APPLICATIONS BY INDUSTRY
Tool industry
(For a detailed view please click)
Automation in the tool industry using the example of a laser system for marking hand tools
Fast cycle times and maximum output are essential in the areas of mass production and conveyor belt production. Multi-cycle automation helps to combine many work steps, thus enhancing profitability.
In addition to automation, individual marking and engraving are also possible on the system, for example
for prototypes.
Click here for the SHARK rotary cycle machine video.
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Laser-based scale with "twist"
on a rotated step drill
This tasks places greater than average demands on a laser system. The rotated scale on the step drill requires an NC-controlled dividing head and high-performance software. The step drill must rotate simultaneously during the laser process to ensure exact position of the numbers. The material in this example is burnished HSS.
Marking on shafts of carbide tools
In white marking, the surface is slightly melted to produce small craters which then reflect light diffusely, similarly to a sand-blasted surface. Only a tiny amount of material is removed. The amount removed during white marking is considerably less than 1 µm. In principle, white marking is a special type or an extreme form of engraving marking. Engraving marking generally attempts to produce a dark discolouration of the engraving base. With white marking, the object is to achieve a light surface.
Marking tool holders
Burnished tool steel is excellently suited for laser machining. The burnished layer can be removed, producing a highly legible result. In harder applications, it is also possible to make the engraving deeper to ensure legibility.
Multi-head systems are able to mark tool holders in several places simultaneously.
3D micro engraving of chip breakers
on a wide variety of tools
One area of 3D laser engraving is the manufacturing of chip breakers on tools. Due to the small size and high resolution of structural elements, creating the structure by mechanical means, for example by milling, is extremely tedious or completely unfeasible.
3D chip breaker in PCD (polycrystalline diamond)
Because of their intrinsic hardness, PCD cutting edges are very difficult to process. Spark erosion or grinding with diamond grinding wheels is suitable only for sharpening. However, if precise chip breakers need to be introduced into the material, the laser is the only possibility. Completely wear-free, and regardless of the material, the focused light
burns any 3D shape into the material.
Laser engraving and marking of rubber and plastics in the tool industry
The example on the right shows engraving on the rubber handle of a screwdriver. Speed and precision are just two advantages of using lasers with rubber. Other advantages include repeatability accuracy and an extremely long service life (fibre laser up to 100,000h!).
with pneumatic lift door, reversing rotary table, tailstock and dividing head.
centring of workpieces.
Workpiece output onto conveyor.
