Industrial Applications of the Laser

the following three applications other than engraving are perfect for the high powered laser.

cutting

high-power lasers can be used not only to engrave, but to cut material. this is done at power levels that allow the laser beam to go all the way through the piece rather than just hit the surface. the same basic techniques are used in the fabrication of cut shapes in wood or stacked fabric in the manufacture of clothes and even metals (plasma cutting). the removal of toxic gases is often provided by a forced-air snout aimed directly at the laser-cutting area.

printing

due to technological advances and vendor mergers, direct laser engraving of flexo photopolymer plates or sleeves that fit over a mandrel is attracting attention. up until now the process has been largely restricted to wide-web flexo printing of paper or film packaging. although direct laser engraving is being introduced, here it competes with rotary engraving. regarding the less expensive flexo process, the technology is being redesigned for smaller formats to allow engraving flexo plates or sleeves that are mounted on the printing cylinders themselves.

narrow and mid-web flexo presses (from 20 to 24 inches wide) are included, which could encourage manufacturers in self-adhesive label and packaging converters to use the digital, or filmless, method. with this process there is no mask, as with direct laser imaging. instead, a high-power carbon dioxide laser head removes material. the goal is to achieve sharp relief images with steep, smooth edges to provide a high standard of process color reproduction. only a short water wash and dry cycle is then needed. this is much less complicated than the post processing stages for direct laser imaging or conventional flexo plate-making using photopolymer plates.

imaging

direct imaging is done on a plate setter. this involves digital flexo plates or sleeves on a quickly rotating drum or cylinder. the plate setter is integrated into a digital prepress workflow that supports digital proofing. in this filmless process, one of the variables is achieving the fine, sharp dots needed for screened effects. this includes process color printing.

the electronically generated image is scanned to a photopolymer plate material with a thin black layer, called a mask, on the surface. the infrared laser head, running parallel to the drum axis, removes the mask to reveal the polymer beneath it. ultraviolet exposure allows the image to form through the mask. the rest of the black layer absorbs the ultraviolet light, which polymerizes the photopolymer where the black layer has been removed. the exposed digital plate still has to be processed like a conventional flexo plate with a solvent, although some water-soluble digital plates are currently being developed.

this technology, in use since 1995, is only now becoming more widely used around the world because of the availability of more affordable equipment. according to trade sources, about 650 digital plate setters have been installed in label, packaging, and trade plate-making houses.