Laser Coding & Marking
Lasers are a very fast way to print high quality, permanent codes. Using no consumables, their cost of ownership is extremely low. On medium-volume production lines, for instance, investment payback can be less than three years.
High Quality Permanent Marks
Lasers work by “ablating” then engraving the substrate. Ablation removes material from the area to be marked, such as a layer of metal or ink on a printed package. They then etch (or engrave) a very fine groove on this fresh patch. Because the mark is indelible, they are perfect for brand protection or for where the code needs to survive for the life of the product.
Typical applications for laser coding are human-readable text on both primary and secondary packaging, and barcodes on cartons. They are used in a range of industries, from beverage, pharmaceutical and snack foods, through to industrial metals. Lasers can code onto glass, plastics (such as PET, polystyrene and polypropylene), metal and cardboard.
Laser Barcode Coding
At Auspack 2007, Matthews demonstrated laser coding barcodes onto cartons for the first time in Australia. Using lasers this way reduces carton inventory costs, because you don’t need to buy and carry a wide range of secondary packaging. It also saves operator time, eliminating the need to run back and forth to the storeroom, getting the right cartons for each run.