Apparatus for cutting and/or welding flexible packaging

摘要

This invention involves a method and apparatus for welding and/or cutting flexible packaging material (1) using lasers. The invention is specifically directed towards the use of lasers for cutting and/or welding plastics material (1) in motion, such as in association with high speed packaging machinery. The method and apparatus of the invention enables the cutting and/or welding of adjacent webs of plastics material (1) by scanning one or more processing laser beams (4), or sub-beams (5, 6) of the or each processing laser beam (4), across said moving layers (1) at a rate controlled in relation to the rate of motion of the layers (1) of substrate. The method and apparatus may produce straight or shaped cuts and/or welds.