What followed was a complete "redesign": many oversized components were replaced by more economical plastic components. Since then, demand for the engraving systems has increased again. The portable laser system "c-jet" enables the engraving of larger glass objects and the use of multi-mode operation for batch production. At the same time, it is easy to transport so that it can also be used at trade fairs and other events. Thanks to its compact design and large viewing window, it attracts a lot of attention. The machine was successively redesigned from the ground up. As a result, it can now be offered at half the price. The overall weight has also been reduced by around 40 kg.
Use of drylin®
The large motorised viewing window with laser protection now contains drylin® N miniature guideways with polymer sliding elements, used in a rail width of 40 mm. They fit perfectly on standard aluminium profiles. As with all linear guides, the carriages run in anodised aluminium profiles during dry operation. This is a sliding guide system that is both cost-effective and flexible. In addition, tribologically optimised iglidur® J polymer plain bearings are also installed in the viewing window area. They are used for the drive of the window and in the deflection of the toothed belt drive. Bearings made of iglidur® J are lubricant- and maintenance-free and combine an extremely low coefficient of friction with a very high service life on many shafts.
Centrepiece of the laser optics
The centrepiece of the system is the laser optics. This is where the actual layer build-up of the resulting glass product takes place. The workpiece table can be adjusted not only horizontally but also vertically, which ultimately determines the quality of the end product. The laser optics move up and down during the machining process. A drylin® W-double rail and housing bearings as well as other individual components from the extensive modular system are used for this purpose. These range from torque supports for additional protection to the drylin® trapezoidal thread nuts, which are very important for the engraving result. Due to the layered structure of the engraving, the laser beam has to reach layers that are very close together. The drylin® trapezoidal thread nuts also perform these tasks successfully in automated operation and impress with smooth running with small spindle movements and hardly any measurable wear. All components are low-noise, insensitive to dirt and dust, corrosion-free and particularly lightweight. The quiet linear guides are efficient and work so well that they are now also used in an industrial laser system.