For years now injection moulders have had the job of removing sprues from finished parts. Whether the part is presented to a fixed cutter, blade or cutting station similar problems exist.
Access to the sprue could be impeded, or the part might have multiple sprues which raises the question, “Is the cycle time going to be compromised”.
Even more importantly, with such an emphasis on quality, especially where parts are painted, a regular cutter or blade may not give a sufficient finish.
Sometimes, these then would be put through a second handling process which is costly and labour intensive.
CO2 Laser Degating
A CO2 laser can be a fast and accurate solution for longer sections of waste, combined with a 6-axis robot, the part can be manipulated into normally un-accessible areas very easily. With the ability to fire the laser on and off during the programmed path, the part can be worked in one movement giving a high quality finish with no delays created by over complicated robot path movement.
The images below show a Firestar air cooled laser from Synrad & laser marker for keyence.
Laser Marking
Laser marking gives an alternative to labelling or pad printing, where speed, accuracy and repeatable quality is required. Once set up, no consumables are necessary as in labelling or printing, reducing the possibility of contamination on the component, also giving improved production output as replenishment of the consumables is now, no longer necessary.
UV laser example above.
