Laser Marking

The marking of products and items is a valuable tool, it offers a way to maintain product liability, safety and quality. It can be used to trace missing items or damaged goods. There are various methods used for marking products including hand marking, stamping, engraving and the use of labels, these are considered to be contact marking meaning one must have contact with each item to be marked. This can be time consuming and leave much room for errors to occur. One might also choose an ink jet printer or a laser marker, these are considered non-contact marking because no human contact is required for the product to receive the mark. These methods help reduce the chance for error, decrease the need for payroll hours and the additional expense of human employees. It allows for many items to be marked, printed or labeled within mere seconds and with mechanical preciseness. 

Laser marking is a flexible and programmable process by which materials, such as wood, metals or fiberboard, are indelibly etched or marked with information at fast speeds. As suggested by the name lasers are used to create a permanent set of characters onto a product by the use of heat. Using a laser creates a sharp and long lasting image and because it is a laser creating the image it can be used to create exceptionally small markings on tiny little electronic and computer parts. The use of this technology negates the need for regular maintenance and re-supply of ink or further consumables. Using lasers to mark products generally works one of three ways; by removing a thin layer of the product surface, by causing a color change to the product surface or by cutting into the surface of the targeted item.

Two main types of industrial markers exist; they are YAG or fiber and co2 laser marking. The wave length of each one is slightly different and will produce a somewhat different mark on various materials, both types use a wavelength found on the invisible end of the color spectrum. Marking products and materials is important in many varied avenues, from manufacturing to medical supply. Government regulations require particular information be placed on certain products. Most food packages must contain a manufacture date, a batch number and an expiration or best by date. Medications must have batch, expiration and plant numbers. This marking of large quantity mass produced product is made much faster, efficient and sustainable by the use of lasers.

Different Types of Laser Marking Systems

When you characterize laser marking by what purpose it serves, marking is split into two choices; Direct marking or source marking. 

Direct marking is what is often used to determine where indiscretions in product creation may come from, it is when you place lot numbers, production dates or serial numbers on a product.

Source marking is referred to when you see information on a product such as the brand name, the bar codes or the name of the product. This is the information required for retailers to sell the items. 

This technology is often paired with a computer software program which allows the user to create and program the details of each job, from what is to be etched, to how many items receive that particular information to the size and color of each marking. When etching or marking metals one can also choose to create varying finishes from textured to smooth and shiny to dull.

An often used but seldom realized use of laser marking can be found in the making of dog tags, luggage tags and name plates. These things may seem small or insignificant but become extremely important upon the loss of one of the accompanying items. The use of lasers in marking of industrial products can be thought of as an environmental help as well, because there is little maintenance required and no recurring replacement of ink or other products, there is little waste to add to landfills.