Laser digital paper products processing technology

For traditional die-cutting processes, the efficiency and flexibility of laser digital paper product processing technologies are highly competitive.

In foreign countries, laser digital paper products processing technology has been admired to the extreme, it is the evaporation of materials to complete a variety of different post-press processing operations, and now is gradually applied to the mainstream development. How far can it eventually go?

The standard laser digital paper product processing system includes a CO2 laser, power supply, cooling device, controller, software, smoke collection system, and web handling system (if not integrated into an existing print or finishing line) of). In addition, a relatively camera-based vision system is also required in the case of more stringent positioning and registration requirements. The investment for this technology should be between $180,000 and $300,000, which is equivalent to a major upgrade to the prepress system.

The conventional system uses a fixed laser and places a movable XY platform below it, which is hindered by the user's use of this technology due to speed limitations. The new "galvanometer" system (using a scanning galvanometer) helps the laser move quickly through an adjustable beam and rotating mirror. Its standard processing speed is said to range from 80ips to 600ips.
The drum-to-drum laser system can be moved in steps, allowing the system to move intermittently or in readings. Cutting is done during the movement. The continuous motion of the laser system is based on a pre-arranged punching procedure. By adjusting the cutting speed, the beam is completely penetrated through the material and the cutting of the material is completed. If the laser parameters are set differently, the material can be pressed out of line marks of different depths or perforated in the material.

Advantages Laser digital paper product processing technology has many advantages. In terms of flexibility, the technology can process any shape that has been programmed, and the laser can be cut in any direction. The shape of the template can be quickly changed without the help of any tools, making it possible to process competitive, individualized packaging or trademarks. Accuracy is also one of the advantages of digital systems. It is said that the conventional tolerance of laser processing of paper products is 3 mils. It can even compensate for inaccuracies in printing and post-printing processes. If the material may be stretched and deformed, the laser can be adjusted according to these deformations, and the traditional template production cannot.
The system is also very attractive in terms of production efficiency and productivity. It is also possible to modify the design plan at the last minute without affecting the entire production process. Simple and complex shapes all spend the same amount of money and are completed in the same amount of time. From a payback point of view, end users can control short or medium production without creating a large number of templates. It can react faster to customer needs because it does not require the production of molds.

Laser cutting eliminates the need for all tools, such as rotating molds, punching and cutting tools.

From the aesthetic point of view, we also get a positive answer. The laser pressureless cutting process usually does not damage the material, and in testing the sticker trademark, it was found that the light-pressure-cut trademark has a better peelability than the spin-mold trademark.

Market Space In the field of packaging, the market for laser digital paper products processing is still in its infancy, but it is a completely open market. LasX's LaserSharp can be used in various packaging applications.

More and more companies are showing great interest in this. Many of them are companies that own digital printers. They see digital laser template technology as a viable solution to increase the competitiveness of digital printing. According to reports, the laser line speed can be matched with the line speed of the digital printing machine. Theoretically speaking, the user can run ten different printing and postpress processing operations in succession without any downtime in the middle.
Wave Front Technologies' SoftDieTM digital laser paper product processing system is specifically targeted at the trademark product processing market and is said to be compatible with almost all existing trademark printers; it can also be used for stand-alone machining. The system also has a variety of laser options and 600 ips speed and other features.

At present, digital laser paper product processing systems have been installed in various areas of the packaging industry, but most of these systems are installed in a very confidential manner, and manufacturers of the systems must sign confidentiality agreements. Although the entire technology has gradually taken shape, the market itself is still in its infancy.

Laser Machining's AcuTearTM and AcuBreatheTM laser systems and equipment provide laser indentation and laser micro-drilling operations for flexible packaging. The laser can precisely cut the multilayer package without damaging its internal structure. Without the perforation, the package remains sealed.

The laser technology applied to flexible packaging can also perform special operations that many die cutting technologies cannot achieve. For example, rotary die cutting technology cannot produce ultra-small holes to ensure breathing, and rotation can not cut out very clean holes. The hole may also be blocked by remaining material.

The development suppliers are constantly working to clear the obstacles for the installation of the laser. The problem of material compatibility has always been closely linked with the material manufacturer, especially now that the laser can already handle the corners of the shape, and the surface material can be cut without damaging the substrate material.

More and more dedicated controllers, such as Laser Machining's Acu-PowerTM galvanometer controllers, already have the ability to automatically adjust laser energy, which is useful when sketching complex patterns or graphic corners. Suppliers are also constantly pursuing processing speeds to compare with traditional press speeds. According to Wave Front Technologies, the company's SoftDie system has proven to be between 100 fpm and 300 fpm, depending on the material and the complexity of the job.

Will the laser eventually become the standard for die-cutting technology? Experts believe that it is very likely that they believe that in the next decade, the traditional die-cutting technology will disappear from the major paper products processing companies. Everyone will use the laser system at that time.

For now, laser technology is a very special application in post-press processing applications. Some experts suggested that laser digital paper products processing is a very precise and high-level technology and requires a certain amount of cost. If you use rotation technology to achieve the speed and accuracy you need, you can continue to use rotation technology. Each technology has its own space, and each technology can work well on the same production line.