Ceramic is inorganic, nonmetallic crystalline material. It is very hard and brittle and marking in Ceramic has always been a big challenge. Conventional marking in Ceramic has never been very successful. Low contrast marking, excess use of toxic chemicals, time consuming process was some of the big limitations that made conventional marking less attractive.
The advantages of Laser Marking in Ceramics
Laser marking has evolved as a very versatile technique and today in most of the industries it is replacing other conventional methods. It is straightforward, non-contact, overall cost effective, high repeatable and high precision processing method that suits in different background setups.
Laser beam creates a localized heating enabling the creation of fine details with high contrast even at micron size. It is common to create marks in ceramic for decoration purpose. It is important to note that laser produced marks in ceramic does not affected by chemical bleaching or the use of any detergent making these marks long-lasting.
Lasers are capable to create deep groove in ceramic that can be further filled by paints to make marking more lively. Valuable pottery marks, trademark logo in ceramic tiles, batch number, dates or some patterns can be created using high power laser.
High Power UV Laser Marking Methods for Ceramics
There are three common methods of laser marking in Ceramics:
Melting:
Fibre laser with enough energy at IR wavelength can melt the ceramic material specially alumina. Melting and desorption can create Oxygen vacancy in ceramic material which are also known as “F-centres” or “Color Centers”. These “Color centers” are responsible coloration in Ceramic material that can be used to create marks.
Surface Etching:
Oxygen vacancies can also be generated using UV laser but in this case the mechanism is not melting but through ablation. The contrast can be further improved by laser treatment in untreated surface. Comparing with etching, melting is always preferred as they generate better quality marks due to higher average power in case of melting.
Coating of Absorbing additives:
Another method of laser marking is the coating of absorbing material on ceramic material. When laser with absorbing wavelength interacts with coating material, laser energy is absorbed into the coating material generating the color change in exposed area. Once the coloration in exposed area is completed, the coating from unexposed area can be removed from the ceramic surface.
Expert III 355 series UV DPSS laser is able to engrave ceramic, that is developed and produced by RFH, covers 10w-20w in laser power with short pulse width (<20ns@40K) ,superior beam quality (M²<1.2) and perfect laser spot quality (beam circularity >90%). It is widely used in PE/PCB/FPC cutting, glass & sapphire cutting, drilling, scribing & cutting used in high precision micromaching areas.
Expert III 355 series uv laser characteristics：
1. 355 nm output wavelength, 10 to 200 Hz repetition rate; laser power ranging from 10w-20w; Continuous tuning of repetition rate while maintaining constant pulse energy, superior beam pointing and energy stability make the Expert III 355 the first choice for micromachining, marking and thin film removal applications
2. Exceptional beam quality (M²<1.2) ，absolutely assured in all repetition rates; relatively short pulse width <20ns@40K with little heat transfer to surrounding material; perfect beam spot quality(Beam Circularity>90%)
Close to Gaussian smooth beam profile with low value M² < 1.2 and good focusability are beneficial for applications such as
3. Unique Q-switching technology, adapts a variety of control requirements of laser applications;Online refreshment for harmonic coupling technology;Excellent long term power stability Rugged sealed cavity, Extremely compact size, Simple and robust
4. Digital control technology for the driver, RS232 control interface ensures easy control and integration with laser marking equipment
5. This laser adopts one - style design with compact and reasonable structure, easy installation.
Easy to transport and saves space due to compact and light design
Water cooling，cost-effective and reliable end-pumping technology and amplifier-free DPSS design guarantee easy operation and alignment simple installation and low maintenance costs
6. Industrial production process control technology,provides quality stable products.
RFH - The leading industrial solid-state laser manufacturer
For over 13 years with excellent long term stability and exceptional good beam quality
Production in dust-free plant & rigorous quality control system
From purchasing, pre-production quality check, assembling, finished product testing, warehouse-in inspection, pre-delivery testing to after-sales service, each step is under control to make sure product quality and consistency in both machine parameters and actual running parameters. This is what makes RFH laser lasts longer than its peers.
Top professional team, independent R&D in laser oriented power supply control system
There is a one-to-one correspondence between power supply and laser. The stability of power supply control system determines if the laser can maximize its performance during operation. RFH Laser has independent R&D in power supply technique which enables timely update and improvement of power supply control system module based on the laser’s need. 12-year experience in R&D and a top professional team make RFH laser a reliable and stable laser system.
Core components of oversea brands with guaranteed quality
Pumping, Q-switching and other core components adopt oversea brands. Work with top brand component suppliers of home and abroad. Each component is guaranteed with its quality from the beginning of materials purchasing. This is why users can trust RFH laser.
UV laser+power supply+cooling system sold in a group
Being client-oriented, RFH offers proposal of selling the whole laser system in a group so that the laser system can maximize its performance while maintaining its stability.
Full-digital display, supporting communication with computer, capable of laser’s remote control
Each laser developed and produced by RFH can always remain high quality in industrial and extreme conditions of scientific research. With stable beam quality, high efficiency, best cost performance and high reliability, RFH has earned good reputation in different industries at home and abroad. After 12-year development, RFH has become a reputed brand in nanosecond laser industry.
