Laser cutting self-wrapping, split sleeves from continuous feed

A method for laser cutting self-wrapping split-sleeves, comprising steps of:

• continuously feeding self-wrapping sleeve material with a longitudinal split over a mandrel to open a gap along the longitudinal split;
• cutting the material by focusing and scanning a laser beam to sweep a waist of the laser beam across the material along a sweep path that is at a tip of the mandrel and oriented at a first oblique angle to a direction of motion of the material, wherein (a) a longitudinal sweep speed of the laser beam waist along the direction of motion matches a feed rate of the material so as to form a cut that is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the material, (b) a transverse sweep speed of the laser beam waist orthogonal to the direction of motion cooperates with waist diameter, Rayleigh length, and power of the laser beam to cause the laser beam to complete the cut in a single sweep across the material such that a pair of successively formed cuts singulates a self-wrapping split-sleeve from the material, wherein (c) the tip of the mandrel is wedge-shaped with an end surface that is at a second oblique angle to the direction of motion of the material, the second oblique angle matching the first oblique angle to within 10 degrees, and (d) the laser beam melts the material to fuse weave of the self-wrapping split-sleeve at each of its two ends;
• and
• directing a gas flow through a hollow of the mandrel and out of the tip to push waste material, produced by the cutting step, away from the mandrel.