High contrast surface marking
AssigneeThermark, LLC
InventorPaul Wollcott Harrison
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of laser marking metals, plastics, ceramic materials, glazes, glass ceramics, and glasses of any desired form, which comprises applying to the material to be marked a variable thickness layer of marking material containing energy absorbing enhancers then irradiating said layer with a laser or diode based energy source such that the radiation is directed onto said layer in accordance with the form of the marking to be applied, and using a laser or diode based energy source of a wavelength which is sufficiently absorbed by the marking material so as to create a bonding of the marking material to the surface of the workpiece at the irradiated areas.
Claims34
A thermally activated, chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of glass frit material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a glass substrate;
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancer in accordance with the form of a marking to be applied, thereby forming a bonded and permanent marking layer atop the substrate which is visible in contrast with the substrate;
- and
- wherein the layer of glass frit material further comprises a thickness ranging between 5 and 500 microns.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of glass frit material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a metal substrate;
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing layer in accordance with the form of a marking to be applied, thereby forming a bonded and permanent marking layer atop the substrate which is visible in contrast with the substrate;
- and
- wherein the layer of glass frit material further comprises a thickness ranging between 5 and 500 microns.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a glass frit material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a carrier;
- placing the carrier in contact with the substrate to be marked;
- and
- irradiating the carrier with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancer in accordance with the form of a marking to be applied, thereby forming a bonded and permanent marking layer atop the substrate which is visible in contrast with the substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of glass frit material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a substrate to be marked in the form of a marking to be applied;
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancer, thereby forming a bonded and permanent marking layer atop the substrate which is visible in contrast with the substrate;
- and
- wherein the layer of glass frit material has a thickness ranging between 5 and 500 microns.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising steps of:
- applying a layer of glass frit material comprising an energy absorbing enhancing component to a metal substrate;
- and
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancing component, thereby forming an adhered layer atop the substrate which is visible in contrast with the substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising steps of:
- applying a glass frit material comprising an energy absorbing enhancing component to a carrier;
- placing the carrier in contact with the substrate to be marked;
- and
- irradiating the carrier with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancing component in accordance with the form of a marking to be applied, thereby forming a bonded and permanent marking layer atop the substrate which is visible in contrast with the substrate.
A thermally-activated chemically-based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of glass frit material comprising an energy-absorbing enhancing component to a substrate selected form the group consisting of glass, ceramic, porcelain, and metal;
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam watts and having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancing component in accordance with the form of a marking to be applied, thereby a marking layer bonded to a substrate surface and contrasting with said substrate surface and not damaging said substrate surface;
- and
- wherein the radiant energy source is a continuous-wave diode laser having an energy level of about six watts.
A thermally-activated chemically-based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of glass frit material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a glass substrate;
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancer in accordance with the form of a marking to be applied, thereby forming a bonded and permanent marking layer atop the substrate which is visible in contrast with the substrate;
- wherein the radiant energy beam further comprises a laser beam having a spot size ranging between 5 and 200 microns, and a marking speed along the substrate ranging between 25 and 1000 mm/sec, and
- an energy level that is about 5 watts Q switched at about 20,000 Hz.
A thermally-activated chemically-based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of glass frit material comprising an energy-absorbing enhancing component to a substrate selected form the group consisting of glass, ceramic, porcelain, and metal;
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having an energy level equal to or less than six watts and having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancing component in accordance with the form of a marking to be applied, thereby forming a marking layer bonded to a substrate surface and contrasting with said substrate surface and not damaging said substrate surface;
- and
- wherein the radiant energy source is a continuous-wave diode laser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.