Foundries are the basis of production for almost all industrial sectors. They supply practically all types of factories that produce metal components, of all sizes and types. Let’s take a closer look at which sectors are involved and where laser marking can be found in this important industry.

Automotive

The foundry is certainly the protagonist of the automotive sector. All structural engine, chassis, transmission and braking system components come from foundries. They are made of ferrous alloys (cast iron and steel).

In addition to ferrous ones, non-ferrous alloy are also cast. In particular, aluminum and magnesium are among these. They are used for the construction of the structural car components (engine, gearboxes, steering columns, wheels), but also for the bodywork. Furthermore, numerous accessories (such as the door handles) are made of zamak (zinc, aluminum, copper and magnesium alloy).

Even the motorcycle sector cannot survive without the use of cast parts, mainly made of non-ferrous metal alloys such as aluminum but also of cast iron, which are widely used to make the “heart” of the motorcycle: engine and frame. The use of aluminum and zamak castings is also widespread for numerous accessory components such as, for example, cycling parts, levers, headlights.

All vehicle components have traceability codes. Out of all industrial sectors, the automotive sector is probably the one that has this issue most at heart. Each component is marked with an identification code. This code contains all the relevant information for the manufacturer: lot, date and time of production, place and factory of origin. This is essential for safeguarding quality and for prompt service in the event of faults. The codes we are talking about are usually two-dimensional; they always are in the Foundry. In most cases, they are DataMatrix, due to the advantages that these codes provide and which we will analyze later.