Laser MarkingLaser marking is a process that permanently changes the color of a surface without using ink or chemicals or losing any material. CO2 lasers are often used to mark plastic, metal, glass, ceramic and wood surfaces with barcodes, serial numbers, logos, text or graphics. This marking process is clean, inexpensive, permanent and done at high speeds—mere milliseconds are used per character. The assembly, defense, metal working and fabrication, medical, military and aerospace all use laser marking to serialize, identify or add detail to any product from a pen to a gun part. Recently, laser marking has been used to inscribe a bar code into diamonds without damaging their surface. This proves and ensures the authenticity of real diamonds. Instead of using a rotating or vibrating tool, laser marking uses CO2 lasers to alter the surface of a product. Depending on the material, there are three different results of this process. Charring causes a black mark by heating the material so that its color changes. This is the most widely used method. Laser marking plastics will result in the formation of small bubbles in the heated polymer, and heating the plastic until it melts, which leaves a clean mark. This process is called foaming. Ablation happens when plastic melts and is degraded, leaving a clean mark. These marks are high contrast, high resolution and may be very detailed. They are chemical, solvent and temperature resistant up to 1800 degrees F. While black is the only color for metals and wood, different colored marks are available to most glass and ceramic products.
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