FAQs

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Fabrics

Any textile can be decorated by the CO2 laser. As for synthetic or mixed textile, the laser welds the cut profile thus making it free from fraying whereas in case of natural textile, even if the cut is really clean, the profile is not welded and is accordingly subject to fraying.

As regards marking, there are no limitations for any kind of textile.

For standard roll-to-roll systems, the max width that can be worked is 1800 mm.
There are also solutions with higher width such as 2400 mm, 2800 mm or above.

For the standard system the max roll diameter is lower than 50 cm and accordingly, there are no significant limitations concerning the weight.
If the machine is equipped with the big rolls system, the max diameter is 120 cm, whereas the max weight is 200 Kg.

Furniture, Wall Coatings, Automotive, Clothing, Technical Textile.

Footwear

They are as follows: shoe uppers, soles, insoles, heels, wedges and bottom stocks, applications (accessories).

As a rule, decorations are carried out on the various elements during the intermediate phases of the shoe working and anyway before its stitching. Yet, marking can also be performed on the finished shoe.

Yes. This is a process that has many advantages compared to the manual method.

1) No particular skill experience of the operator is required.

2) Only a basic base, relative to a model or shape, must be “traced” manually with the cardboard shape of the “spider”. All the sizes DX / SX and SX / DX are obtained through the development software supplied with the machine.

3) The excavation is clean, without residues of dust or smoke, and therefore it is suitable for the keeping also of light colored uppers.

4) The excavation times are short, depending on the number of excavations, usually between 20 and 70-80 sec. for each pair of insoles.

Yes, they can.

The optoelectronic dynamical focusing devices, accompanying the systems, enable marking of surfaces that are not perfectly level, thus ensuring uniformity (within 6-7 mm of depth of focus), though not geometric correspondence, as the drawing is projected.

Marking of three-dimensional objects, that can be placed on a horizontal support, can be worked by the BX Multiaxes system.

Starting from a known 3D surface and a graphic pattern, BX Multiaxes spreads the drawing on the surface, through a sequence of parts of drawing and axes (X, Y, f) movements, so as to obtain a complete marking.

BX Multiaxes, specifically designed for three-dimensional object marking.

Laser power can be chosen depending on the productivity required.

Ceramics

No, it cannot. In consideration of the type of material, the laser is only suitable for surface or deep marking.

Plates that are 2 m high and of any length can be marked on a continuous basis.

It depends on the kind of ceramic or stone.

As a rule, it is less than 1.0 mm, while marble can be also excavated a number of mm: it is just a question of operating times.

Glass

No, it cannot. In consideration of the type of material, the laser is only suitable for surface marking.

The glass maximum engraving depth is no more than some hundred microns, since glass melts when laser passes by and while cooling down it settles on the engraving edges and a minimum part only evaporates.

That sometimes occurs. It depends on the type of glass, the surface finish, the working parameters set that should be only slightly ‘invasive’.

Yes, they can be marked since the laser marking is carried out on the back and the metal deposit is completely removed leaving glass – where the laser beam passes by – transparent.

Leather

The average time for working depends on the size of the pattern to be performed and on the type of working: marking is obviously faster than cutting.

Leather with higher thickness, if cut or decorated with openwork, requires longer working times.

On an average, sheep and goat leather measuring about 70X70 cm can be drilled ‘all over’ in about 3-4 minutes.Mid-calf leather measuring about 110X180 cm can be drilled “all over” in about 3-4 minutes, 10-15 minutes.

Its cleaning is advisable though the working is merely surface marking.

Methods range from light brushing to special industrial cleaning with chemical agents (similar to those used in dry-cleaners) to drum treatment, above all when colouring of the surface treated is necessary (for instance with hair-on hides, where marking is carried out with selective removal of hair.

Colour is absorbed by ‘skin’ and not by hair, thus leading to the two-colour effect).

No, it does not. The laser is a physical process that removes material instead of adding it.

The effects of colour that can be typically obtained are those of a sort of burnishing with shades of brown, or light colour, if the leather finish allows it.

For sheep or goat skins the recommended minimum model is CX with a work area 100×100 cm or 120×120 cm.

For calves vehicles, the recommended model is CX with a working area of 120×240 obtained by an optional automatic table.

All types of leather can be processed with Ot-Las machines: leather, ovine goats, calves, pigs, synthetic leathers (excluding PVC), regenerated.

The recommended machine model depends on the size of the leather to be worked.

Wood

Marking or cutting of small parts for subsequent inlay can be carried out on veneered wood.

In case of solid wood or by-products such as MDF, surface marking or deep and multi-layer marking can be performed in order to get a sort of 3D effect.

Yes, they can be worked according to the model of machine used. For instance with the S2X model, plates that are 2 m high and of any length can be marked on a continuous basis.

No, it cannot, as the laser focus machine size is very small (0,2-0,5 mm) and the marking/cut speed is very high and therefore the time the laser beam hits the material is very short even when marking is deeper.

Yes, the BX Multiaxes system can work 3D surfaces but it is essential that the piece can be placed on the machine rotating support.

Plastic

All of them except for PVC, that generates toxic fumes that are dangerous for both the environment and people.

Possible workings include surface and deep marking, cutting, openwork.

Yes, it can but considering the easy reactivity of the material to heat, in order to achieve good quality effects, the marking speed should be high and the power should be low and accordingly the marking depth is limited.

The colour effect is that of burning, according to the kind of plastic.

In case of plastic marking, the recommended machine model is chosen according to the working area and the resolution required.

Paper

No, it cannot, as the laser focus machine size is very small (0.2 – 0.5 mm) and the marking/cut speed is very high and therefore the time the laser beam hits the material is very short.

Yes, laser cutting or marking must be performed after screen printing or printing and it is essential to use appropriate “fiducial marks” reference points.

The galvanometric-system working areas are square and accordingly, the models used are the CX (working area from 50X50 cm to 100X100 cm for the 70X100 cm size) or AX (working area 70X70 cm for the 35X50 cm size) systems.

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