Lasers are finding greater usage in plastics

Lasers are non-contact tools capable of delivering enormous amount of energy to specific areas without wearing out. They have been increasingly used in plastics. Their usage includes welding, cutting, engraving, marking and many other applications, particularly in sensitive segments like medical devices, printed circuit and automobiles.

Plastics, due to their different structures, interact differently to different lasers of different wavelengths. Some of the lasers emit light energy in the Infra Red (IR) portion of light with wavelength higher than 650nm. These lasers create hot processes that transform higher than 700nm. These lasers create hot processes that transform low melting plastics. These types of lasers are more energy intensive and can be suitable for cutting, drilling, sintering, welding and engraving. These IR lasers can either use CO2 diode or JR Neodymium and differ in their wavelengths. CO2 can emit light energy in the wavelength range of 9400-10600 nm and is quite versatile. Infact lasers with CO2 are widely used for machining of plastics. To prevent degradation, CO2 lasers with lower emission of 9400nm are more preferred compared to those with emissions at 10,600nm.

Another type of laser using UV wavelength emission of less than 400nm with UV neodymium acts more on the surface layer and is ideally suited either to mark the plastic products or engrave moulds. These types of UV lasers are ideally suitable for providing identification markings to medical catheters. Some of the medical devices require very small holes. These holes can be very accurately drilled with UV lasers.

Several industrial lasers that are now commercially available, are suitable for a wide range of plastics from PP, Acrylics, Teflons to ETPS like Polyesters or Polyimides. These integrated laser systems include laser, beam-delivery systems, electronics, material handling systems and control software. They are quite user friendly and are gaining greater acceptance, particularly in automotive, healthcare and electronics segments.

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