Inkcups has replaced its Cobalt Pro laser plate maker with an updated version, the Cobalt Pro+, which offers better productivity for etching and making plates for pad printing.
The Cobalt Pro series uses CO2 laser technology, and the main change here is the laser itself, which has changed from a 40W tube to a 30W ceramic tube laser that is 20% faster. Ian Bedford, senior project engineer, Inkcups, pointed out, “High power is not required for etching pad printing plates.”
The new laser has an 89-micron spot, leading to an addressable resolution of up to 1500 dpi. As with the older model, it will take plates up to 762 x 533mm, but the marking area is limited to 460 mm x 640 mm. It’s suitable for use with a variety of pad printing plates, including DuraLaze, laser red and laser orange. In addition to creating plates for pad printing, the 30W laser can be used for engraving promotional products.
Otherwise, it uses the same closed-loop DC servo motor to provide continuous shaft power, which Inkcups says leads to greater accuracy of around 0.254 mm or 0.1% due to the continuous movement. There’s an AutoFocus control that can select the precise focal point on the engraving area for more accurate results.
It comes with Cobalt Pro software and includes an intuitive control panel with the current settings information. It offers SmartCenter alignment and Drag-N-Play positioning as well as Job Queue management that can save etching parameters for quick call up, and allows several jobs to be positioned and etched at the same time.
These laser etching systems require a ventilation unit, and Inkcups also sells an RX5 ventilation system to go with this device, which is capable of removing dust and debris. Inkcups claims that it can remove up to 99.7% of the particles produced by the Cobalt Pro+.
Bedford commented, “The Cobalt range of laser plate-makers delivers fast, state-of-the-art plate-making and etching in a single system, offering the flexibility of being able to create plates for pad printing and etch promotional products. With the introduction of the new Cobalt Pro+, users can now achieve results up to 20 percent faster, helping them to respond more quickly to customer demand and increase productivity without compromising quality.”
It’s available in all regions now apart from Japan, with the price remaining the same at 22,000 Euros. You can find further details from inkcups.com.
