Is laser marking on plastic really so difficult?
When you talk to business associates on a daily basis about marking within their production process, there are certain questions that are asked more than once. One of them is: Isn't it very difficult to mark plastic with a laser? Sander van der Valk, Sales Engineer at Automator, answers this question.
Laser marking plastics
“Most plastics can be marked with a laser very accurately”, explains Sander.
So where does the idea come from that it would be difficult?
“Plastics have many different compositions. There is no single laser that can mark all plastics. I think that's where the idea comes from that plastic is difficult to laser,” Sander further explains. “With plastics, it is extra important to test what is possible. We always test, among other things, on different power levels which allows us to indicate exactly what is possible and at what speed. Thanks in part to the many years of experience we have at Automator, we manage 9 times out of 10 to offer the right configuration that is suitable for that specific plastic product.”
Plastics that do not react to laser light
Surely there are also plastics that are insensitive to certain wavelengths of laser light?
“That's correct!” Sander responds.
The marking is created by the plastic reacting to the laser beam. There are various ways in which the plastic can react to the laser beam, such as annealing, melting and discolouring. If a plastic is insensitive to certain wavelengths of laser light, it won't react to the laser beam. It may also be the case that a plastic does respond, but doesn't provide any or enough contrast difference to achieve the objective of a readable code.
“If a plastic doesn't react or doesn't react in the desired way to the laser light, that doesn't mean that it is impossible to mark with a laser. You can, for instance, add a laser pigment to the plastic. This laser pigment reacts to the laser beam. It discolours, so that a beautiful marking can still be made. Again, testing the material gives the best insight into the possibilities”, explains Sander.
More information
Would you like to know more about marking with a laser?
Then take a look at our webpage Laser.
Discussing the possibilities
The possibilities of marking with a laser are much greater than many people think. However, it often requires a bit more expertise to find the right solution for each situation, compared to more conventional ways of marking. Sander or one of his colleagues would be happy to discuss the possible options for your situation.