![]() ![]() An LED mounted behind the button makes the graphics visible when the dashboard is lit. As an example, the graphics on the steering wheel buttons, made of white plastics and covered with a thin layer of black paint, are laser etched to remove the top layer and make the white plastic visible. From dial gauges to the button that controls car windows, most of the texts and graphics are marked by lasers. The use of grayscale lasers in combination with special plastics has made ID cards more difficult to counterfeit.įor decoration, the most common applications are found in the interior of cars or airplane cockpits. Many driver’s licenses around the world have pictures that are laser marked on plastics. Secure ID cards, such as driver’s licenses, use a special layer of carbon-enriched polycarbonate to print names and pictures. Traceability applications generally include a date of expiration and/or a 2D code that is placed on plastic packages found in commercial products. A close view on the “OK” shows the paint thickness and the white plastic underneath.Īmong the best applications for laser marking on plastics are product traceability, secured ID cards and automotive decoration. Personal ID marked with a grayscale laser on a highly sensitive card. ![]() What are some of the best applications for laser marking plastics? Top. This last approach, although more complex, places the surface perpendicular to the laser, achieving a more uniform and continuous material removal rate. ![]() A third option consists of mounting the part on a multiaxial gantry that reorients the part as the laser is engraving. A focus shifter is an opto-mechanical device that displaces the focus of the laser, allowing it to follow the object’s shape. If the mark area is significantly curved (more than a few mm), the use of an optical focus shifter or third axis is required. Even though the surfaces are angled and curved, lasers have enough depth of focus to create a good mark. Take the example of the steering wheel control module with its multi-shape buttons. The range is limited but covers many marking applications. Luckily, lasers have a “depth of focus” or range of focus that allows them to mark on curved surfaces, for as much as the curvature does not exceed a few millimeters. The reality is that most marked surfaces are not flat. Since their conception, laser markers have been designed to provide the best mark on flat surfaces. How are lasers best used for marking 3D plastic parts or products? Additives act as a catalyst to create a contrasted reaction of the laser on the plastic. A common technique to overcome this limitation is the addition of additives or dies to the material. Depending on the characteristics of the material, the resulting effect can be lighter, darker or no mark at all. Unfortunately, not all polymer materials react with a color contrast when laser marked. As the plastic is exposed to the laser beam, it creates a molten area that turns into a foam of microcavities that either capture or reflect light. Plastic parts are laser marked through a process called foaming. Explain the laser marking/engraving process on plastic parts. Plastics Decorating sat down with Faycal Benayad-Cherif, business manager for FOBA Laser, to discuss how laser marking/engraving works, as well as issues such as the best application for use and selecting the best laser for a given application. Delrin, Teflon, PEEK, Ceramic and ABS are examples of medical plastics that are commonly marked by the plastics engraving process.From airplane cockpits to ID cards, laser marking and engraving can be applied to a variety of products for a range of uses. Laser marking plastic can produce a dark, smooth mark on most surfaces so the laser marking does not trap blood or tissue material and thus simplifies cleaning and sterilization. The medical engraving process is approved by the FDA, so instrument and component manufacturers have one less hurdle in the product approval process. Now that plastic is common in the doctor’s office, manufacturers of medical devices have found that laser engraving medical devices offers many benefits such as mark clarity, permanency (no added paints or chemicals), and its ability to survive repeated sterilization. Laser Marking Plastic for Medical Devices Our clients use the precise, laser engraving process for bar codes, 2d codes and part serialization in both large and small lot runs. Laser marking plastic, Delrin, and ceramic is no problem at Laser Impressions. A laser impressions technician lines up a precise laser marking project on a plastic part. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |