GB2291719A - Marking articles by laser - Google Patents

Marking articles by laser Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2291719A
GB2291719A GB9412826A GB9412826A GB2291719A GB 2291719 A GB2291719 A GB 2291719A GB 9412826 A GB9412826 A GB 9412826A GB 9412826 A GB9412826 A GB 9412826A GB 2291719 A GB2291719 A GB 2291719A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
article
laser light
marking
substance
sensitive
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Withdrawn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
GB9412826A
Other versions
GB9412826D0 (en
Inventor
Steven John Buckby
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.)
Markem Imaje Industries Ltd
Original Assignee
Prestek Ltd
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 Prestek Ltd filed Critical Prestek Ltd
Priority to GB9412826A priority Critical patent/GB2291719A/en
Publication of GB9412826D0 publication Critical patent/GB9412826D0/en
Publication of GB2291719A publication Critical patent/GB2291719A/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Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
    • B41M5/30—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used using chemical colour formers

Abstract

A method of marking an article comprises applying to the article a substance which is photo-chemically sensitive to laser light in a particular frequency range such that the substance undergoes a chemical change in response to the laser light thus to modify its appearance, and subjecting the article to laser light in the particular frequency range thus to mark the article. The photosensitive chemical may be a dye so that the article becomes opaque after exposure to laser of 1 watt power.

Description

Title: Marking method Description of Invention This invention relates to a method of marking an item.
It is known to mark an item, for example to provide a bar code, a date indication or other information, using a laser light source. Conventional methods involve applying to an article a backing, and subjecting the article to a beam of laser light such that selected parts of the backing are burned away by the laser light.
Conventional methods suffer from the problem that a relatively high power laser light source is required in order to generate sufficient heat to burn away the backing.
According to a first aspect of the present invention we provide a method of marking an article comprising applying to the article a substance which is photo-chemically sensitive to laser light in a particular frequency range such that the substance undergoes a chemical change in response to the laser light thus to modify its appearance, and subjecting the article to laser light in the particular frequency range thus to mark the article.
In one embodiment, a backing is applied to the article prior to the article being subjected to the laser light. The backing may then be coated with the substance which is sensitive to the laser light, or if desired, the backing may be impregnated with such substance.
In each case, it is envisaged that a laser light source of a power of around one watt can be used to mark an article. In this way, the dangers and problems associated with high power laser light sources are overcome and the marking process can be achieved more easily and economically than with conventional such processes.
Preferably the substance which is applied to the article in or over the backing, is clear and becomes opaque when subjected to the laser light, or vice versa. If desired, the substance may include a dye to achieve required visual characteristics.
In one arrangement, the article is held stationary during the marking process, and a laser light beam from the laser light source, is moved relative to the article to mark the article with the desired marking.
In another arrangement, the article is moved relative to the laser light beam such that the article is marked with a desired marking.
The marking may comprise a bar code, a date indicator, or any other desired information. The marking process may be computer controlled such that information provided to successive articles of a series of articles to be marked, can be different or the same, for each article.
The article may comprise packaging.
According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of packaging including marking packaging with a marking by a method according to the first aspect of the invention.
According to a third aspect of the invention we provide an apparatus for marking an article according to the first aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprising means to apply the laser light sensitive substance to the article, and a low power laser light source to a beam from which the article is subjected in use.
The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (15)

1. A method of marking an article comprising applying to the article a substance which is photo-chemically sensitive to laser light in a particular frequency range such that the substance undergoes a chemical change in response to the laser light thus to modify its appearance, and subjecting the article to laser light in the particular frequency range thus to mark the article.
2. A method according to claim I wherein a backing is applied to the article prior to the article being subjected to the laser light.
3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the backing is coated with the substance which is sensitive to the laser light.
4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the backing is impregnated with the substance which is sensitive to the laser light.
5. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the laser light source is of a power of one watt or less.
6. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the substance which is photo-chemically sensitive is clear and becomes opaque when subjected to the laser light, or vice versa.
7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the substance includes a dye to achieve required visual characteristics.
8. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the article is held stationary during the marking process, and a laser light beam from the laser light source, is moved relative to the article to mark the article with the desired marking.
9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the article is moved relative to a laser light beam from the laser light source such that the article is marked with a desired marking.
10. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the marking comprises a bar code or a date indicator.
11. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the marking process is computer controlled such that information provided to successive articles of a series of articles to be marked, can be different or the same, for each article.
12. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the article comprises packaging.
13. A method of packaging including marking packaging with a marking by a method according to any preceding claim.
14. An apparatus for marking an article according to the method of any of claims 1 to 12 wherein the apparatus comprises means to apply the laser light sensitive substance to the article, and a low power laser light source to a beam from which the article is subjected in use.
15. Any novel feature or hovel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.
GB9412826A 1994-06-25 1994-06-25 Marking articles by laser Withdrawn GB2291719A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9412826A GB2291719A (en) 1994-06-25 1994-06-25 Marking articles by laser

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9412826A GB2291719A (en) 1994-06-25 1994-06-25 Marking articles by laser

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9412826D0 GB9412826D0 (en) 1994-08-17
GB2291719A true GB2291719A (en) 1996-01-31

Family

ID=10757359

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9412826A Withdrawn GB2291719A (en) 1994-06-25 1994-06-25 Marking articles by laser

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2291719A (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6133342A (en) * 1999-01-21 2000-10-17 Marconi Data Systems Inc. Coating composition
US6210472B1 (en) 1999-04-08 2001-04-03 Marconi Data Systems Inc. Transparent coating for laser marking
US6261348B1 (en) 1999-06-25 2001-07-17 Marconi Data Systems Inc. Laser markable coating
US6478861B1 (en) 1999-06-25 2002-11-12 Videojet Technologies Inc. Laser markable coating
US10583668B2 (en) 2018-08-07 2020-03-10 Markem-Imaje Corporation Symbol grouping and striping for wide field matrix laser marking

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4032691A (en) * 1974-03-22 1977-06-28 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Recording material
GB1553619A (en) * 1975-09-25 1979-09-26 Philips Electronic Associated Datarecording method
EP0036680A1 (en) * 1980-03-25 1981-09-30 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Method of marking a synthetic material surface
US4513071A (en) * 1983-11-21 1985-04-23 Eastman Kodak Company Erasable information recording process using co-crystalline dye complexes
US4883741A (en) * 1986-08-28 1989-11-28 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Information recording medium
EP0381492A2 (en) * 1989-02-03 1990-08-08 Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. Optical recording medium, optical recording method, and optical recording device used in method

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4032691A (en) * 1974-03-22 1977-06-28 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Recording material
GB1553619A (en) * 1975-09-25 1979-09-26 Philips Electronic Associated Datarecording method
EP0036680A1 (en) * 1980-03-25 1981-09-30 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Method of marking a synthetic material surface
US4513071A (en) * 1983-11-21 1985-04-23 Eastman Kodak Company Erasable information recording process using co-crystalline dye complexes
US4883741A (en) * 1986-08-28 1989-11-28 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Information recording medium
EP0381492A2 (en) * 1989-02-03 1990-08-08 Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. Optical recording medium, optical recording method, and optical recording device used in method

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6133342A (en) * 1999-01-21 2000-10-17 Marconi Data Systems Inc. Coating composition
US6372819B1 (en) 1999-01-21 2002-04-16 Marconi Data Systems Inc. Method of marking a substrate
US6210472B1 (en) 1999-04-08 2001-04-03 Marconi Data Systems Inc. Transparent coating for laser marking
US6261348B1 (en) 1999-06-25 2001-07-17 Marconi Data Systems Inc. Laser markable coating
US6478861B1 (en) 1999-06-25 2002-11-12 Videojet Technologies Inc. Laser markable coating
US10583668B2 (en) 2018-08-07 2020-03-10 Markem-Imaje Corporation Symbol grouping and striping for wide field matrix laser marking

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9412826D0 (en) 1994-08-17

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
DE69132496D1 (en) Printing on reflective foils
DE3868259D1 (en) ORTHODONTIC AUXILIARY PART WITH A MARKING AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME.
TW352421B (en) Method and process of phase shifting mask
WO1994022078A3 (en) Apparatus and method for a relocatable file format
BR9604957A (en) Process for imparting protective and topographic characteristics to a substrate
DE69011151D1 (en) Ultraviolet suppressed light source, coating material used therefor and process for its production.
HK1055800A1 (en) Photoinitiated reactions
GB2291719A (en) Marking articles by laser
ATE208280T1 (en) METHOD FOR LASER MARKING FILM
DK0805839T3 (en) surface
US6747242B2 (en) Gemstone marking system and method
ATE234183T1 (en) METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PRODUCING A FILM MATERIAL
DE69608147D1 (en) Process for laminating objects, and transfer film for laminating objects
KR950010974A (en) How to paint
ATE195059T1 (en) COIN AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING IT
ATE142797T1 (en) METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING MOTIVES
PL326974A1 (en) Method of making articles with colour-code markings
IE792097L (en) Film
ATE210867T1 (en) METHOD FOR MARKING PRODUCTS OR DOCUMENTS, PRODUCT SO MARKED AND MEANS FOR PERFORMING SUCH METHOD AND ERROR CHECKING DEVICE
KR940020184A (en) Manufacturing method of embossed hologram
TH14376EX (en) A method for forming patterns that reflect light on artificial leather.
Latter Developments in coating thickness measurement instrumentation
Zawadzki Hot dip galvanizing the problem of emission control
DE69305360D1 (en) AGAINST COPYLOCKED DOCUMENT AND METHOD FOR ITS PRODUCTION
Friedman How plastics product designers can help the environment

Legal Events

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