Laser Marking Technologies

Laser coding and marking technology has been in existence for nearly 50 years. In this time, improvements in engineering have produced diverse laser marking systems for different applications. This White Paper explains the technology behind laser marking systems and the options available to Production Managers. Through a better understanding, readers will be able to make an informed choice when it comes to selecting the right laser marking system for their application.

The word ‘laser’ has become so much a part of our everyday vocabulary that we tend to forget it is an acronym derived from the rather long-winded description Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

Lasers are often thought of as a new technology but have in fact been in existence longer than many people realise. The theory of lasers was suggested in 1957 and the first laser was built in 1960. Long before that, at the turn of the century, Einstein produced equations which describe the main physical mechanism by which laser action occurs, although he didn’t realise its potential at the time.