GF AgieCharmilles to Focus on Laser Ablation at MicroManufacturing Expo


Lincolnshire, Illinois - GF AgieCharmilles will be focusing on its LASER series of laser ablation centers at MicroManufacturing Expo 2011. The company will occupy booth #103 at the event, which will take place April 5- 6 at the Drury Lane Convention Center in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.

With the LASER series, GF AgieCharmilles expanded its offerings to include laser ablation, in addition to wire and diesinking edm and high speed, high performance milling. The new machines provide a fully digitalized manufacturing process that yields detailed and nuanced texturing, microstructuring, engraving, marking and labeling.

Laser ablation represents a process that is more repeatable, flexible and environmentally friendly than conventional manual and chemical etching processes. 2D and 3D details are machined from a high-quality digital image, allowing completely reproducible results for specific textures, engravings, marks or labels.

The mapping system of the LASER series uses a pulsed laser to render the desired texturing. While chemical etching can only produced 3 to 5 layers, GF AgieCharmilles' laser ablation technology can achieve 30 to 50 layers to provide a much higher level of detail. This allows for much greater creativity in part design across a wide variety of materials, including graphite, aluminum, copper, steel, carbide, brass and ceramics.

Machines in the LASER series provide two optical and five mechanical axes, housed in a cast iron body that achieves excellent absorption, stability and quality. Linear scales and rotary encoders ensure maximum accuracy. A 20-watt, Ytterbium pulsed fiber laser provides the heart of the machine, with a 50-watt option available to further boost capabilities. LASER series machines also come standard with a programmable, tilting laser head, high-resolution camera with integrated illumination for fine positioning, integrated touch probe, dust exhaust, central lubrication system and lenses of varying focal strength.

Ergonomics were given special attention throughout the design of the LASER series and the machines feature excellent visual and physical access to the work area. Two front-opening doors ensure easy loading and unloading of large parts via a crane.

In addition to being a faster and more precise means of producing texture with increased reliability, laser ablation offers pollutant-free operation, producing no fluids, slurry or chips. Dust particles produced by the process are automatically extracted by vacuum to guarantee a clean process.

About GF AgieCharmilles
GF AgieCharmilles is the North American leading supplier of laser ablation centers, wire EDM, CNC and manual diesinking systems and high speed/performance and 5-axis CNC milling machines. For more information on the company's products and services, contact Gisbert Ledvon, GF AgieCharmilles, 560 Bond St., Lincolnshire, IL 60069-4224, Tel: 1-800-CTC-1EDM. Gisbert.Ledvon@us.gfac.com, Fax: 847-913-5340, or visit http://www.gfac.com/us.

Media Contacts:
Gisbert Ledvon
Business Development Manager
847.913.5300
or
dgs Marketing Engineers®
Chuck Bates 317.813.2230

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