font the cycle time could be reduced to 8 seconds or
less. The permanent, high-contrast text on this machined stainless steel component
was directly marked with a Synrad sealed CO2 laser using 87 watts of power at a speed
of 1 inch per second.
www.laserlines.co.uk
november 2008
Enquiry Number: 62 Enquiry Number: 63
focus laser technology
New laser cutting machine is designed to
tackle a wide range of tasks, covering flat
and 3D formed parts.
Best of both worlds
THE new Space Gear laser cutting machine from
Mazak Laser aims to deliver the best of both worlds.
The machine can cut flat sheet and plate at high
speed and accuracy, as well as three dimensional
formed shapes and 6-axis rotary fabrication of pipe,
tube and structural steel. Available in two sizes, the
Space Gear 48 can accommodate 2500 by 1250mm
sheet material, while the larger Space Gear 510 can
process 3050 by 1525mm sheets. Axis travels are
2785 by 1270mm and 3345 by 1545mm in X and Y
for each machine respectively. The Z axis for both
machines is a generous 420mm and linear rapid
traverse rates are 24m/min.
www.mazaklaser.co.uk
MWP
85
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