What is a Nucleated Beer Glass?

A nucleated beer glass has a textured pattern on the interior surface, creating a collection point for the dissolved carbon dioxide gas. As the gas is disturbed by these textures, it forms a stream of bubbles that float to the top. These streams of bubbles increase the head of foam which affects the aroma of the beverage by releasing more of the flavor profile. The steady stream of bubbles also enhances the appearance of the beverage. The only downside to this effect is that the beer will go flat faster than a regular glass. So, if you are known to take your time with a beer, a nucleated glass may not be right for you.

As can be seen from the video above, the extra fizziness of the beer provides a frothy head of foam like a draft beer but from a can or bottle. Beverages that are highly carbonated or have a high ABV (Alcohol by Volume) are not ideal for nucleated glasses.

How Nucleated Glasses Are Created

Laser systems are used in the creation of nucleated glasses through an etching process. This process has been around for a few years already and CMS Laser has helped numerous clients research which patterns work best and have built systems for etching the bottom and side walls of glasses. Our systems can etch logos and a variety of dot patterns along the insides of glass using CO2 lasers.

Laser Etching the Internal Walls of Beer Glasses

It’s easy to laser etch the bottoms of beer glasses, but can your laser system etch the walls? Our engineers developed a solution a few years ago that can create these nucleation points on the sides of a glass. With this system, clients can laser etch dot patterns and logos on the interior walls of glass cups. However, due to confidentiality reasons, we cannot disclose the design of the systems we’ve built. If you don’t see a particular process on our website, send us a message because chances are, we’ve done it before.

Looking for a Glass Etching Laser System?

CMS Laser works with clients all over the world to develop turnkey laser systems for a vast range of applications. From surface marking of glass to internal 3D engravings, our engineers have experience with just about everything involving lasers for material processing. One popular solution is marking glass on a conveyor belt without stopping. This is called on-the-fly processing and CMS Laser was the initial pioneer of this technology. Our engineers have the right equations and experience to develop laser processing solutions for products moving at high speeds.

Contact us today to learn more about our solutions for the glass industry.

The post Laser Etching Nucleation Points on Beer Glasses for Improved Drinking Experiences appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

Laser Engraving Wooden Grips

CO2 lasers are the best choice for engraving wood due to the absorption properties of wood at the 10,060nm wavelength. This allows the material to be vaporized cleanly and effectively. Checkering wood is a common process used for adding a textured grip to a rifle stock. This process is traditionally done by hand using specialized chisels for creating the peaks and valleys of a checkering pattern. These chisels degrade over time and require a skilled hand to create. Big brands are turning to laser technology, a computer-controlled process that is repeatable, and offers the best precision and quality that manufacturers desire.

CMS Laser was recently approached to reproduce this process using laser technology and the results are awesome.

Having done this type of application in the past, our engineers developed a suitable setup in our applications lab to engrave along the curved surfaces of a rifle stock using one of our CO2 lasers. Like with any project we take on, it starts in our applications lab. The impression in the molding clay below shows the depth of each diamond and the quality of the side walls.

Here are some more examples of our laser checkering capabilities:

Automated Engraving Solutions

CMS Laser has the capacity to develop a custom turnkey laser engraving system for any application. Our team of dedicated engineers will design, build, and thoroughly test a system to meet or exceed your manufacturing goals while maximizing your ROI. Our in-house software developers can incorporate database connections for serialization or add custom operator view screens for simplicity. Every system is backed by 24/7 service and support, so you’ll have the peace of mind knowing there is a skilled team of dedicated professionals a phone call away.

Contact us today to learn more about our solutions for the firearms industry.

The post Checkering Wooden Gun Stocks with Laser Engraving Technology appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

Laser Processing Methods for Metal

The term laser marking is generally used as a word for describing a group of processes. This can range from a surface marking to a deep engraving, both processes leave a “mark”. Here are the industry standard terms we use for describing the types of marking methods.

• Ablation. The terms laser engraving and laser etching are subtypes of this process and are distinguished by the depth of the cavity and the way light is reflected to show contrast. Laser engraving is the general term used for this method.
• Annealing. This is a surface level alteration of the metal, providing contrast for legibility. Laser marking is used to describe this method in more general terms.

Although these terms are often used interchangeably, there are differences between laser marking, laser engraving and laser etching.

What is Laser Engraving / Ablation?

Laser engraving, or ablation, is a process that involves high laser power with high-speed movement of the laser beam to rapidly vaporize material, revealing an image at eye level. This creates cavities in the material that are durable and are often done before the powder coating process. Ablation can also be used for removing thin layers of material like paint, anodizing, and plastic films. A process called laser cleaning is a form of ablation, which is the term used for removing contaminants like rust and oil from metal, and for cleaning molds used in injection molding.

There are two main ablation subtypes called engraving and etching. Etchings are like engravings but are recognized by raised edges that reflect light differently and have a much shallower depth.

• Engraving depth can be 0.02″ and up
• Etching depth is usually no more than 0.001″

Laser Ablation Example:

Sample A was engraved using an ultrafast picosecond fiber laser. The edges are clean, and the surrounding material was unaffected by the heat of the laser. This is called the heat affected zone (HAZ). We covered this topic in a previous post about the unique processing capabilities of ultrafast lasers.

Here are some examples of engraving / ablation applications:

• Automated Laser Engraving System for Automotive Components
• CO2 Laser Engraving System for Hearing Aids
• Removing Ink on Laser Markable Paper for Creating UDI Labels
• Laser Etching Cliché Plates with Ultrafast Lasers for Pad Printing

What is Laser Marking / Annealing?

Laser marking, or annealing, is the process of modifying the surface properties of a material to produce a contrasting mark through an oxidation process. This oxidation is achieved by slowly heating the material with low power to draw the carbon to the surface, creating a legible marking. This process works well on steel and most plastics with carbon molecules. When annealing, material is not removed from the surface which results in a smooth finish.

However, laser marking non-metals is a different story and isn’t considered an annealing process. Materials like the plastic insulation on wires are marked through the same localized heat process, resulting in a fast marking due to surface interference. This allows us to design high-speed wire marking systems utilizing this carbonization effect. The same can be said about marking other organics like wood and paper products.

Main Characteristics of Laser Annealing Metal

• Slower process than engraving and etching, in most cases
• Produces smooth-to-the-touch markings that are absent of nooks and crannies that helps prevent rust, oxidation, and bacterial buildup
• Can produce color variations in stainless steel and titanium by adjusting power level, pulse frequency, and beam speed
• Annealed markings are durable and easy to clean

Examples of Laser Marking Applications

• Medical marking applications that require a unique device identifier (UDI) to meet FDA regulations
• Marking stainless steel appliance panels
• Marking industrial stainless steel components
• Annealing stainless steel medical wires
• Laser marking plastic light bulb fixtures

Since we’re primarily talking about processing metal, plastic marking shares similarities and can be found here.

Which is Right for You?

The type of process depends on the material, desired quality, and overall cycle time. Do you need a deep engraving before a powder coating process, or just a surface level marking? Our applications lab has the widest range of laser wavelengths and optics available for developing a suitable laser configuration for your process and we are happy to help develop a solution that works for your material so that you can make an informed decision.

Our engineering department can develop fully automated solutions for marking and engraving applications to reduce laser downtime, human-errors, and ultimately improve production throughput. We also have the capability to mark material while it’s moving at high speeds with true closed loop encoder feedback. Contact us today to get started!

The post What is the Difference Between Laser Marking and Engraving Metal? appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

In this system spotlight, our engineers developed a solution for Custom Wire Technologies that successfully increased their throughput by 550%, a 250% increase above their initial goal. This was achieved through careful selection of the laser source and optics, laser parameters, and part handling techniques.

The Laser Marking System

Currently the wires are hand fed through a hole in the left side of the system, but future enhancements and design goals will provide for automatic feeding from an additional machine.  When the wire is inserted, a sensor will detect it. The wire is then pulled into the system and placed on the processing v-block. Next, the rotary unit will move into place, detect the position of the end of the wire, and then grab the end of the wire. The rotation axis is on a X axis that then moves to the “zero” position for the wire being processed. The rotary will then begin the rotation. As the wire rotates, the laser, mounted above the wire on another long X axis, will mark various bands around the shaft before moving down the wire to a new location as specified by the program. Once the process is completed, the rotary releases the wire and a rotating “finger” servo ejects the wire from the v-block down a chute to the front of the machine. The laser is adjustable in the z-axis direction, allowing a variety of different wire gauges to be marked with just a simple change of the program. The machine also includes our through the optics vision (TTOV) system for viewing the process and to ensure each band is marked correctly.

Client Testimonial

“Working with the entire Control Micro Systems team on our project was a pleasure. We had a simple idea with no physical representation of what we were looking for. Our goal was to create a machine that could increase our throughput by 300%. CMS was capable of meeting and exceeding our goals. They successfully designed and built a machine which increased our throughput by 550%! We are so glad we chose to move forward with CMS. We could not have been happier with the experience of working with them.” – Jim B.

Ultrafast Laser Source

Ultrafast lasers—in this case, a picosecond fiber laser—are ideal for marking stainless steel because of their ultrashort pulse widths and high repetition rates. This allows the laser to apply a marking without transferring heat outside the event zone, thus eliminating discoloration outside the processing area. These markings are extremely dark and keep their appearance while under harsh lighting conditions, outperforming traditional nanosecond lasers. Learn more about these lasers on our ultrafast laser processing page.

Looking for an automated laser system? Start a converstation today!

CMS Laser has decades of experience with developing custom automated solutions and are ready to take on any manufacturing challenge using laser technology. Our engineers work closely with clients to understand their project and to deliver a high-quality turnkey solution—built, not converted—for their specific needs.

Contact us today to learn more about our solutions! Watch how this system was built over on our YouTube channel.

The post System Spotlight: Laser Marking System for Stainless Steel Medical Wires appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

Unique Identification (UID) marking is a common process adopted by manufacturers for identifying and tracking products after they leave the factory. Initially, the Department of Defense designed the program for government property purchases, but it has since been embraced on a global scale. A large majority of companies choose to directly mark their products while some add paper labels or metal tags to their equipment.

At CMS Laser, we use our lasers to mark our anodized metal tags for our systems with our logo, manufactured date, system serial number, model number, and other helpful information regarding the system and contact information. These tags are done using an ablation process where only the top layer of anodizing is vaporized, revealing the aluminum underneath.

Paper Label UID Marking

Paper label materials consist of a plastic top layer, a contrasting bottom layer, an adhesive layer, and a paper liner. Typically, a CO2 laser is used for vaporizing the top layer, exposing the contrasting bottom layer. However, a fiber laser can also be used for marking these types of paper labels, as well as a variety of metal and plastic tags. This makes the fiber laser a more flexible solution for marking UID information.

Our engineers recently built a system for laser marking large rolls of 3M™ Laser Markable Label Stock for an automotive customer. As the roll of label paper is pulled through the machine by motors, a fiber laser marks a logo, serial number, and QR code. Once the marking process is completed, the label is cut by a mechanical blade and leaves the system via an exit chute.

Traditional methods for printing paper labels require costly inks and routine maintenance. This maintenance is time consuming and can cost hundreds of dollars over time. Lasers require minimal cleaning of the marking area and cutting blade. Fiber lasers also do not require costly consumables and have a long lifespan of around 100,000 hours or about 45 years. The only consumable required is a filter for the fume extraction system that removes the vaporized top layer during the ablation process. With ink-based processes, leftover waste becomes a problem for the environment.

On-the-Fly Labeling Machines

What about fast-moving products on a conveyor? That is one of our specialties—marking moving objects at high-speeds. As the pioneers of on-the-fly processing, our engineers can integrate laser coding machines for marking labels on cardboard and paper packaging with date codes or for converting applications.

The use of a laser system may seem daunting at first, but here at CMS Laser, our engineers develop turnkey solutions with safety in mind so that our customers can hit the ground running. Software is programmed to meet all their use-cases and our field service team is standing by for any troubleshooting or additional modifications needed. The success of our business ultimately rests upon the quality of our after-sales service. A sale does not end when a system leaves our facility, it only just begins by providing that extra level of service so that our customers succeed and come back for more.

To find out more about how CMS Laser can develop a UID marking solution for your business, contact our sales engineers today!

The post Creating UID Labels using a Laser Marking System appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

The process of laser cleaning is based on the interaction between the laser and the top surface layer of the material, with the goal to evaporate unwanted surface features like rust or paint. Removing contaminants with a laser gives you the ability to selectively remove specific layer thicknesses. Contaminants like rust, mold, paint, paper labels, polymers, plastic, or any other surface material can be removed with lasers through a process called laser ablation. This process works best when the unwanted layer has a high absorption rate within the laser’s wavelength range and the underlying substrate is reflective within the same range. This relative absorption difference causes the unwanted material to heat up quickly and ablate from the surface—leaving the substrate unaffected. A fume extraction system then removes the airborne material in a clean and controlled manner.

Why is laser cleaning the best? Traditional methods—media blasting and chemical etching—require costly consumables and can be incredibly hazardous to the environment and employees. Media blasting requires an abrasive compound like glass beads, silicon carbide, or blasting garnet to remove layers of unwanted material. These compounds can become expensive, time consuming to clean up, and can damage the surface if done incorrectly. Lasers rely on the power of light, use little to no consumables—some require water cooling—and are driven by computer algorithms for pinpoint accuracy. Combined with automation and machine vision, laser cleaning processes can be fully automated. Lasers are also environmentally friendly and safer for employees when guarded correctly, is a non-contact process, and produces little to no damage to the part being cleaned. Little to no waste is created during the process and very powerful short laser pulses have little thermal influence on the base material.

Lasers can be used for cleaning tooled molds used in injection molding processes, removing thin films on surfaces like oil and grease, and many more applications. Our engineers have experience developing systems for removing polyimide from copper magnet wires—a similar process to laser cleaning. Lasers can also be used for removing the discoloration created when welding metal together as shown in the video below.

Laser cleaning systems are mainly used for the conservation and restoration of antique items, automotive and aerospace industries, cleaning of molds and tools, and power plants. There is a rise in the demand for laser cleaning machines in North America due the increase in the manufacturing sector. The laser cleaning market is expected to reach 723.9 Million USD by 2023 according to the Markets and Markets report.

At CMS Laser, we have had experience working on numerous laser cleaning applications to develop suitable laser configurations for a wide variety of industrial customers. Our applications lab engineers have access to over 20 different lasers for developing a successful process to meet specific manufacturing requirements. Our mechanical, electrical, and software engineers can design stationary or handheld laser cleaning solutions.

To learn more about our laser cleaning solutions, contact our sales engineers today.

The post Laser Cleaning Versus Traditional Methods for Removing Contaminants appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

In 1983, we invested in the optics and laser market as a software and laser system manufacturer. Any industrial company that deals with a metal, plastic, glass, semiconductor, organic or coated material can potentially use lasers to solve its manufacturing problems. We have a world-class Applications Laboratory that can diagnose an issue, provide processed samples and deliver a laser-based system or machine that creates a higher-quality product for the customer and boosts productivity.

We also serve industries such as medical, aerospace, electronics, pharmaceutical, medical, defense, automotive, industrial and robotics. Whether you need a marking, drilling cutting, degating, annealing or welding application, we have decades of experience and the talent to provide your business with Laser-Focused Engineering™. Our approach leverages software, mechanical, electrical, control design and manufacturing to deliver solutions that range in scale from a basic laser process to a complex laser system that includes machine vision, automation and validation.

CMS Laser is a member of the CREOL Industrial Affiliates (IA) program and has had strong ties with CREOL for many years. CREOL collaborates with its IAs in conducting research as well as growing the optics and photonics industry and Florida-based businesses.

Today, we’re part of the 600 Group PLC, a world-class diversified engineering group. As more engineers graduate from UCF’s CREOL program to CMS Laser, and more collaborations between the two organizations develop, the bond will strengthen and a greater diversity of talent will serve the laser industry. The 600 Group PLC is expanding CMS Laser and our other laser division, TYKMA/ELECTROX, to create one of the world’s largest industrial laser manufacturers.

*2009 Report on Florida’s Photonics Cluster

For more information, visit our website.

The post A Look Inside a Laser and Photonics Industry Hot Spot appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

Polysulfones are in the family of thermoplastics, and are known for toughness and stability at elevated temperatures. Due to the high cost of raw materials and processing, they are used in specialty applications and are often a superior replacement for some polycarbonates. For use in temperature ranges from -100 to +200°C, polysulfones have outstanding resistance to heat and oxidation, hydrolysis resistance to aqueous and alkaline media, and good electrical properties.

CMS experimented with marking this material in our Applications Lab, where we have over 20 different types of lasers that cover the wavelength bands for 355 nanometers to 10.2 microns. We were able to mark on the product with both the standard fiber laser at 1.06 microns and the CO2 laser at 10.6 microns. In both cases, the marking was successful, as displayed in the attached photos.

If you are interested in this product or marking on this material, please contact us at sales@cmslaser.com or (407) 679-9716.

The post Marking Tough and Temperature-Resistant Polysulfone for Medical Applications appeared first on Control Micro Systems.

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Lasers mark wire at high speeds on a variety of materials. Because they do not use inks or masks, there’s no waste. Laser wire marking is the gold standard for wire manufacturers in the following industries:

• Aerospace. UV lasers are specified in aerospace industry standards as the preferred wavelength to mark white aerospace wires. The chemical interaction of the UV energy with the titanium dioxide does not penetrate too deep into the insulation and has been confirmed to have no effect on the performance of the wires.
• Medical. Laser wire marking is clean and can be adapted to medical-grade cables.
• Catheter marking. The process for marking catheters is similar to marking wires. Depending on the catheter material, smooth marks (not raised from the surface) can be achieved.
• Other industries. Lasers are well-suited for a variety of other applications such as marking telecom/datacom, automotive, transportation, military and general electronics wires.

At CMS Laser, we have extensive expertise designing and manufacturing laser wire marking systems and equipment. Our engineers are available to help you create a custom system with reel-to-reel, tray-based or other configurations for loading and unloading wire. Our real-time on-the-fly (OTF) marking can process wire up to 600 feet per minute or higher, depending on insulation material and data mark requirements. This can be achieved via encoders attached to the motors that pull the wire through the system, or the encoders can be attached directly to your extruder. Our advanced machine vision technology can locate the wire to ensure correct positioning and can track elements on the wire that cannot be marked, such as stripes, and direct the laser to mark between them.

Keep in mind that some types of insulation materials or wire colors may not react well to UV wavelengths and may not produce the desired contrasted mark. Our Applications Lab can work with you to suggest the correct laser wavelength for your specific job.

In addition, our specialists can also design UV laser wire marking machines that:

• Handle more than one diameter.
• Include wire stripping and cutting.
• Process serialized data such as distance marks, date codes and, in some cases, bar codes. Serialization can be customized as needed to change along the wire and/or between different wire types.

To learn more about laser wire marking or to get started building a system that meets your wire marking needs, contact our sales engineers today.

For more information, contact us.

The post Explore the Many Benefits of Marking Wire Using UV Lasers appeared first on Control Micro Systems.