Product category:
Laser marking systems
News Release from: Electrox | Subject: EF Technology laser marking platform
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 01 September 2006
Laser marking platform launched at IMTS
IMTS will see the world-wide launch of a laser marking platform - offered in the USA with a four-year warranty - and offering optimum balance between performance, price and product lifetime.
IMTS will see the world-wide launch of the new Raptor laser marking system - the first implementation of the revolutionary EF Technology developed by Electrox, UK and sold in North America through Electrox in Indianapolis EF Technology offers the optimum balance between performance, price and product lifetime and enables Electrox to provide customers with aggressively priced laser marking systems which perform to the highest standards of quality and reliability
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Such is its faith in this new laser marking platform that Electrox is able to give EF Technology a four year warranty - the longest warranty available anywhere in the laser marking industry.
One of few fully integrated manufacturers of laser marking systems, Electrox is renowned for its incomparable combination of state-of-the-art laser technology and exceptional customer support.
By applying innovative laser research to the industrial environment, Electrox has created a laser marking technology which combines simplicity, versatility, exceptionally high reliability, low maintenance and an extremely competitive price.
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An affordable laser marking system for all small-to-medium volume manufacturers is complete with control electronics, software, safety workstation and work piece focusing mechanism.
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To meet the market demand - particularly from SMEs - for aggressively priced laser marking systems - this unit provides a permanent, easily legible and versatile mark.
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Howard Moore, general manager said: "We have brought together some of the best laser physicists and industrial engineers from around the world".
"Applying cutting edge laser principles and a unique light management system, Electrox has created EF Technology which unites the very best of the existing technologies with the very best of the new.
With our new technology we have initiated an entirely new laser marking configuration to provide the total 'price-performance' package which end users and OEMs have wanted but has not been available until now.
Our new Raptor laser marker is the first system to use EF Technology and it will be available to ship from the beginning of September." EF Technology provides very short energy pulses - 25ns compared with anything from 70ns to 200ns in other systems - which enables high peak powers (up to 10kW) combined with low pulse energies.
This permits high contrast, low damage marking on metals and plastics.
The highly controllable beam virtually eliminates surface damage around the mark, enabling EF Technology to be used for marking components where surface finish and retention of material integrity are paramount, especially in demanding aerospace or automotive applications.
Near perfect beam quality and exceptional energy stability over the entire operational range mean EF Technology delivers very small spots - typically 70 micron from a 254mm lens.
Smaller spots are possible (down to 25 micron) with high speed, self tuning Digital Signal Process (DSP) galvos.
This creates high energy intensities to give a substantially improved performance compared with more traditional systems.
This high beam quality also facilitates large depths of focus so laser markers built on EF Technology are better able to mark complex, curved or awkwardly shaped components.
There is no ramping in or out of the power and pulse frequencies range from 0.1kHz to 100kHz.
The temporal pulse pattern permits bit maps etc to be marked easily and with high definition.
The Raptor is a compact new laser marking system with a very small laser head, incorporating an optical unit, fully sealed to IP67, to ensure extremely low maintenance, even in hostile environments.
An annual health check is normally all that will be required.
The system is entirely air cooled - eliminating the need for water or refrigerant circuits - and takes power direct from a single phase socket outlet.
Raptor ships as modular units for production line integration but can equally be supplied with a safety workstation as a turnkey solution.
The 5U, 19in rack electronics enclosure is about the same size as a tower PC.
As with other laser marking systems built on EF Technology, Raptor is equally at home in high or low volume applications.
Moore concluded, "EF Technology and Raptor are the result of our determination to supply customers with systems and solutions that we have designed and developed ourselves, from scratch.
We believe that because we take total control of all stages of manufacture, including the control electronics, laser scanning head and marking software, customers can have complete confidence in Electrox laser marking systems." * Electrox at IMTS 2006, Chicago, USA, September 6-13, Booth B-6036. Request a free brochure from Electrox ...
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