LASER MARKING | TECHNOLOGY
parts with an NdYAG laser and does not affect the colour or transparency of the plastic part or article. Once again, it is antimony-free and suitable for food contact applications. Laser Mark 1001088-E is intended for complex projects featuring different colour shades, producing dark or clear markings depending on the colour of the plastic item and the parameters of the laser.
Reactive additives The L-Tec laser marking masterbatches from UK-headquartered Colloids contain a combination of reactive colourants and additives that are highly absorbent of laser wavelengths. Some conduct the heat in a small area to cause ablation or charring on the surface, creating a dark mark. To obtain a light mark, the L-Tec additive rely on a synergist. The interaction with the laser light and its energy are the same, the light marking being created by a foaming effect on the surface. As with most laser marking additives, the L-Tec additives can influence the colour of the polymer compound. The company says that including too much additive in the formulation will not only add unnecessary cost but also deviate too far from the target colour. Incorporation of colorants alongside the additive, however, improves the quality and contrast of the mark. Colour can also interact with the laser. Some
colours, such as red and blue, reduce the effective- ness of the marking and the contrast is typically low. “These combinations are a single solution that provides a strong consistent colour alongside great marking potential,” says Colloids. “It is possible to obtain coloured laser marks: currently Colloids offers these in black with a variety of coloured marks such as greens, reds, purples, blue and yellow. The coloured mark is achieved by
Leff: A combination of black and reactive additives from Colloids is used to create the colour effects on these caps
IMAGE: COLLOIDS
using an optimised blend of black and reactive colourants and dispersed in the L-Tec masterbatch.” New or revived trends and styles are constantly
emerging both in the packaging and in the design of containers for the cosmetics industry and a metallic look and decorative design using lasers have been very popular for some time, says Rowa Masterbatch. It provides its customers with colour masterbatches that are said to ensure metallic looks and laser possibilities without any loss of quality. “The laser treatment of metallic-looking surfaces used to be associated with a loss of quality, as the laser additives that were required made the metallic look less shiny - at least until now,” the company claims. It says it has developed different colour masterbatches that replicate a metallic surface extremely well and that can now be lasered without loss of quality. The masterbatches maintain the rich, brilliant colour tone with a shiny metallic look and are said to be suitable for both light-dark colour changes and for bright colours with a metallic appearance. Polyamide specialist Domo Chemicals says automotive tiers and E&E component makers are increasingly recognising the advantages of laser marking technology for polyamide applications. In the E&E market, it says, around half of all its Technyl customers are now employing laser marking. Laser marking is also a useful tool for imple- menting the mandatory unique device identifica- tion (UDI) that is required by some medical legislation to protect against counterfeiting. Both the EU’s new Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and the US Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 on labelling of medical devices (21 CFR 801 Subpart B) enforce the use of a UDI system on medical devices and their packaging to reduce the risk of counterfeiting, improve traceability and better manage incident reporting, device recalls and other adverse events. Several medical devices must be directly
marked with a unique device identifier — CFR 21 Sec. 801.45 or EU MDR Part C 4.10 specify UDI
www.compoundingworld.com July 2022 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 57
Left: Laser marking metallic masterbatches from Rowa produce parts with high
quality finishes for applications such as cosmetics
IMAGE: ROWA MASTERBATCH
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