GB2087928A - Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces - Google Patents

Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2087928A
GB2087928A GB8133278A GB8133278A GB2087928A GB 2087928 A GB2087928 A GB 2087928A GB 8133278 A GB8133278 A GB 8133278A GB 8133278 A GB8133278 A GB 8133278A GB 2087928 A GB2087928 A GB 2087928A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
marking
coating
metal surface
paint
providing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB8133278A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
General Electric Co PLC
Original Assignee
General Electric Co PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by General Electric Co PLC filed Critical General Electric Co PLC
Priority to GB8133278A priority Critical patent/GB2087928A/en
Publication of GB2087928A publication Critical patent/GB2087928A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/24—Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
    • B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
    • B44B7/00—Machines, apparatus or hand tools for branding, e.g. using radiant energy such as laser beams
    • B44B7/005—Machines, apparatus or hand tools for branding, e.g. using radiant energy such as laser beams by multi-step processes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D13/00—Electrophoretic coating characterised by the process
    • C25D13/22—Servicing or operating apparatus or multistep processes

Abstract

A method of providing markings on a metal surface comprises the steps of: forming a coating of an electrically insulating material on the metal surface (e.g. paint or resin coating steel plate or anodising aluminium plate); directing a laser beam onto the coating so as to remove the coating from the region of the surface which is to be marked; and applying a coating of paint to the region using an electro-phoretic process. The laser beam may be directed onto the surface and caused to travel thereover under microprocessor control.

Description

SPECIFICATION Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces This invention relates to methods of providing markings on metal surfaces.
More particularly the invention relates to such methods suitable for forming alphanumeric or other markings on instrument diais, front panels of electronic equipment, nameplates and labels, etc., for which marking to a high degree of accuracy and clarity is desirable.
Known methods of producing such markings in general tend to be slow and not suitable for automation, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a marking method which does not suffer from these shortcomings.
According to the present invention a method of providing a marking on a metal surface comprises: forming a coating of electrically insulating material on said surface; directing a laser beam onto the coating so as to remove the coating from a region of said surface corresponding to the marking; and applying a coating of paint to said region using an electrophoretic process.
One method in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example.
The surface of a plate to be marked is first provided with a coating of electrically insulating material. Where the plate consists of steel the coating material is suitably a plastics material such as an acylic resin or a paint, for example, polyester-based paint. Where the plate consists of aluminium the coating is suitably obtained by anodising the surface of the plate.
The thickness of the coating is typically of the order of 50 ym.
The coating is then removed from the surface of the plate in the area or areas corresponding to the required marking using a microprocessor controlled laser beam etching machine. The laser beam is directed onto the surface and caused to travel thereover under microprocessor control with the laser beam set so as just to remove the coating and thereby expose the underlying metal surface.
One laser machine suitable for this purpose is marketed under the name YAG Laser Writing and Marking System 815 supplied by Laser-Optonic GmbH of Munich, West Germany. The laser in this machine is a Nd YAG CW pumped solid state laser giving an output of 25 watts at a wavelength of 1 .06ym, the beam being pulsed at a repetition frequency variable in the range 10 to 15KHz.
The exposed surface of the metal plate is then provided with a coating of polyester paint using an electro-phoretic process. This is suitably carried out using a commercially available electro-phoretic painting apparatus with the anode to cathode voltage set in the range 80 to 1 50 volts and a current setting of 30 amps per square metre. The plate is suitably held immersed in the painting solution for about 1 minute and then rinsed and baked in an oven at 1 650C giving a final paint thickness of about 10 to 20um.
If markings in two or more different colours are required, this can easily be achieved by a separate laser etching and painting process for each colour in turn.
It will be appreciated that in a method according to the invention the use of a paint enables a marking having a high degree of clarity to be obtained as compared, for example, with methods in which an etching or similar process alone is used to produce the marking.
Claims
1. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface comprising: forming a coating of electrically insulating material on said surface; directing a laser beam onto the coating so as to remove the coating from a region of said surface corresponding to the marking; and applying a coating of paint to said region using an electrophoretic process.
2. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to Claim 1 in which said metal surface is steel and said electrically insulating material is a plastic material.
3. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to Claim 1 in which said metal surface is aluminium, and said electrically insulating material is obtained by anodising said aluminium surface.
4. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to any preceding Claim in which said laser beam is produced by a microprocessor controlled laser beam etching machine.
5. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to any preceding claim in which said paint is a polyester paint.
6. A method of providing markings on a metal surface in two or more different colours wherein markings of each colour are provided separately by a method according to any one of the preceding claims.
7. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example.
8. A metal surface having a marking produced by a method according to any preceding claim.
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces This invention relates to methods of providing markings on metal surfaces. More particularly the invention relates to such methods suitable for forming alphanumeric or other markings on instrument diais, front panels of electronic equipment, nameplates and labels, etc., for which marking to a high degree of accuracy and clarity is desirable. Known methods of producing such markings in general tend to be slow and not suitable for automation, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a marking method which does not suffer from these shortcomings. According to the present invention a method of providing a marking on a metal surface comprises: forming a coating of electrically insulating material on said surface; directing a laser beam onto the coating so as to remove the coating from a region of said surface corresponding to the marking; and applying a coating of paint to said region using an electrophoretic process. One method in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example. The surface of a plate to be marked is first provided with a coating of electrically insulating material. Where the plate consists of steel the coating material is suitably a plastics material such as an acylic resin or a paint, for example, polyester-based paint. Where the plate consists of aluminium the coating is suitably obtained by anodising the surface of the plate. The thickness of the coating is typically of the order of 50 ym. The coating is then removed from the surface of the plate in the area or areas corresponding to the required marking using a microprocessor controlled laser beam etching machine. The laser beam is directed onto the surface and caused to travel thereover under microprocessor control with the laser beam set so as just to remove the coating and thereby expose the underlying metal surface. One laser machine suitable for this purpose is marketed under the name YAG Laser Writing and Marking System 815 supplied by Laser-Optonic GmbH of Munich, West Germany. The laser in this machine is a Nd YAG CW pumped solid state laser giving an output of 25 watts at a wavelength of 1 .06ym, the beam being pulsed at a repetition frequency variable in the range 10 to 15KHz. The exposed surface of the metal plate is then provided with a coating of polyester paint using an electro-phoretic process. This is suitably carried out using a commercially available electro-phoretic painting apparatus with the anode to cathode voltage set in the range 80 to 1 50 volts and a current setting of 30 amps per square metre. The plate is suitably held immersed in the painting solution for about 1 minute and then rinsed and baked in an oven at 1 650C giving a final paint thickness of about 10 to 20um. If markings in two or more different colours are required, this can easily be achieved by a separate laser etching and painting process for each colour in turn. It will be appreciated that in a method according to the invention the use of a paint enables a marking having a high degree of clarity to be obtained as compared, for example, with methods in which an etching or similar process alone is used to produce the marking. Claims
1. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface comprising: forming a coating of electrically insulating material on said surface; directing a laser beam onto the coating so as to remove the coating from a region of said surface corresponding to the marking; and applying a coating of paint to said region using an electrophoretic process.
2. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to Claim 1 in which said metal surface is steel and said electrically insulating material is a plastic material.
3. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to Claim 1 in which said metal surface is aluminium, and said electrically insulating material is obtained by anodising said aluminium surface.
4. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to any preceding Claim in which said laser beam is produced by a microprocessor controlled laser beam etching machine.
5. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface according to any preceding claim in which said paint is a polyester paint.
6. A method of providing markings on a metal surface in two or more different colours wherein markings of each colour are provided separately by a method according to any one of the preceding claims.
7. A method of providing a marking on a metal surface substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example.
8. A metal surface having a marking produced by a method according to any preceding claim.
GB8133278A 1980-11-26 1981-11-04 Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces Withdrawn GB2087928A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8133278A GB2087928A (en) 1980-11-26 1981-11-04 Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8037919 1980-11-26
GB8133278A GB2087928A (en) 1980-11-26 1981-11-04 Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2087928A true GB2087928A (en) 1982-06-03

Family

ID=26277629

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8133278A Withdrawn GB2087928A (en) 1980-11-26 1981-11-04 Methods of Marking Metal Surfaces

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2087928A (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001034408A1 (en) * 1999-11-11 2001-05-17 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Marking of an anodized layer of an aluminium object
EP1302566A1 (en) * 2001-10-11 2003-04-16 FRANZ Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co KG Production of a metallically conductive surface region on an oxidised Al-Mg alloy
CN102400198A (en) * 2011-12-08 2012-04-04 广东步步高电子工业有限公司 Double-color electrophoretic coating method on metal surface
EP2602360A1 (en) * 2011-12-06 2013-06-12 Grundfos Holding A/S Method for affixing an identification mark to a metallic body

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001034408A1 (en) * 1999-11-11 2001-05-17 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Marking of an anodized layer of an aluminium object
US6777098B2 (en) 1999-11-11 2004-08-17 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Marking of an anodized layer of an aluminium object
EP1302566A1 (en) * 2001-10-11 2003-04-16 FRANZ Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co KG Production of a metallically conductive surface region on an oxidised Al-Mg alloy
WO2003033778A1 (en) * 2001-10-11 2003-04-24 FRANZ Oberflächentechnik GmbH & Co KG Production of a surface area with metallic conductivity on oxidised al-mg alloys
EP2602360A1 (en) * 2011-12-06 2013-06-12 Grundfos Holding A/S Method for affixing an identification mark to a metallic body
CN102400198A (en) * 2011-12-08 2012-04-04 广东步步高电子工业有限公司 Double-color electrophoretic coating method on metal surface

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Legal Events

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)