Roll-fed laser processing is ideal for materials that are provided in roll form. During processing, roll handling equipment unrolls the raw material and passes the web into the work area under the lasers. The lasers fire to slit, perforate, score, ablate, or etch the material as it passes underneath the laser in either down-web, cross-web, or both directions. Depending on your needs, systems can be fitted with either fixed lasers for speed in down-web applications, or lasers with scanheads for processing in both down-web and cross-web directions at production speeds relative to the pattern.

After processing completes, the finished material can either be re-rolled for further processing or the excess can be lifted away, leaving the finished parts behind. LasX specializes in designing both roll-to-roll and roll-to part laser systems either from the ground up or retrofitted to your existing material handling equipment.

LasX excels in designing solutions for roll applications that require high tolerance accuracy. Our control systems can trigger the laser based on fiducials printed on the web, or we can integrate vision cameras into the system for superior part recognition, tracking, and cutting. LasX’s patented controls yield a system that balances maximum speed with exceptional accuracy to insure your highest throughput.

Roll-to-Roll Systems

Our roll-to-roll laser processing systems integrate with roll handling equipment to unroll raw material and pass it underneath the lasers for processing, then re-roll the finished material for easy transportation to finishing equipment. LasX has experience processing roll-to-roll materials in varying widths from ½ inch wide all the way to sheets of 64 inches.

Processes that can be completed with roll-to-roll systems include:

• Drilling and perforating
• Through-cutting and slitting
• Kiss cutting
• Etching
• Ablation of metallic films (requires UV or IR laser)
• Lamination

Production speeds are dependent on the processing material, the application, and the die line to cut. At LasX, we’ve achieved speeds for straight-line down-web scores of up to 2000 ft/min.

Markets and applications for roll-to-roll equipment include:

Roll-to-Part Systems

Roll-to-part systems take you closer to your finished product: as the raw material from the roll is processed, the excess is removed and discarded, leaving only the finished parts behind. These parts can then be collected and collated by technicians, sorted and packaged by robotic equipment, or incorporated directly into the final product.

One application of a roll-to-part system is the production of folding cartons. After laser processing completes, the finished cartons fall into a collection bin, ready for assembly. Likewise, stencils and signs can be cut from rolled raw materials and then organized and stacked for final distribution by a pick-and-place robot. Or the excess material can be peeled from the web after labels are kiss-cut, leaving the labels ready for application.

Because only the processed parts are left behind, laser roll-to-part processing is uniquely suited for applications that require little post-processing. Applications include:

• Stencils
• Signs and placards
• Folding cartons
• Business cards
• Greeting cards