Structural variations on the surface of metallic products at laser marking

Abstract

Laser marking of products and details is used more and more wide in different production areas, because it has undisputable advantages in comparison with other marking methods. Action of laser beam on the surface of marking product is the principal feature of laser marking. It is accompanied with local heating of this surface and its partial melting together with material evaporation from the surface contact point. Influence of laser impulse action on efficiency of marking on the surface of machine-building details is examined in this work. The samples of 08Kh18N10 steel were used as material. Marking was conducted by the system “MiniMarker 2-20A4”, QR code was used as a marker. The marking parameters were optimized via the method of experimental design. The optimal marking procedure for getting maximal contrast of QR code was calculated and experimentally confirmed. Steel surface roughness was analyzed using profilograms. Contrasting effect and roughness of code were determined and relationship between these parameters was revealed. Contrast effect of marking increases with elevation of roughness. However, roughness has less input in increase of contrast effect comparing with colour hue of the surface of an information block and substrate. The link between surface roughness and contrast effect of marking is shown. Possibility of contrast effect assessment of QR code using profilometer is suggested. The reported study was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, research agreement No. 075-11-2019-066 of 22.11.2019, project title “Development of high-tech production of equipment and technologies for laser coding of transported goods and their optical identification for the implementation in modern material flow management systems” (within the framework of decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, No. 218 of 09.04.2010).