The laser is one of the most versatile modern inventions. At Javik laser Ltd our customers include those in the medical, engineering, electrical, food manufacturing, battery manufacturing, & motorsport industries so the required work is very varied. There are many ways to mark materials, depending on their use, but lasers provide high quality, long lasting environmentally friendly results. They can also be used for cutting & sealing edges of lightweight materials.
Laser Ablating
This is a form of laser engraving, where the top layer of a material is removed, revealing the material underneath. At low power, the material is heated by the absorbed laser energy and evaporates or sublimates.
This is most commonly used on powder coated, painted or anodised parts.
The Laser Etching process.
Laser etching, which is a subsection of laser engraving, occurs when heat from the laser beam causes the surface of the material to melt.
The laser beam uses high heat to melt the surface of the material, the melted material expands and causes raised marks, noticeable to touch.
Laser etching changes the surface finish of metals & therefore alters its reflectivity & enhances contrast.
Laser Foaming
This process is very similar to laser marking in that the laser beam interacts with the surface of the material, slightly altering its properties & appearance while leaving the surface intact. This process is usually used on Delrin & other plastics.
The Laser Marking Process – Steel
Laser marking differs from laser engraving and laser etching in several ways: Laser marking leaves the surface of the material intact. It is less common and not all places offer these services (Javik CAN offer this service). It is popular in the medical device industry for stainless steel and titanium parts, but can be performed on other materials as well. Laser marking is ideal for Bar codes, UID codes, QR codes, logos and other identification needs.
Part & product traceability in manufacturing supply chains.
Product traceability is the process of identifying and tracking products through the supply chain. It consists of logging manufacturing information in a database and following products at every step. This information is used to minimise the cost of product recalls, fight counterfeiting, control quality and optimise production processes.
Barcode readers can only scan data matrix codes, QR codes, barcodes and serial numbers if they’re readable. Javik laser consistently create high-contrast and permanent marks to ensure accurate product identification.