Trotec Q400/500
Brian Sims shapes up the new Q Series from Trotec, including
the Q400 and Q500, and highlights the importance of investing
in new technology to venture into new areas
Principal consultant, Metis Print Consultancy
Tuesday, 05 Oct 2021 14:54 GMT
The Trotec Q Series has the cutting capability of up to 2m per second
To the point with laser cutting technology
With a wider expansion of client requirements, printers and sign-makers are moving away from traditional markets more and more. We would be used to seeing finishing equipment and wide-format machines but laser cutters may not immediately spring to mind.
Start thinking of laser cutting and I expect your mind turns to the famous scene from Goldfinger where James Bond is threatened with being cut in two with a 6ft red band of light burning through a solid metal table.
In reality, the special effects of the film set are miles away from the actual technology, but the use of lasers to cut material is now widespread. Laser technology is as varied as any other but two of the main systems deployed are ceramic and glass tube.
Trotec are one of the world’s major manufacturers of laser cutters and they can be found in many companies throughout the country. It has a series of different laser cutting machines but the main classification are the R series, Q series and the Speedy series. The reason for differing models comes down to the equipment contained within each; each model then having a number of different working areas.
The new series benefits from dual laser technology
Referring back to the main technology of the lasers, the less complicated and expensive is the glass tube version which comprises of a water cooled laser using CO2. These are known as DC lasers and are reasonably inexpensive. Unlike in Goldfinger, the light emitted is not generally visible and the only reason you can see the device working will be the outcome on the substrate.
The other main technology is the ceramic or metal laser, known as RF. They are more expensive but have a far longer lifespan prior to needing changing, up to four to five times longer. The switching time on the RF or glass-filled lasers is much greater, meaning the definition produced is greater.
Where Trotec has been clever, is that it has combined the best of both technologies by focusing on the Q series of laser cutters having both laser types wrapped into one device. This means you can have the economic benefits of the cheaper glass laser yet for the detailed engraving, the ceramic laser can be deployed.
The Q series benefits not only from the dual laser technology, but it has a servo motor that drives to position and vector the laser head around the profile required. The advantage of servo drives over stepper motors is that the increments between each step are more controlled, so you tend not to have the very small steps apparent on the edges of the profile associated with stepper motor drives. This provides a far higher quality of finished product and is called OptiMotion by Trotec.
The laser itself is held on a sturdy bar stretching across the bed of the laser cutter. The bearing mechanism is contained inside it, this keeps dust from the workings and extends the life span and ensures longevity of the precision placement of the head itself. For adjustment there is a mechanism that allows the operator to manually raise or lower the laser head itself.
All of the components are encapsulated from dust by the InPack Technology; this technology is provided by Trotec to ensure the lens, mirror and motors are protected from the dust that is part of the production process. With this technology, time and money can be saved and up time is maximised along with productivity.
Cut to the point
The Q series of laser cutters can cut most substrates up to 15mm in thickness. Cutting metals is not possible but engraving is and can be completed to a 4pt definition. Materials such as glass, plastics, paper and wood are all easily cut and engraved to some very complex shapes and profiles.
The Q series of laser cutters can cut most substrates up to 15mm in thickness”
The laser moves across the substrate, which is sat on a grid or bed allowing for the profile to be cut. The laser will move in a raster operation when it is engraving text or a picture and if a profile is needed, it will vector around computerised template.
Trotec suggests the use of CorelDRAW as the firm believes it can import the greatest number of file types, but any image processing software can be linked to the laser cutter. Producing the image is as simple as dragging and dropping the file into the workspace and JobControl allows you to send the job you required to the laser cutter using a simple printer driver.
The nature and type of product the Q series laser cutter can produce is as wide as your imagination. The complexity of design is limited only to your image processing software and the physical make-up of the product.
In summary, the Q series is a very capable laser cutter balancing cost against specification extremely well. The use of servo motors means the output from it has seamless curves and profiles. The laser needs changing between one to two years, but the costs of them are not prohibitive. Cutting capability is around 2m per second on high power and engraving at 300-500mm per second depending on the image and material.
The working area for the Q400 is 1,030 x 630mm and the Q500 is 1,300 x 900mm. Pictured Q500
The working area for the Q400 is 1,030 x 630mm and the Q500 is 1,300 x 900mm which gives a healthy compromise between footprint and production space. As with most CO2 laser cutting devices, consideration has to be taken for water cooling systems the ceramic laser cutter do not need, but this has all be cleverly engineered into a good looking, compact device.
The Q series of laser cutters is not going to look as dramatic as the device James Bond was subjected to, but it will be considerably more useful and a valued addition to any printer or sign-makers’ equipment line up.
Brian Sims Principal Consultant, Metis Print Consultancy, www.metis-uk.eu
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