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What is a CO2 laser marking machine?
It is a high technology machine, composed of a CO2 laser supply, a galvanometric scanning system and a personal computer, which is able to realise a big number of different jobs on many materials (any material present in nature, except not-painted metals). It is possible to get the most different results: decoration, surface or deep engraving, opacifying, strengthening, cutting, perforation, and melting all these in the same time. By this, we mean that Ot-las engraving machines can operate different works during the same phase. This is very important, as it is not necessary to move the item and to place it afterward, neither to change the setting or any part of the machine. The same machine is able to perforate paper and dig marble, without any change than numeric data.
It is always difficult and limiting to explain in words capacity of a laser engraving machine.
Which material can be processed with a CO2 laser marking machine?
Any material present in nature can be processed with an engraving machine, except metals, unless they are painted or anodised: in this case the laser operates on the painting or anodising.
Any shape and thickness can be processed as there isn't any mechanical action on the item (it is not even necessary to fix it at the table); moreover, the galvanometric system grants uniformity on the engraving of the whole piece, behaving exactly like the zoom of a camera.
This flexibility allows to the OT-LAS machines to sweep among processes: from wood and all his by-products (combined, veneers, solid, attars, …), to all plastic materials (except PVC), to leather, furs and fabrics either synthetic or natural, to glass, china, marbles, granite, natural stones, alabaster, to paper and all its by-products.
Which are the possible processes?
The possibilities of processing with Ot-las marking machines are countless and continuously evolving, and even under detection.
In fact, it often happens that fancy customers realise items through a never thought process, revealing new capacities of the machines.
One example of this is the selective removal of hair (horse, calf, rich furs), for clothing and leatherwear; result reached by our most intuitive customers, well experienced, who always think new style solutions for their well-known materials.
… not only… processes which were fallen into disuse arise again (for instance inlays on solid wood as it happened in the past, or glass engraving with pantograph).
So if we say that the processes that we can realise with Ot-las marking machines are decoration, engraving, surface and deep marking, strengthening, opacification, cut, perforation, tracery…would be like to resume something not definable; we like to underline that the final result is always defined by the operator's experience.
How much is it possible to dig or which thickness is it possible to cut?
On principle it is possible to dig any quantity, and it is possible to cut any thickness, it is only a matter of velocity, consequently of time.
What makes a cut acceptable or not is its finishing, which depends on:
a) the execution speed: the fastest is the laser beam, the lower is the burning, so cut and digging are sharper.
b) laser beam power: stronger power allow higher working speed, then shorter permanence of the beam on the material:
cut or digging have better quality with 200 W power, even better with 500 W, than with 100 W.
c) perpendicularity of the cut or digging is possible only next to the middle of the useful area as, moving besides the cut
section increases its angle up to a maximum of 22° at the vertex. However this property allows to get smooth
decoration in the whole area and on shaped surfaces.
In some cases non-orthogonal cut is more appreciated than orthogonal cut, same as concern a dark colour, typical of
laser, as in this way a second process for cut at sight is useless.
A typical example is the leather cut and perforating, which are usually requested with black border: laser supplies this
colour while cutting.
d) absence of fraying on the border is typical of laser, as it fuses the border while cutting through the heat. This also happens, and is especially appreciated, on synthetic and natural fabrics.
A typical example is available in the textile field, where is in trend since a few years at-sight cut without sewing.
The same is valid for perforations and tracery, that doesn't change the texture and mechanical resistance of the fabric.
Which dimensions is it possible to reach with the marking machines, and which laser powers are available?
There are several useful areas, which fit any requirement. There are GHIBLI, WAY, STRAIK models, with movement on one, two, or three axis, to work on different working areas: from a minimum of 200x200 mm up to a maximum of 1600x2400 mm, realised with a unique marking, or a composite marking.
Every machine allows marking on selectable areas that can be selected from a minimum to a maximum: for instance, from 250x250 mm up to 500x500 mm (GHIBLI), or from 400x400 mm up to 800x800 mm (WAY). Furthermore, with WAY model, it is possible to use an automatic table and mark in multiple or combined way, up to 800x2400 mm, or up to 1600x2400 mm with STRAIK model.
A great opportunity offered by the OT-LAS machines is to change whichever working area, through a patented optical system. The only data that varies when the working area changes is the width of marking line: proportionally, from a min. 0.2 mm on area 200x200 mm, up to a max of 0.8 on area 800x800 mm.
As concern the laser power, OT-LAS marking machines are available with 100 Watt, 200 Watt, 500 Watt.
The most suitable machine for any requirement is chosen with remark to laser power and working area.
How to choose the most suitable marking machine for any requirement?
The choose must be thought in consideration of the main work, even if every model is able to satisfy in any application. For precise and specialised choose, it is necessary to consider following points:
a) the real dimension of the decoration (which determines the useful working area)
b) the width and precision of marking line (determined by useful working area: the littlest is the area, the thinner is the line).
c) Productivity, that is how many items per hour or per day it is expected to produce (which determines the choose of laser power: higher power means shorter working times)
d) The need, if any, to place and move the items (which determines the use of one or two motorised axis)
How is it possible to realise a drawing that can be executed with the marking machine?
It is up to the owner to decide how to realise the drawing, and it depends on the operator ability and preference.
In fact the operating software recognise a standard HPGL format, and its compatible; so that any .PLT file processed with any commercial program, can be marked.
From a scanner acquisition and following bitmap to vector conversion , or directly through a CAD, the final result, supplied to the machine must be a .PLT file. Thanks to the identification of 8 different pen colours, the machines can give, at the same time, different marking effects on the same item. It is understood that a good graphic and technical elaboration, as well as a right choose of the subject, influences the final result.
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