case study
A Spanish automotive supplier manufactures center rearview mirrors for passenger vehicles on a fully automated production line.
The part, made of aluminum, receives a black paint finish applied across its entire surface.
To ensure proper operation of the electronic components integrated into the mirror assembly, specific zones must remain electrically conductive — meaning the paint coating must be reliably removed from those areas on every single part, within a cycle time compatible with the 14-second production rate.
The need for a simple, robust solution with no consumable wear parts led to the selection of laser technology for the stripping process.
The core challenge lies in meeting three simultaneous requirements:
– Localization and stripping precision
The areas to be cleared correspond to the contact points of the electronic components. Their position, geometry, and dimensions must be accurately reproduced at every cycle. Insufficient or misaligned stripping compromises electrical conductivity. Overspill onto the adjacent painted surface can weaken the coating integrity outside the targeted zones.
– Integration within a 14-second cycle time
The line runs continuously. The stripping process must execute within this cycle time without creating a bottleneck or forcing a reduced throughput rate across the entire line.
– Repeatability and zero consumable wear parts
In high-volume serial production, any process requiring frequent adjustments or regular maintenance of wear components introduces downtime and quality drift risks. The requirement is for a stable, maintenance-free process over the long term.
SIC MARKING selected the i140 Easy 50W fiber laser marking machine, fitted with an F330 optic providing a 220×220 mm marking window.
This configuration covers all treatment zones on the part in a single pass — no repositioning required — within a cycle time fully compatible with the 14-second production rate.
The fiber laser is particularly well-suited to paint ablation on metallic substrates. It vaporizes the black coating without affecting the underlying aluminum.
The process is fully non-contact: there are no wear parts to manage, no abrasives, and no consumables to replenish.
The only installation requirement is adequate fume extraction to evacuate smoke generated during the stripping operation.
On this application, fiber laser stripping meets all production requirements: precise treatment zone definition, cycle time compliance, zero wear parts, and repeatability guaranteed by the stability of laser parameters.
The standard i140 Easy 50W integrates into the line without complex adaptation.
Implementing adequate fume extraction is the only installation point to plan for ahead of deployment.
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