Early in the 1960's scientists discovered, that they could create a light source, focus the energy and have a tool powerful enough to affect a variety of materials. Laser marking is the preferred marking method when aesthetics or permanency is desired. Sometimes laser marking is referred to as laser etching; unlike conventional etching, it needs no masks or chemicals. Etching provides a permanent message on an in-process or finished component

Like many inventions of recent times, lasers were conceived in a laboratory. Virtually all materials can be laser engraved or laser marked. With advanced software you can laser engrave practically anything including Bar Codes, 2D codes, photographs and company logos and laser engraving of graphite is a clean operation. Think of a laser as a light source that is similar to a light bulb; a light bulb will emit energy all around it.

The ability to laser cut complex profiles can eliminate the need for additional operations, making this type of cutting highly economical. The laser metal cutting option can be added to some of the laser cutting machines. This cutting adds high precision, reduced contamination or warping, and a quality finish to industrial cutting applications.

You can mark most plastics from cattle tags to backlit day and night key switches. Typical industries that use laser marking include promotional, engineering and medical industries. Because no inks are used it is both permanent and the process is kind to the environment.

Some of the items that Co2 lasers and Co2 laser systems can be used include: marking and etching glass or quartz, in the manufacturing of glass doors and windows, for in permanent serial numbering, ANSI safety information, for customer logos, in some decorative or specialty glass manufacturing, in manufacturing data related to plant, production date and line, and/or in part numbers. Laser marking services can be used for many thousands of applications from computer keyboards to promotional gifts. It's flexible, programmable and environmentally clean.

Laser engraving can be used for most of the jobs currently being carried out by industrial engravers. It's also available in most engraving specialty stores because it's now the most common type of engraving.

Laser engraving, cutting and marking is a versatile technology that's being used by many engravers to improve productivity, add more services to their customers and increase profits. Engraving metal uses the most power especially if the metal is a hard metal. There are no consumables to contend with so operating costs are minimal, and the laser machine and system, if properly exhausted, runs clean, so that costly cleanup or by product disposal is unnecessary.