All posts filed under: FAQ

Webinar follow-up with Merck: How to improve laser marking through functional pigments

Published by Susanne Glinz

Silvia Rosenberger, Technical Marketing Manager at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany, held a lecture as part of the FOBA “Virtual Manufacturing Day 2020” webinar series on January 14, 2021. As an expert for laser pigments, she explained together with her colleague Stefan Gutberlet, Global Marketing Manager Industrial Pigments, how plastics can be optimized for obtaining best laser marking results.

During the webinar, which attracted many participants, numerous questions came up which could not all be answered due to limitations of time. Therefore, as a webinar follow-up, Silvia Rosenberger and Stefan Gutberlet kindly provide their missing answers for the FOBA blog.

The webinar recording “Lasermarking of polymers and the improvement through laser pigments” from January 14, 2021, is available on demand at https://page.fobalaser.com/FOBA-WBN-VMD-Merck-2020-EN_WBN-LP-OnDemand-EN.html

 Just in a nutshell: What is the benefit of using laser pigments?

Stefan Gutberlet: Customers either ask for an improvement in speed or in marking quality. So, we say: Once the lasers become faster, the material must keep up with it. And this is what our pigments do. They improve the marking speed, the contrast and the line definition with pulsed DPSS or fibre lasers in polymers. Without laser pigments most polymers do not contrast mark at all. 

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Differences between Marking Time and Cycle Time for Direct Part Marking with Laser

Published by Quang Son Tran

There is a difference between marking time and cycle time for industrial parts marking. “Okay”, you might say. “So what? Does that matter?” The answer is simple: Yes, it does. At least, if a realistic throughput calculation matters to you. For example, in order to validate if you can meet the target output with your equipment, stay within the calculated costs per part, and plan your internal resources such as required production people correctly.

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My Marking System Runs on a Windows 7 PC: What do I Need to Know When Microsoft will End the Support?

Published by Marcus Schmidt

On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will end the support for Windows 7. After that you won’t receive any technical support or software updates via Windows Update for the protection of your PC! After January 14, 2020, your system as well as the application and production files on your PC will be more vulnerable to security breaches and viruses. Read through the frequently asked questions before you upgrade your system to Windows 10 to avoid data loss or failure of your marking system.

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What is a MOPA Laser and What is it Used For?

Published by Viola Kirk

Fiber laser markers, be it pulsed or continuous wave, have prevailed in nearly all industries for marking products permanently and in high quality. The fiber lasers that are used for industrial part marking usually are either Q-switch or MOPA lasers. As of today, Q-switch lasers are more common because they have already existed on the market for a longer time. That is why they are sometimes called “standard laser”. But due to their high flexibility, MOPA lasers like the FOBA Y.0201 and Y.0201-DN, are an interesting alternative for many applications.

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Checklist: How to Prepare the Acquisition of a Laser Marking Machine

Published by Viola Kirk

The acquisition of a laser marker is a large investment for any organization. The correct choice of the laser depends on many variables and it is challenging to keep the overview of the huge number of providers and suppliers. The following questions will help you to get as many information as possible and to prepare the acquisition process by considering the main aspects. Read More