Laser Processing

问题1

We have painted metal products, and we currently use labels to manage them. Could we use a laser marker instead?

The paint provides rustproofing, so using a laser would be pointless if it peels off the paint. What should we do?

Solution: We recommend that you try testing with a CO₂or UV laser marker!

It's true that most laser markers will peel off paint due to the heat required to leave a mark. However, it's possible to use a CO₂or UV laser marker to remove only a tiny layer of paint, keeping the rustproofing intact. KEYENCE laser markers have been used to mark automotive undercarriage parts (e-coated products), which are highly susceptible to rusting.

问题2

We use edged tools to cut the sheath off of coaxial cables, but we want to use a laser marker.

However, our installation space is limited and it would be difficult to install two separate units (one to mark each cable side). What should we do?

Solution: We recommend that you use mirror reflections to process both sides!

As cable sizes get smaller, the benefits of using non-contact processing become greater since there's no risk of damaging the cable with a laser marker. In scenarios where installing two laser markers isn't possible, you can use mirrors to reflect the optical axes of a single system to process both sides of a cable. What's more, KEYENCE's 3-Axis control makes it possible to eliminate tooling changes even when a cable's diameters changes. This original manufacturing process is only possible with KEYENCE.

Problem 3

We currently use your laser markers to mark ICs, but we want to improve the marking visibility by using thicker lines. However, increasing the line thickness also increases our marking time. We can't slow down our process anymore or we won't meet the machine takt time. What should we do?

Solution: Try defocusing the laser!

Adjusting a line's thickness will naturally increase the overall marking time. However, it's possible to mark thicker lines by slightly de-focusing the laser marker. This results in wider single lines and no change in marking time.

Normal line thickness settings

Normally, you need to increase the number of lines, or laser passes, in order to increase marking thickness. Doing so naturally increases the marking time.

Defocused marking

Purposefully defocus the laser marker to create a larger beam spot at the target surface.

Best solution

With 3-Axis control, a laser marker's beam spot can perform defocused marking without the need for any physical adjustments.

Problem 4

我们使用光纤激光器创建对比树脂lded packages, but the colors generated on each product vary because of slight material differences.

The same line is used for multiple product models, so we have to set new marking conditions every time we change products. Manually adjusting the laser like this is difficult. What should we do?

Solution: We recommend a UV laser!

It's true that there may be color differences when marking resins with a standard, 1064 nm wavelength. The good news is that other wavelengths are better suited to resin marking. As a laser's wavelength becomes shorter, its energy and absorption rate generally get higher. UV laser markers (which have a 355 nm wavelength) can use the same parameters to create exceptional color and visibility on resins even if the material changes.