This flexible printing plate was marked using a Synrad FH Series Marking Head and CO2 laser.

A close-up view of the detailed mark.

Flexible printing plates, developed from various plastic or rubber compounds, are used by many companies to print products, cartons, etc., during the manufacturing or packaging process. The flexible plate picks up and holds ink in the engraved areas of the plate and transfers this image to the part or, more commonly, to a transfer roller or pad that then deposits the inked image onto the product. This particular plate material exhibited an engraved, contrasting mark, but in actual practice, only an engraved mark is required.

In this application, a Synrad CO2 laser and FH Series marking head mark images on plastic printing plates. Marking speed and velocity determine the engraved depth of the image, which helps to control ink deposition on the product. The beam was directed through a 125 mm focusing lens, creating a180 micron ( 0.007“) spot size with a 3 mm depth of focus. Optimum mark field size is approximately 2.9” +× 2.9” with a maximum marking field of 3.4” +× 4.2”. The image shown was marked using 7 watts of power at a velocity of 20 inches per second with a resolution of 375. Total cycle time for the laser mark is 17.12 seconds.