Laser Marking

Spectron Lasers employ a wide range frequency pulsing output with high peak power to produce very fine and controlled marking and ablation in a very small spot size. Using a galvo mirror delivery these units can mark almost any material at very high speed.  There are many different models to match the power level, wavelength, and beam quality required for the task at hand.

The eCO2 LaserMark® TEA CO2 and Lumonics Excimer laser sources produce an ablative marking mechanism to form high quality, very low heat input features of any shape and even multiple marks or characters at the same time, generally in a single laser pulse. High contrast marks are produced by ablating colored ink from paper or by changing the surface finish with the laser.

These types of laser can also be used for organic material ablation as they break the bonds of the target material and create almost a “cold” ablation with very fine depth control resolution since each pulse removes a very controlled thin-thickness layer. The wavelength of these lasers can be chosen to match the absorption bands of the target material. Features are typically created via mask imaging of the large laser beam but other delivery methods are possible. High contrast marks are produced by ablating colored ink from paper or by changing the surface finish with the laser. For fast ablation the higher power IMPACT® line of TEA lasers and the Index® or IPEX™ line of excimer lasers should be used. 

The eCO2 line of DC excited carbon dioxide lasers have excellent beam quality for use with galvos or fast X-Y stages to produce very fine feature marks at high power density on the workpiece.  They are easy to integrate and have excellent gas lifetime for high power marking and ablation of non-metals such as plastics, paper, wood, polymers, ceramics, thin metals, and composites.

Laser markers are easily integrated with material handlers, X-Y tables, galvos, rotary axis drives, bowl feeders, conveyors, dial tables, and other industrial manufacturing equipment. Laser markers are also sometimes incorporated as supplementary devices to laser cutting, laser welding, and laser drilling systems.

Major benefits of laser marking & ablation include:

• High speed and high throughput
• Reliable and permanent process
• Permanent impressions
• Non-contact process
• Can use computer or mask-generated images
• Low consumable costs
• Easily automated and programmable
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Environmentally friendly (no disposal of inks, acids, or solvents)
• Ability to mark a wide range of materials and shapes
• Ease of maintenance and set-up