Process Date: August 2000

This mark, similar in appearance to a mark produced using a sand blasting process, was made with a Fenix Laser Marker using 10 watts of power at 30" per second.

An extreme close-up of text marking.

By carefully selecting laser marking parameters, marks that resemble those made by sand blasting can be made on plain soda lime and tempered glass. Lasers offer distinct advantages over sand blasting, eliminating airborne dust particles as well as the need for restrictive masks.

CO2 lasers mark glass by fracturing the surface of the material. In the case above, the glass was fractured to within 2-3 thousandths of the surface, resulting in a very smooth finish. This technique can be used to produce text, Data Matrix™ codes, and readable bar codes.

The line width of the mark in the photograph above is 0.01", with a crack depth penetration of 0.002". The technique used to produce this mark is unique in that the resulting fracture paths branch out randomly in multiple directions, rather than perpendicularly to the marking line. This results in a highly contrasting, more readable mark.