IPI platics used for rotary and laser marking are now UL Certified. UL is a global safety science leader, UL Solutions helps companies to demonstrate safety, enhance sustainability, strengthen security, deliver quality, manage risk and achieve regulatory compliance. For information about UL certifications please visit UL Solutions.

Metal vs Glass Laser Tubes

What’s the Difference?
Glass Tubes-

Production Line Integration of

 Lasers, Printers, and Fume Collection Units

Coding of assembly-line products

Application of production dates, lot numbers, serial numbers and other identifying marks has become an important part of the production line process.  The information added to the products help manage everything from food quality to product recall and warranty related services.  Product serial numbers can also be used to limit the number of items recalled in the event of part failure. Without permanent marks on products, it would be difficult if not impossible to identify products in smaller lot sizes.

Things to consider in the production line process

Different materials require different coding or marking techniques.  The material type and speed of the production line could also necessitate the use of a particular type of laser, printer, or scribe tool.  It is also important to consider the production line run time. For example, if you run a production line needs to run continuously you will not want to stop the production line to add ink or service a laser that is not designed for continuous use.  Keeping your production line running can save your company a lot of money in down time.

In addition to coding most productions lines create some dust, smoke, or chemical fume toxins.  To keep the work air safe for your staff and to protect the equipment from damage, a proper air cleaning of dust and fumes is vital.  Some production lines require air cleanin

Most businesses are costly to start up and put a large investment at risk.  With the right approach a laser engraving or marking business can be started for less than the cost of the average vehicle.  Purchasing the right equipment and choosing a solid marketing plan will be the two things that lead you to success. 

Testing the Top 5 Laser Marking Materials

Learn what laser marking material performed better in tests such as:

• What laser marking material has the blackest mark? 
• What laser marking material is most durable before marking?
• Which laser marking material is most durable after laser marking?
• What marking material applies the fastest for mass production?

Multiple Waveforms of GCC LaserPro StellarMark IFII Series

Most Cermark/TherMark or Laser Bond/LBT products are liquid or paste inks (except for a few tape products). The ink products can be primarily applied to the substrate either by spraying or painting with a foam brush. Two of these products can be used directly via their own aerosol cans. Traditional ink products are available also as well as specialty inks for pad printing and screen printing.

First and foremost is cleanliness. Clean the surface to be marked (all products). The process of bonding between laser marking material and substrate occurs at a molecular level so it is important the substrate be free of all kinds of contamination such as oil, debris or coatings. The overall quality of your mark strongly depends on the cleanliness of the substrate prior to material application. Depending on the substrate, it should be cleaned with either a solvent such as alcohol or rinsed with soap and water and completely dried. Be careful not to use a cleaning agent that leaves any kind of residue behind.

The Cermark/TherMark process uses very precise lasers with marking materials scientifically formulated to permanently fuse to metals, ceramics, glass, and other hard surfaces thus creating high-contrast, high-resolution marks.
 

Their marking materials consist of traditional ceramic glazing material (a mixture of glass frit and pigments for coloring), with the addition of a thermal absorber. While traditional use of such glazing material requires it to be applied to the surface of a ceramic object and then baked in a very hot kiln for more than an hour. The patented TherMark method uses a laser as the heat source to fuse the ceramic glaze instead of a kiln. All this happens in microseconds as opposed to hours, consuming far less “energy” and, consequently, without compromising or damaging the material being marked. It is the thermal absorber within the marking materials that enhances and speeds the heat absorption from the laser beam thus improving the transfer to the glaze.