Spartanics Opens Die-Cutting Applications Lab

Spartanics (Rolling Meadows, IL) has opened a materials research laboratory that will help medical device designers and manufacturers to determine whether the materials they use can be processed using modern laser die-cutting technology. By sending samples for engineering studies and analyses to the Laser Cutting Applications Laboratory for Materials Research, customers can learn whether the materials are suitable for a range of laser die-cutting applications, including faceplates, membrane switches, RFID tags, flexible circuits, panels, and other medical device components.
 
Spartanics's engineers have tested laser die cutters on a variety of materials, including plastic films, polyesters, polycarbonates, foams, textiles, paper, adhesive tapes, nonwovens, wood, laminates, pressure-sensitive substrates, magnetic materials, polypropylene, polymides, abrasives, and rubber. The establishment of the laboratory signals the company's intent to make this growing knowledge base accessible to the industry.

Based on different laser power levels and other variables, the laboratory provides free detailed engineering analyses of how thick differet materials can be to undergo laser die cutting. Paul Dirienzo, Spartanics's director of engineering, comments, "The explosion in new materials with different properties--tensile strengths, toughness, resilience, etc.--has been especially pronounced in the last decade. During this same time period, laser die-cutting technology, largely due to more-sophisticated software engineering, continues to evolve at such a rapid pace that the conclusions one might make today about whether a certain plastic, nonwoven, or even nanomaterial can be adequately handled by digital die cutting is likely not going to be the same in just a few years."

The company has opened the laboratory to facilitate the systematic match-up between laser die cutting and materials, including brand names and new material innovations, Dirienzo adds. "We will also be publishing these studies in the future in some manner, to be announced, and partnering with the major materials suppliers around the world to create a knowledge base that will become a standard reference across industries."