How to Apply Cermark or TherMark Products
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Dilution - Most of the marking materials come as liquid or paste ink and depending on the application and the industrial setting a regular foam brush can be an easy choice for application. To apply the ink soak the foam brush less than 1/4th of its length into the container. More than that and the ink may splash and result in an uneven coat thickness. Apply with smooth, even strokes. The two most important variables to control when applying ink with a foam brush are dilution and coat thickness. Even after you have achieved the proper dilution for your product (JorLink and TherMark professionals can assist you with proper ratios) and begun applying the ink you should be on the lookout for changes in viscosity. Since TherMark recommends diluting its inks with denatured alcohol, which can evaporate, an open container of TherMark ink may become more viscous over time due to evaporation of its thinning agent. Continually adding a small additional amount of denatured alcohol and stirring until the desired viscosity and homogeneity is recaptured easily overcomes any problems.
Thickness and Consistency - The second major issue is coat thickness and consistency. Desired coating thickness will vary by product and substrate. Most of the time one or two coatings are enough, but for some substrates additional coats may be required. You will achieve better marks using our recommended coating thicknesses than simply applying more ink. If your material coating is too thick it will absorb too much laser energy and fail to bond to the substrate. If your material coating is too thin the pigment density of the material layer will not be high enough to create an optimal mark. It is important to realize that correct coat thickness is often even more important than the accuracy of laser settings for creating optimal marks. Once again consulting Jorlink/TherMark professionals beforehand can save costly mistakes and help you achieve your desired results.
Drying - After any marking application, allow the applied marking material to dry. Unaided air drying typically requires several minutes; however a fan, heat gun, or hair dryer can be used to accelerate the process to 10 seconds or less. It is vitally important the marking material be completely dry prior to laser marking.
Aerosol Spray Application – There are TherMark products are for sale as aerosol sprays that attract many customers due to their relative ease of handling. These products are also available as liquid/paste ink, but aerosol cans have the added benefit of removing the variable of dilution. Shake the aerosol can thoroughly before use to achieve a homogenous suspension of marking material inside the can, then spray uniformly at a 10” distance from the surface and move the nozzle from one side to the other covering the whole substrate area. Start spraying away from the area to be marked and move towards the opposite side and past the target area. Over-spraying before and after the target area allows constant velocity of movement and will help provide an even coating on the substrate. As mentioned before, in all liquid/paste ink products, consistency in application process is important for the quality of any mark.
The desired coating thickness of the sprayed coating also varies by product and substrate. Generally, however, the optimal wet film layer thickness for metals is about 0.5 – 2 mils. Currently TherMark’s products are for use only on metal and one or two coatings are typically enough. Drying times are similar to liquid/paste inks.
Safety note: All aerosol sprays represent airborne liquid droplets and solid particles. During the spraying process this matter “floats” in the air. You should exercise the same precautions you would working with any kinds of aerosol: use in a well-ventilated area or use a breathing mask, never spray towards yourself, and wear gloves.
Airbrush spray application -TherMark liquid/paste inks can be diluted to a viscosity appropriate for airbrushing which makes them preferable to foam brush application for any job larger than a few parts. In industrial settings, air brush application should be carried out in a spray booth with fume extraction, or at least in a well-ventilated area with a breathing mask. A standard air brush will generate good results, and application considerations are the same as above in the Aerosol Spray Application section.
Self-adhesive Tape – The self-adhesive tape marking method removes the variables of both dilution and coating thickness during application, making it the easiest product to use. To apply, simply unroll a sufficient amount of tape to cover the surface area to be marked and stick it down carefully. It is important the tape have uniform contact with the substrate surface otherwise some areas may not bond properly during laser marking. Care should be taken to remove any air bubbles from under the tape. If you’re marking a surface that is highly irregular with many bumps or crevices, self-adhesive tape may not be appropriate because uniform tape to substrate contact may be impossible.
Pad Printing Ink – Finally there’s pad printing ink. In a production environment, pad printing is a commonly used process for quickly and consistently applying a wet film of material over a relatively small area (usually 6 square inches or less). TherMark has developed specially formulated materials which can easily “drop-in” to a standard pad printing process. These inks are designed to deliver the appropriate thixotropy (shear thinning) for pad printing and are conveniently packaged in small sizes which can be used to fill the pad printer’s ink cup without unnecessary mixing, dilution and wastage. The ink requires minimal mixing as this takes place during the normal printing process.
To ensure the correct wet film thickness, it may be necessary to do multiple passes with the pad printer, depending on the substrate and darkness of mark required. This is easily achievable due to the fast drying times of the ink (<3 seconds).
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