Laser marking refers to a technique employed to mark or label the various types of material with the laser beam. There are many types of laser marking methods such as staining, foaming, annealing or removing, and engraving. The method that is most commonly used for the material will depend on the level of finish needed and the type of material. The most well-known materials are the plastics (polycarbonate as well as ABS) and laminates, foils and even metals (copper, titanium, platinum, silver, gold as well as stainless steel).
Here are four principal types of laser marking machines:
Engraving
Laser engraving machines are created to heat the top layer of the material, which is then slowly melted before it melts away. It is an easy and efficient way to get rid of the material by with the help of the beam of a laser. When the material is removed it leaves behind an impression of a logo, design, text or any other symboldesktop laser marking machine.
Removing
When using lasers, the topmost layer, it is removed using the laser beam , which creates an contrast in hue across the different levels of the substance. The materials that are most commonly used in this technique are the laminate, coated metals foils, films or anodized aluminium.
Staining
Utilizing the laser staining process, the heat generated through the light beam can be used to trigger a particular kind in chemical reaction. One of the benefits is the ability to produce various shades of color through the material. The kind of shading is determined by what chemical makeup is present in the plastic material. For instance, when you have light colored plastic materials, the laser can create soot-like particles that leave marks of dark color upon the material’s surface.
Annealing marking
This is a particular method used for the purpose of etching a variety of metals. Utilizing laser beams onto the surface of the metal it’s possible to trigger an oxidation process that causes a change in the color of the various layers of the material.
The advantages from using techniques for marking with lasers
There are many advantages associated with laser marking. One of the primary advantages is the ability to create high precision even when working with small geometric shapes, 1-point fonts and delicate graphic designs. This is a long-lasting process and will not fade even if the material is in contact with heat, acids or the impact of abrasion. A further advantage is the speedy and effective nature of this procedure. It means that a top-quality laser machine is able to boost productivity and reduce production costs.
