Paper processing is one of the main application areas of CO2 lasers. The world of paper converting has benefited greatly from the spread of this tool. Laser converting offer  speed, efficiency and flexibility, enabling paper companies to meet increasingly fragmented market demands.

The chemical structure of paper is very suitable for laser cutting. When the laser interacts with cellulose, it dissolves its molecular structure and reduces the material to its basic components carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen.

This processing system is very advantageous because it solves the main shortcomings of traditional paper-cutting tools.

1.Flexibility

Paper converters often use mechanical molds to cut , which only can be used to cut one shape.In order to obtain a new shape, a new cutting mold must be created. This technology limits is economically disadvantageous to produce it if  the production batch is not enough to cover the cost of the new mold.

On the other hand, laser technology is more flexible because the entire cutting system is digitally controlled by software. Modifying the shape that needs to be cut only requires software intervention. This makes it economically feasible to handle small batches.

Mechanical cutting has another disadvantage. The use of blades is another method of cutting paper. This cutting mechanism generates dust and residues that are incompatible with modern digital printing processes, which currently dominate. This means that it is necessary to separate the printing and cutting stages.

2. High Quality

On the other hand, the laser cutting process produces few residues and is therefore compatible with digital printing processes. More importantly, laser technology is a completely digital process. Therefore, it can be easily used in an integrated system that can perform all the production processes required by the processing industry in one step.

Another problem with mechanical systems is that they cannot achieve consistent high-quality cuts. The blade has the risk of producing irregular or poor-quality cuts. Many applications, especially in the packaging sector, require extremely precise cutting. 

Except those above advantages , the use of lasers is advantageous in situations where mechanical cutting is not economically feasible as below:

3.Production volume is less than 1000 pieces
4.No need to create an integrated digital printing and cutting production system
5.Less waste 
6.Good Performance of  custom work
7.Particular complex cuts

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