Character readability is crucial, enabling consumers, manufacturers, and the distribution network to properly record and if necessary, trace products back to their origins
Products across nearly every industry are coded with alphanumeric characters as part of their standard manufacturing process. Readability of the characters is crucial, enabling consumers, manufacturers, and the distribution network to properly record and if necessary, trace products back to their origins. For laser character marking systems, understanding several key factors and knowing how they impact the final outcome will ensure the best quality and throughput achievable. Character marking is divided into two basic types: raster-based (these are filled or decorative fonts) and vector-based (simple single-stroke fonts or outlines). Typically, raster fonts are used for branding, messaging, or decorative elements on products; due to their complexity and filled shapes, raster marks typically take longer to process. Vector fonts are usually used more functionally as date codes, serialization, or containing manufacturing information on products. These outlined or vector-based fonts are far faster to apply and require a high-speed, highly accurate scan head to ensure excellent character formation.
Novanta is uniquely positioned to assist OEMs and system architects with their laser character marking needs. As a manufacturer of CO2 and ultrafast laser sources, beam delivery systems, and programable control software, we offer vast experience and industry best practices to provide integrated solutions that fit specific character marking application needs. When defining the optimal marking system for any character marking application, Novanta’s Application Engineers will analyze several key parameters, including:
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