Laser cutting of already painted parts carries a number of advantages, primarily in the painting process itself. Processing a part by milling or drilling before painting it brings a number of risks, primarily contamination of the part by chips or dust, which could degrade the painting process. Conversely, if drilling or milling takes place after painting, mechanical damage to the painted layer can occur. Laser cutting is a non-contact process that can be applied without issues, eliminating these risks.
Cutting painted plastic parts
Robotized cutting
Most exterior painted parts are made on the basis of polypropylene with black dye, and it is thanks to the dye that these parts can be machined using NIR lasers. The application of the NIR laser with an output of up to 8 kW allows simple robotization of the process, making it possible to machine even oversized parts at high accuracy of ±0.5 mm and speeds up to 200 mm/s. What’s more, it also supports full 3D mode.
A very precise and fast process ensures a sharp edge of the cut, without undesirable damage to paint and undercuts, which have a negative effect on installation of additional peripherals. The laser process is completely contactless, without introducing heat into the material and without affecting the final quality of the part surface finish.
Replacement of conventional technologies
When machining visible parts, a strong emphasis is placed on the final quality, therefore, in case of any functional or cosmetic defects, it is often necessary to discard a large and expensive part. Laser technologies completely replace the mechanical milling process. This eliminates problems such as surface micro-kink formation, necessity of follow-up grinding, and errors in the painting process. Laser integration brings many benefits and is suitable for cutting holes for sensors, cameras, tow bars and more.
Selected projects
Large format cutting of painted bumpers
