Laser technology works on the principle of very precise focusing of a high-energy light beam to one small point, where it vaporizes the material it is focused on. We can thus cut various types of materials, or create motifs in them according to the customer’s wishes. At Tiskárna Jelínek we have 2 types of lasers. CO2 laser, which is suitable for non-metallic materials, and fiber laser, which is suitable for metallic materials. In this article, we will discuss CO2 laser technology.
We use a high-quality CO2 laser made in the USA by EPILOG. This laser has a working area of 630x460mm. Thanks to the 40W metal tube technology, we can make more precise and finer motifs than with cheap non-branded lasers.
We also have a marking fiber laser for metal materials. These types of lasers have a shorter wavelength than CO2 lasers, making it possible to mark or deeply engrave very fine motifs into metals. You can find more about this laser in the article Laser marking of metals.
Materials that can be processed with a CO2 laser
Processing can be divided into two types. Cutting and engraving – marking.
Cutting
A large number of materials can be cut very easily – plywood/wood, acrylic, paper. Some types of textiles. For example, cotton for masks. Some types of rubber, for example rubber for stamps.
Engraving
A large number of materials can be engraved. We achieve very nice effects in wood with plywood. Laser engraving of leather objects is very popular. Our specialty is the imitation of sandblasting in glass. Thanks to the rotary attachment, we are able to create a motif on glass that is almost identical to classic sandblasting, but with significantly less labor and finer details.
Varnish can be removed from metal objects very nicely. The laser evaporates the varnish, but the metal remains untouched.
It is also possible to create black motifs on metal surfaces with a laser. We apply a special spray and laser it in the right places. The rest is washed off and a very durable motif is born.
A separate chapter is the production of stamps. Using a laser, we engrave the stamp motif into special rubber and then cut the stamp. Although we have classic photopolymer technology, which has been the most reliable option for making stamps for many years, the laser reliably pushed it out.
