Oberschleissheim, Germany - With heat, dust, and chemical cleaning agents at construction sites, the devices for welding and shrinking plastics by Leister Technologies AG have to hold up to some pretty heavy loads. Therefore, the nameplates used for marking the systems have to be equally rugged. For these harsh ambient conditions, the Schreiner ProTech portfolio includes the HighResist color laser film, which is very resistant to heavy mechanical wear.
"The major issue when it comes to marking welding equipment that is in daily use is direct contact with the operator’s hand and the resulting perspiration," says Franz Mathis, senior manager production planning & engineering at Leister. In addition, there are other chemical loads such as methylated spirit, cleaning agents and thinners. Furthermore, the coarse dirt and dust at the construction site is typically removed using brushes.
Conventional thermal transfer nameplates without an additional protective laminate do not permanently withstand these harsh conditions.
Daniel Reichen, sales manager for Switzerland at Schreiner ProTech, explains: "Our HighResist color laser film has the advantage that the inscription is protected by a special laminate against environmental influences and other external effects."
The laser-active layer is located underneath a transparent, scratch-proof film. During the laser marking process, the surface of the nameplate remains undamaged and the permanent protective effect is preserved. Furthermore, the marking process is emission-free, as solid particles and gases remain in the interior of the material of the film composite during the chemical conversion of the laser-active layer.
The film composite developed for Leister is halogen-free, silicone-free as well as plasticizer-resistant and UL-listed (Underwriters Laboratories: North American standard for electrotechnical products) for various bonding substrates. Adhesion of the modified adhesive to a wide range of material substrates is extremely strong. This makes it possible to use nameplates on various types of devices.
"To achieve the desired cycle time in the customer’s operation, we deliver the film as nameplates cut to size," says Reichen. "Processing at Leister uses a laser system recommended by Schreiner, which assures high process reliability. The system itself could be integrated into the existing production infrastructure without major modifications."