High contrast surface marking using metal oxides
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.
Claims38
A thermally activated, chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of mixed metal oxide material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a metal substrate;
- and
- 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 marking layer atop the substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising steps of:
- applying a material containing a metal oxide comprising an energy absorbing enhancing component to a substrate to be marked in the form of a marking to be applied;
- and
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancing component, thereby forming a marking layer atop the substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of mixed metal oxide material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a substrate selected from the group consisting of aluminum, brass, chrome, copper, nickel, steel, stainless steel, tin, glass, ceramic, porcelain, and plastic;
- and
- 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 marking layer atop the substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a mixed metal oxide 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 marking layer atop the substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer of mixed metal oxide material containing an energy absorbing enhancer to a substrate to be marked in the form of a marking to be applied;
- and
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to excite the energy absorbing enhancer, thereby forming a marking layer atop the substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising steps of:
- applying a layer having a mixed metal oxide component and an energy absorbing enhancing component to a substrate selected from the group consisting of aluminum, brass, chrome, copper, nickel, steel, tin, glass, ceramic, and plastic;
- 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.
A thermally activated, chemically based marking method comprising steps of:
- applying a layer of a marking material comprising at least one metal compound to a markable substrate comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of metals, glasses, ceramics and plastics;
- and
- irradiating said layer with a radiant energy beam having a wavelength selected to be absorbed by said marking material, thereby forming a bonded layer atop said substrate.
A thermally activated chemically based marking method comprising steps of:
- applying material having a metal oxide component and 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 marking layer atop the substrate.
A thermally activated, chemically based marking method comprising the steps of:
- applying a layer having a metal oxide component and 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.