Thursday, August 18, 2011

Laser Engraving: Technological innovation!

A technique of marking various products is referred to as laser marking and it is carried out by using laser source of radiant energy. This is also known as surfacing and it incorporates printing, bonding using lasers, etc. It is usually done when due to any kind of marking technique; the spoilage of any surface is undesirable. It has fast replaced many other traditional processes which were used in industries in a short time.
Permanent marks can be made in this kind of marking process on a wide variety and range of materials that are using laser beams as an alternative. In late 90s laser bonding as a process was patented and now it is finding such a widespread usage in various companies.
For example in the form of intricate logos of the company metal products, permanent marks can be made which manufactures them. Besides these many identification marks like serial number, time even bar coding, batch number etc are done with the help of lasers.
A more traditional heat firing method was used for other kind of material before and that used to spoil the material surface due to the fact that it was used on materials like plastic, rubber etc. These reacted very quickly to raised temperature, but with advancements in technology such complex surfaces also can be marked. This can be done in whatever manner the manufacturer wants as no changes to their basic structure are brought about by lasers and also it can be done in a very precise and intricate manner.
The process uses some specific types of Lasers in this kind of a process. Some of them are-
• Carbon Dioxide Laser
• Nd:YAG Laser
• Fiber laser
• Diode-pumped solid-state laser etc.
Since, the laser beam can be designed in such a way so as to deliver energy to the surface, a laser can remove material in an effective manner thereby converting which converts a high percentage of the light energy into heat. In most non-reflective materials, the beam is highly focused and collimated. These materials can be plastics, enamel and wood. However, the equipment used in Laser engraving may heat up rather quickly due to this efficiency. For laser, elaborate cooling systems are required. Alternatively, to decrease the amount of excessive heating, the laser beam may be pulsed.
The laser materials that are used so widely are not only very durable but also there is no major change to the actual material of the product. Abrasions are avoided. Care should be taken while marking so as to avoid any complexity. Techniques such as diamond tipped tool bits, sandblasting, etc have now been replaced and instead laser beams are widely used so as to carry out engraving job more precisely.
For further Laser Marking and Laser Engraving and Laser Etching please visit the website.


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