Peeling fruit and vegetables using laser technology? It is possibile. And it is only one of the many applications of the CO2 laser for the food industry. Because of its wavelength, the CO2 laser allows you to efficiently process materials of organic origin.

The fast technological advance of the last few years have made the use of laser in the food industry now possible. El.En has been one of the first CO2 laser producers to study and experiment on its possible uses in the food industry. Laser technology can be used for cheese or cured meat marking, chestnut incisions, biostimulation, etc.

In this article we will describe another laser processing technique: the laser peeling of fresh fruit and vegetables.

How the processing mechanism works

The laser peeling process consists in using a focused laser beam to remove the skin of the produce. This is possible thanks to the elevated energy density that the laser manages to concentrate on a very small area. The process causes the immediate disappearance of a layer of material.

The thickness of the removed layer is very thin and essentially depends on the chosen parameters for the laser. Usually this layer corresponds to a few microns. This means that even if the energy and pressure would be very high, they concentrate on a tiny part of the organic material. Consequently, the zone affected by the laser is scarce and very focused, which is very important for the processing of food products. The result is that the organoleptic properties of food, such as flavor, freshness, texture and color, are in no way modified by the laser’s action.

Onions, peppers, tomatoes, oranges and lemons are only a few of the fresh produce that can be exposed to this type of laser treatment.

Laser peeling equipment

From a technical standpoint, the configuration of this type of system mainly requires a CO2 laser source, a laser scanning head and a control software. The advantage of this type of system is that even with a low power CO2 laser source, you can obtain great results. In general terms, the higher the laser power, the faster the operation and therefore the productivity of the system.

The process is based on the laser scanning of the product to be treated. By carefully regulating the parameters of speed and laser power, it is possible to configure the laser with extreme accuracy according to the results you want to obtain.

Contact us

Our company specializes in the use of laser for food processing. We can build a solution that works for your needs. If you think that laser peeling could be useful for your business, all you have to do di contact us!

The introduction of lasers in industrial processes has been a small revolution: the effectiveness and versatility of this technology has allowed us to significantly renew diverse production fields. Especially the die sector has seen radical changes over the past years due to innovations in laser technologies.

Die cutting revolves all around the cutting, drilling, and shaping low-strength materials such as paper, cardboard, rubber, fiber, and cloth. Die cutting tools are mainly used in the paper and packaging industry, and are known to be robust.

Traditional Die Cutting

The creation of a die is a process that requires a lot of time, specialized technicians, and materials. This tool is thus not economically advantageous for manufacturers with small production quantities or large production variations.

• The creation of a die requires the following steps:
• Engraving a wooden board, needed to support the die.
• Cutting and folding of the steel blade, to be inserted into the incisions of the base.
• Fixing the blade on the die holder

The entire process must be carried out with utmost precision, as the blade must fit perfectly into the incisions of the support table.

It is thus clear that the die can be preliminary used for large and standardized production volumes. Small production volumes, prototype designs, or customized processes are bound to have high production costs.

The CO2 laser – an efficient and accurate tool

Market segmentation and the need to meet diverse and customized processes have led manufacturers having to search for innovative solutions. The CO2 laser, due to its characteristics, proves to be the best and most efficient choice.

The high power stability and the particular wavelength of this laser make it the ideal tool to cut paper and cardboard, typical packaging materials.

These packaging materials have the following characteristics: low conductivity, high combustibility, low gasification temperature, minimum thickness. These characteristics make the perfect conditions for the CO2 laser. With these conditions the CO2 laser is known to have a high running speed, while maintaining minimal energy consumption

Each laser process is characterized by accuracy and speed. The laser path is managed by the computer that “translates” the CAD design of the project into parameters such as power, speed, and position. In this way the laser beam produced by the CO2 laser source reaches the surface to be worked, causing the immediate evaporation of the material and therefore the realization of the process.

This process allows you to make cuts, perforations and engravings – in short all the operations of a die – in a fast, precise and flexible manner.

The unstoppable growth of organic food sales seems to suggest that consumers are increasingly aware of genuine, natural, and environmental friendly fresh products. Organic food is realized in compliance with natural cycles, isn’t treated chemically, and is environmental friendly.

The trend involves all aspects of the product: from the cultivation carried out according to natural principles, to the packaging – designed to be the least polluting possible. It is exactly this last aspect that has seen significant innovations during recent years due to the development of the laser technology.

Creating eco friendly packaging is a hot topic of discussion at the moment. The goal of CO2 laser marking fresh fruit is not just reducing plastic consumption by replacing it with packaging materials such as recycled paper. The aim is – whenever possible, of course – to completely remove packing.

This is the direction some of the leading vegetable wholesalers are alreading moving to. Just look at ICA Gruppen, one of the world’s leading fruit and vegetable manufacturers. This company has already started adopting laser technology to replace traditional labeling methods. The label is directly laser-marked on the skin or peel of products. This simple transition translates into saving hundreds of kilos of paper and glue, resulting in an eco-friendly product.

But there is more: laser marking fresh fruit and vegetables also allows to improve the quality and genuineness of products. Several studies have shown that laser labelled products maintain the qualities of the original product. Laser marking is solely executed on the surface of the peel and only in order to change the pigmentation of the food. The entire process is carried out in compliance with maximum hygiene requirements, making the technique ideal for the food industry. Above all, with the laser technology, there is no need to use adhesives or other potentially harmful substances.

For this reason the laser labeling of fresh-fruit and vegetables is the ideal technique for every manufacturer of organic food products. A completely ecological product can only be realized by avoiding all use of plastic, paper, or adhesive materials in the labeling process. At the same time, by laser marking fresh fruits and vegetables, the traceability requirements of the distribution system stay respected.

The following are the main advantages of laser labeling fresh fruits and vegetables:

• Offers the ability to mark an unlimited amount of simple and complex signs, including graphics and logos, codes of any type, as well as expiration dates and traceability codes
• Laser marks are permanent, stable, non-abrasive, insoluble in water, resistant to temperature and UV rays. Laser engraved labels cannot drop coincidentally and cannot be altered
• Laser marks are perfectly hygienic and therefore suitable for any type of food
• Laser marking is an efficient, highly flexible and fully automated technology
• Laser technology reduces the consumption of materials, and thus help saving economic resources
• Laser technology is eco friendly as it avoids the use of chemicals that can be potentially harmful to the environment and human health

These are just a few of the many advantages of laser labeling. Over the years El.En. has experimented with several laser applications in diverse sectors of the food industry – such as the labeling of cheese and the application of traceability codes on apples. Applications of the laser technology are endless: contact us and we will discuss the CO2 laser labelling solution that suits your needs

The clothing industry is the second biggest polluting industry, being just behind the petrol industry. To give you an idea of the massive impact the fashion industry has on the environment, consider this: it is estimated that 10% of world’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the textile industry.

The textile industry is all but harmless to the environment since its production processes consume a lot of resources such as water, energy and chemicals for the finishing process. This has led the industry to research more sustainable and eco friendly processes.

One of the most polluting phases of the production processes in the clothing industry is the finishing process, e.g. fabric decoration. Research shows that laser technology currently is the most eco friendly and sustainable application that can be used to decorate clothing and fabric. Not only did the laser technology stand out as a viable and efficient technology, but it also allowed designers to innovate products and designs.

To be honest, the use of laser technologies in the clothing industry is not entirely new, but dates back to the early 60’s. From that moment on, researchers noticed the diverse advantages of this technology, such as precision and lack of wastes. After years of research, experimentation and applications, the CO2 laser has proven to be the most suitable technology for the fashion industry. The use of the CO2 laser is beneficial in terms of design as well as in terms of the company’s resources. All desired designs can be achieved, with millimetric precision, by applying the very vast and efficient laser marking processes on the fabric. The energy efficiency and the running speed of a CO2 laser source are incomparably superior to any other traditional production technique, resulting in a significant decrease of energetic resources. Furthermore, the technology solely modifies the surface of the material – this means that there is no need for water consumption or polluting chemicals.

Laser engraving for fashion design does not know limits in terms of versatility. Nearly all materials normally employed by the textile and clothing industry can easily be worked by the CO2 laser. The technology can engrave or mark either natural or synthetic fabrics. Recent studies have also revealed that this technology is highly suitably for the discoloration of clothing, in particularly jeans cotton.

The CO2 laser is especially suitable for the clothing industry due to its particular wavelength, which is well absorbed by non-metals and organic materials as they are bad conductors of heat and electricity. This allows you to achieve optimal results while consuming the least possible amount of energy resources. Inks, chemicals, and solvents are eliminated and there is thus no longer a need for large amounts of water: the eco-sustainability of the CO2 laser is thus evident.

This is also demonstrated by a recent study¹ that analyzed the outcomes of laser decoration and innovative designs on wool and polyester fabrics versus decoration achieved by means of chemicals. The research paid particular attention to the weight, thickness, perspiration, thermal conductivity, and strength of the fabric after they had been engraved or marked. Both production methods have been tested with simple as well as complex patterns. The results have shown that the laser technology method performed better in all of the above named aspects, in comparison with traditional methods.

Besides that, the laser technology has also shown better results in terms of speed, precision, and resource consumption.

In conclusion, laser engraving for the clothing and textile industry is a more efficient, sustainable, and eco-friendly process than traditional methods of decoration.

¹Application of Laser Engraving for Sustainable Fashion Design, G.X. Yuan, S.X. Jiang, E. Newton and W.M. Au, Research Journal of Textile and Apparel 2013 17:2, 21-27.

Let’s continue our journey of discovery of the different CO2 laser applications for the packaging industry. In the past articles, we’ve already described how laser micro-perforation can drill accurate holes on plastic film to create packages suitable to preserve fresh food. Laser micro-perforation applications, unlike traditional mechanical micro perforation applications, offer speed, flexibility, and extreme accuracy.

In order to improve the shelf life of products, it is often necessary to continuously control gas exchanges between the interior and the exterior of a plastic bag. Laser micro-perforation allows us to tightly control these gas transmissions, allowing us to easily package fresh products as well as preserve their quality.

It is no coincidence that the CO2 laser has seen a broad application in this field. The packaging industry knows very strict production rules and specifications. Packaging must not only guarantee the quality of the product, but must also meet requirements in terms of mechanical strength, packaging hygiene, and food safety. Besides that, all requirements also have to be reconciled with an aesthetic appearance. Poor packaging could reduce the perceived quality of the product, and is thus a crucial factor in influencing consumer buying behavior.

In this article we’re going to describe another application of the CO2 laser: we will talk about sealing plastic food bags.

Conventional methods to seal plastic food bags

Why is the CO2 laser an innovative process for the sealing of food bags? To get an answer to this question we have to briefly discuss the traditional methods used to seal plastic food bags.

Traditionally the sealing of plastic food bags is a welding process achieved through the application of heat and pressure. In this process, two sheets of plastic film are joined and welded together. This process is mostly mechanical, meaning that parts of the machine have to be changed every time a different packaging process is executed, in order to meet the packaging needs of diverse products. Traditional machines are heavy, due to their working parts that need to be fastened securely.

A production line of this kind is not flexible, while food manufacturers may need to apply different packaging techniques within the same production cycle. This would mean that the manufacturers have to the change machine parts or perform other maintenance operations, which results in lower productivity.

Laser hermetic sealing plastic food bags

The process of laser sealing of plastic bags is part of the hermetic welding process of thermoplastics. The most commonly used bags in the packaging industry are transparent and made of polypropylene or polyethylene.

These materials absorb the 10.6 μ wavelength of the CO2 laser very well. The laser beam reaches the surface of the material to be welded thanks to a scanning head. Subsequently, the laser heats up the surface so as to reach the melting temperature of the material, allowing it to weld the two plastic films together.

The entire process is incredibly fast: the speed achieved with this welding method to hermetically seal plastic bags allow to seal dozens of pieces per minute.

What are the advantages of hermetic laser sealing?

The advantages of using a laser sealing system to hermetically seal plastic food bags are endless:

• You can change the shape and size of the packaging material to be sealed without the need for long breaks in the production flow. It is not necessary to create custom-made parts since the laser can be applied to any type of container and to any type of machining even within the same production cycle.
• The sealing can even be carried out on very thin plastic films without risking any damage to the material. This allows extremely accurate machining operations and reduces the amount of material used, and thus reduces industrial waste.
• The CO2 laser is compact in size and light in weight since mechanical parts or other bulky mechanisms are not required. The laser system thus fits well into production facilities with confined spaces.
• Like any other laser process, the welding of plastic bags is a non-contact process. This means, among other things, that it is aseptic, and thus perfect for the packaging of food products.

Required components for a laser system setup

You may ask yourself right now which components are required for a laser system set-up. It is difficult to define in detail the diverse components or elements that will be part of the system. Each customer has its own needs in terms of power, production speed, material to be treated, etc. However, it is possible to define the following three basic elements of a similar system.

CO2 Laser source

The CO2 Laser source generates the laser beam that will work your materials. El.En. CO2 laser sources are available in different output powers, ranging from 150W to 1200W.

Laser scanning head

The laser scanning head is a device that “moves” the laser beam while keeping it perfectly focused on the point that needs to be worked. El.En.’s scanning head executes this process at very high-speed thanks to the beryllium mirrors mounted on galvanometric motors.

Control Software

The advantage of laser processing is that the entire process is controlled digitally. Through the software, you can control all relevant machining parameters and perform on-the-fly changes without interrupting the process workflow.

Wood, paper, cardboard, plastic, PMMA. And also rubber, leather, metals, and ceramics: CO2 lasers can cut a great number of materials. For this reason, CO2 lasers have become the most widely diffused laser technology for laser material processing.

However, despite the wide use of the CO2 laser we receive a lot of questions on possible appications that can all be summed up by what materials can be cut by CO2 laser? In this article we answer to this question with a simple list of materials that can be easily cut with CO2 lasers (the links take to articles that examine each topic in depth): 

• Wood based materials
• Paper based materials
• Acrylic (PMMA) and other plastic polymers
• Leather and faux leather
• Natural and synthetic fabric
• Biologic materialAll industrial sectors that need to process these materials can thus use the laser CO2 for a faster, smoother, and more precise cutting process.

Fields of application

To go into the details, the following list displays the main applications of CO2 laser cutting, ordered by industry:

• Papermaking industry
• Cutting cardboard boxes
• Cutting paper and cardboard
• Stencil cut
• Decorations

• Woodworking industry
• The cutting of any kind, and thickness, of wood, especially Plywood and MDF
• Inlay fine wood
• Engravings of any kind

• Engravings and inlays
• Laser engraving and cutting methacrylate
• Laser engraving and cutting leather goods
• Laser engraving name and number plates
• Laser engraving and cutting textiles
• Laser engraving electronic components
• Laser engraving anodized aluminum and varnished metals. N.B.: the CO2 laser usually doesn’t cut metal but can label or mark them indelibly.
• Engraving of glass, marble, and stones
• Inlays on ivory

• Creation and Customization
• Laser cutting hollow punches
• Laser cutting for architectural models
• Laser cutting plastic, cardboard, or wooden displays.
• Contour and cut labels
• Personalizing gadgets
• Personalizing buttons
• Material machining for model making

The list above is just a short list of the many different materials that can be processed by the CO2 lasers: there are lots of other materials that can be cut with the CO2 laser. Research on the applications of the CO2 laser is still an ongoing process, of which experimentation plays an important role: only experimentation provides us with certainty about the possible applications. For this reason we invite you to contact us whereby the material you want to work is not presented in the above list. Together we will find you the solution that fits your needs!

Thermoplastics are polymeric materials with incredible properties. Their name derives from their main property: becoming viscous when heated and solidifying once cooled.

These characteristics makes it possible to laminate and easily shape these materials. Industrial applications are endless: from the packaging to medical devices sector, without forgetting the electronics, automotive and food industries. There is no sector in which thermoplastic doesn’t have a key role.

On this blog we have already seen how thermoplastics work well with laser technology. Microperforations, cutting, kiss-cutting are but a few examples of how well thermoplastics absorb the CO2 laser wavelength and offer great flexibility and high quality results.

Now, thermoplastic polymers can also be used in a foamy state. Polymeric foams, or expanded polymer, are obtained by treating the polymer chemically or physically until the right shape is obtained. Expanded polystyrene, expanded polyurethane and expanded polyethylene all belong to this category of materials.

Expanded polyethylene (aka polyethylene foam) is one of the most popular foams used in the industrial sector, due to its lightness, insulating properties and resistance. This foam is ideal for laser cutting.

In order to cut polyethylene foam, a CO2 laser precisely and cleanly outlines the wanted shape in the polymer foam. This process is easily controlled digitally. The advantage of using laser technology is that the pieces are cut perfectly, down to the last millimeter and in a well defined shape. It is therefore ideal for highly detailed work.

An example of what co2 laser can do is tool shadowing. Basically it means cutting a layer of foam with cut outs of different sizes for each tool in your tool box. The tool will be perfectly kept still and safe inside the toolbox.

Making this application using only mechanically tools is very difficult if not impossible, because the expanded polyethylene sheet would have to be pinned down in order to cut out the shapes without ruining the material. This method works only if the shapes have straight lines. As soon as the lines are curvier or more detailed, it becomes difficult to trace the objects outline perfectly.

Laser technology makes it easy to cut polyethylene foam in the right size and shape. All you need to do is create a CAD file with the shapes to cut out. The file is then transferred to the software making it possible for even the most complicated of shapes to be created.

The packaging sector has numerous applications for CO2 laser. There is nothing surprising there since the materials best suited for packaging are also the ones, due to both composition and shape, that work best with CO2 laser technology.

In previous articles, we have already seen some of the CO2 laser applications on materials such as thermoplastic film, wood and some of its by-products like MDF and paper and cardboard for innovative forms of packaging. The distinctive wavelength of CO2 laser makes cutting, perforation, incision and marking particularly efficient and cost effective.

CO2 laser is an efficient and versatile tool for the laser welding of thermoplastics, a popular technique used in the packaging sector. This process takes advantage of the fact that thermoplastics are easy to work with once they’ve been through a thermic treatment. In layman’s terms, the welding process consists of heating the area where the two thermoplastic pieces join with the laser beam until fusion point is reached.

This process can be applied to different types of plastics, either laminated or molded, opaque or transparent. There are many advantages to laser welding:

• it’s a very fast process
• like all laser processes, it’s extremely precise and easy to control
• it doesn’t leave residue or waste
• it doesn’t expose pieces to thermal or mechanical stress because the heated area is localised and the process isn’t mechanical
• it’s highly automatable and easy to integrate with other systems, whether they be digital or analog

These characteristics have made it a tool of choice in sectors where precision, cleanliness and the absence of thermal or mechanical stress are determining factors. The production of biomedical devices or electronic devices, the production of parts and components for the automotive industry, the production of airtight packaging for the pharmaceutical and food industry are all examples of the applications of laser welding.

Laser welding for plastic film

In the world of packaging, laser welding is most used on laminated thermoplastics. The laser of choice for this technique is the CO2 laser.

Direct welding is the type of welding that works best with thin materials. As opposed to transmission laser welding used mainly for three-dimensional and moulded pieces, direct welding operates directly on the material. This process allows for a higher speed of productionand therefore increases productivity while lowering production costs.

The materials most used in the packaging industry are:

• nylon
• polyethylene
• polypropylene
• acrylic (PMMA)

The interaction between the laser beam and the material cannot be predetermined. Many factors come into play: the type of polymer, the existence of added additives to the formula, the laser beam’s speed of movement on the surface and the laser beam’s intensity itself.

But as a general rule, the laser’s effect is stronger on the material’s surface and decreases the deeper it gets. Adding carbon to thermoplastics can highly increase the material’s capacity for energy absorption, thus making the laser much more efficient.

Laser welding is perfect for the production of original packaging that brings added value to the product because it can work in a very localised way on complex shapes.

Equipment for laser welding of plastic film

A laser system for laser welding needs different components. The fundamental ones are a laser source, a scanning head and a software system to program and control the process.

Apart from the afore-mentioned items, a laser welding system should also include devices for product management, loading and unloading, and powering the laser source.

In conclusion, laser welding applications are numerous since laser technology is so versatile. It can be adapted to completely digital processes or be integrated with analog production lines. This technology greatly lowers production costs and not only increases productivity but also the quality of the product.

CO2 lasers are one of the most widely employed technologies in manufacturing. The technology is so flexible and powerful that it is installed on a large number of industrial machines, used in a wide array of sectors. CO2 laser sources are well renowned for their resiliency: a machine based on this technology insures thousands of hours of high quality work.

This type of laser still needs periodical maintenance work. Its weakness is a slow but inevitable loss of power.

Gas leaks, CO2 lasers’ weakness

Excessive gas leakage has consequences on the laser’s output. Its power will either decrease over time or be reduced drastically all of a sudden during operation. This phenomenon produces a reduction in the quality of operation: the laser beam becomes unstable and precision work is compromised. When that happens, laser maintenance is necessary.

Maintaining CO2 lasers

Maintenance can be done by the producer or by a company specialised in this sort of operations. Generally, maintenance work includes disassembling the machine and refilling the gas tube. Many specialised companies offer this type of service, which often also includes the cleaning and realignment of the optics and other components of the laser source.

These operations, even when carried out by professionals, do expose the laser source to potential infiltrations of dust and other microscopic foreign bodies. This sort of infiltrations could compromise the laser beam quality and, as a result, the good working conditions of the machine. Transporting the machine to the maintenance service facilities can also expose it to accidental damage.

It is important to bear in mind that every maintenance will cause a standstill of production that can last from a few days up to a few weeks.

The advantages of El.En’s Self-Refilling technology: Never Ending Power

As a solution to the drawbacks of maintenance, El.En.’s research and development department has developed an innovative Self-Refilling technology. Thanks to Self-Refilling, gas-refilling operations can be carried out directly in-company.

The Self-Refilling system is based on disposable CO2 gas canisters. Every laser source has an in-built lid-protected slot for gas canisters. When it is time to refill the laser source, one needs to simply open the lid, take the empty canister out and put a new canister in. This way the laser source will maintain its max power and its operational standards will be preserved. Servicing operations can be carried out manually and without the laser source producer’s assistance.

The ability to independently refill a CO2 laser source brings about several advantages. Here are some:

• interruptions to production are reduced to a few minutes
• crucial parts of laser sources, such as the optics, stay sealed
• chances of infiltration of dust and foreign bodies are greatly reduced
• chances of damages from transportation are reduced

There are huge savings on resources and the laser source is always at max power and efficiency.

The Blade RF series of Self-Refilling CO2 laser sources are equipped with this innovative technology. These sources all have a compact design, come in multiple power options and can operate on a large variety of materials. Explore our range of products and discover the vast array of available applications.

Laser scoring is a wonderful technique to create advanced features on flexible packaging. Together with laser perforation it lets designer conceive easy opening packages, single portioned or disposable boxes, tear-apart openings that can enrich the experience of the product.

The rising success of easy to open packages has pushed producers to look for new packaging solutions. More than ever, consumers are used to easy-opening packaging.

The introduction of laser technology and digital converting processes has pushed packaging companies to find innovative solutions that were unthinkable of just a few years ago. Industrial lasers for packaging, such as the CO2 laser, give added value to a product by not only protecting it, but also making it easy to open.

Plastic film packaging, which has offered a wide scope for experimentation, is a perfect example of the added value of packaging.

As discussed in previous articles, CO2 laser can increase the breathability of the plastic film according to the product they contain. Fresh produce, for example, can be wrapped in micro-perforated bags in a modified atmosphere room to extend its longevity.

Laser scoring on plastic film bags to make packaging easy-to-open is another laser application that has many uses.

What is laser scoring?

A laser beam vaporises predetermined areas of a plastic film, thus creating the scoring. The weakening line that is created makes the packaging easy to open without the use of tools.

Laser incision has the advantage of removing the material in a precise and uniform way. This technique gives the possibility to closely control the depth of incision. By removing only the strict minimum amount of material, the integrity of the packaging remains untouched.

The right materials for laser incision

Laser incision is ideal for flexible packaging made in plastic film. These materials, which are some of the most commonly used in the packaging sector, are perfectly compatible with CO2 laser:

• polypropylene
• polyethylene
• polyester
• nylon
• multilayer films

Plastic film packaging can be used for all kinds of products: food, cosmetics, chemical products, herbal and pharmaceutical products.

Laser scoring technology

There has been a paradigm shift in the world of packaging since the introduction of laser technology. We have shifted from the mass production of standardised products to the small production of highly tailored products.

This change has only been possible because laser technology is a digital production tool. It can be completely controlled via software and is fully automated. A scoring laser system can be designed right from the beginning of the process and can work in analog work flows. Regardless of the type of work flow, laser technology brings added value to the production process, making it simple and fast.

Laser incision is a very versatile tool since the depth of incision can be controlled. By loading different vector files into the system, you can easily and quickly go from scoring to cutting through the material.

The laser can make incisions in a straight line, following the reel’s movement (down web?) or even transversally. The movement of the laser scoring is completely defined by the user. It can follow a straight line, the contour of a shape or a freeform path.

Laser technology is ideal for scoring because it is a contactless process. The lack of physical contact makes it possible to avoid problems such as the accidental rupture of the plastic film or the use of cutting tools. In order to achieve a high quality incision, the blades had to be perfectly sharp and therefore frequently changed. Production would to come to standstill in order to change machine parts which resulted in higher production costs.

The use of laser technology make all these problems obsolete. The only maintenance laser needs is a periodic gas refill. And now, with El.En.’s self-refilling technology which allows the laser source to be recharged autonomously, even this minor inconvenience can be avoided.

The right laser source for laser scoring

In conclusion, the CO2 laser is ideal for scoring of plastic film. The previously mentioned materials respond well to the CO2 laser wavelength. The laser scoring process works best with a low power laser source or with up to a 300 W power supply. One should also take into consideration that the higher the laser power, the faster the production.

The possibilities given by system integrations and configurations are endless. Once the type of application has been decided, it becomes easy to choose the best configuration.