Laser Diecutting: A New Approach

A market that is only scratching the surface of accepting laser cutting technology is the carton market. The demand is increasing dramatically for laser cutting given the expensive tooling and short runs; however, the production quality of laser cutting a 14 pt. carton stock is under debate. Sophisticated belt scrubbing techniques to remove debris and fume extraction systems are being developed to remove the smell and charring (or browning) around the edge of a laser cut carton. Throughput speed is also an issue, so companies are developing dual-head 1,000 W laser systems to increase throughput speeds.