Systems and methods for laser marking work pieces

• Main Authors: PAGRYZINSKI WILLIAM V, ZIEBOLD CALEB A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.11.2013
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; COLOUR PRINTING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; DECORATIVE ARTS; LINING MACHINES; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOSAICS; PAPERHANGING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRINTING; PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; SPECIAL DESIGNS OR PICTURES; STAMPS; TARSIA WORK; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method of laser marking a work piece involves reproducing a pattern having a surface marked portion and a depth engraved portion from a digital image of the pattern. The grayscale shades of pixels in one portion of the image are adjusted while maintaining grayscale shades of pixels in the other portions of the image constant, wherein the adjusted grayscale shades of pixels corresponding to a surface marked portion are within a first range and the adjusted grayscale shades of pixels corresponding to a depth engraved portion are within a second range separate from the first range. The modified image is converted to a computer readable code, such that the first and second ranges of grayscale shades are associated with surface marking and depth engraving ranges of laser power settings. A laser marking apparatus is then operated in accordance with the computer readable code to laser mark the work piece.