Speedy series: Laser engraving and cutting machines for formats up to 1016 x 610 mm
⚫ Engrave | ⚫ Cut | ⚫ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂, Flexx or Fiber laser |
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Work area: | 610 x 305 up to 1016 x 610 mm |
Max. workpiece height: | 125 - 305 mm |
Laser power: | 20 - 120 watts |
SP series: CO2 laser cutter for large-format materials.
⚫ Engrave | ⚫ Cut | ⎯ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂ laser |
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Work area: | 1245 x 710 up to 3250 x 3210 mm |
Max. workpiece height: | 50 - 112 mm |
Laser power: | 40 - 400 watts |
Marking laser stations with galvo marking heads. Marking area up to 44.1 x 25.0 inch.
⚫ Engrave | ⎯ Cut | ⚫ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂ or Fiber laser |
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Max. work area: | 190 x 190 up to 1300 x 450 mm |
Max. workpiece height: | 250 - 764 mm |
Laser power: | 20 - 100 watts / 20 + 100 watts MOPA |
for polyamide, polyethylene, ABS and many other plastics
Plastics can be marked or engraved with laser marking machines in many ways. With a Fiber laser, you can mark many different commercially used plastics, such as polycarbonate, ABS and polyamide with a permanent, quick, high-quality finish. Thanks to the low set-up times and flexibility that a marking laser offers, you can mark small batch sizes easily and economically.
for laser engraving
Applications
It is possible to permanently engrave almost any type of plastic, although the various raw materials, colour pigments and additives (e.g. fillers, flame retardants) react very differently.
For laser marking plastics, the Fiber laser offers you a range of different methods, such as dyeing, carbonation or foaming. Since various plastics react very differently, you should always test a material sample.
Here are some application examples:
"If you want the best watch in the world, get a Rolex - if you want the best laser, get a Trotec! We’ve tested many different laser cutters for our wood models and found the Trotec machines to be the most reliable and precise."- Jon Cantin - founder of CNCKing.com -
"Trotec Laser Australia supplied a CO2 galvo laser for integration into an automatic plastic trimming machine we built for a multi-national end user. Based on their professionalism and support we would be more than happy to recommend them or partner with them on laser projects in the future."- Walter Meyler - Automation Innovation -
More options for marking plastics
There are a lot of plastic types out there that can be marked with a conventional fiber laser. Most of the time, the marking result is exceptional. However, some plastics cannot achieve a reasonable homogeneity. It is these plastics that can easily be marked with a MOPA laser, resulting in high contrast and quality finishing. The adjustable pulse durations, which can allow either short or long pulses, also help significantly.
Dark plastic (PA 66 GF, PA 6 GF and PP GF) doesn't heat very much due to the short pulses and the associated low pulse energy. This means that the plastic won't foam as much, and the marking will be more consistent. Other kinds of plastic require a greater amount of energy to heat up the material sufficiently. In these cases, the long pulses can help to optimise the foaming. Either way, marking with the MOPA laser creates a clearer contrast and better machine readability.
Foaming leaves a tangible mark on the material. Technically, it is laser-induced boiling, which melts the surface. Due to the rapid cooling, bubbles are encapsulated in the material. These bubbles leave a positive mark, which is tangible. The laser works on a low power level and longer pulses.
Foaming works on all polymers, but also on some metals. Depending on the material, the mark can be light or dark.
Carbonising enables strong contrasts on bright surfaces. During the carbonising process, the laser heats up the surface of the material (minimum 100°C). Here, oxygen, hydrogen or a combination of both gases is emitted. What's left is a darkened area with a higher carbon concentration.
The laser works with lower energy, which leads to slightly longer marking times compared to other processes. Carbonising can be used for polymers or bio-polymers such as wood or leather. Since carbonising always leads to dark marks, the contrast on dark materials will be rather minimal.
Colour changing the material guarantees the highest legibility. Laser marking with colour change is basically an electrical process, which reorders the macromolecules (changing their direction). No material is removed, but some foaming is possible.
The laser works with a maximum pulse rate, but low energy per pulse. Otherwise material would be removed or foaming would be more likely to occur. Colour change works on all polymers, and the change of colour can be bright or dark. However, most colour changes are dark.
Removing is used with multilayer plastics (laminates). During the removal process, the laser beam removes the top layers, which had been applied to the base material. This creates colour contrasts due to colour inconsistencies in the layers.