Laser-marked polymer workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821585-B2
Application number	US-201214351437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2012
Priority date	Nov 17, 2011
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A laser-marked polymer workpiece is described. The workpiece has a transparent component and an opaque component applied to at least one region of the transparent component. A mark is introduced onto a surface of the opaque component facing the transparent component with at least one laser. The mark is introduced, via a laser, through the transparent component. The mark is a lightening of the surface of the opaque component on which the mark was introduced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a laser-marked polymer workpiece, comprising:
bonding a transparent component having a transmission in visible spectral range equal to or greater than 50% and an opaque component having a transmission in visible spectral range equal to or less than 20% via multi-component injection molding to form a polymer workpiece, the opaque component containing at least one colorant, and
irradiating the opaque component through the transparent component with at least one laser thereby introducing a mark on a surface of the opaque component, wherein the mark is a brightening of the opaque component,
wherein the opaque component is devoid of a laser sensitive additive, and
wherein the at least one colorant comprises at least one black pigment.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mark is introduced on the surface of the opaque component by a movement of a beam of the laser.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a beam of the laser is focused on a boundary surface between the transparent component and the opaque component.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an emission wavelength of the laser is from 600 nm to 3000 nm.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the laser is operated in pulsed mode and a pulse duration is from 5 ns to 300 ns, and a pulse repetition frequency is from 1 kHz to 500 kHz.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein an output power of the laser is from 1 W to 50 W.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the beam of the laser is moved at a speed from 200 mm/s to 5000 mm/s.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an emission wavelength of the laser is from 900 nm to 1500 nm.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the laser is operated in pulsed mode and a pulse duration is from 5 ns to 300 ns, and a pulse repetition frequency is from 20 kHz to 150 kHz.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein an output power of the laser is from 15 W to 35 W.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the black pigment comprises one or more of carbon black, aniline black, bone black, iron oxide black, spinel black, and graphite.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the workpiece comprises one or more of polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, and polymethyl methacrylate.

Assignees

• Saint Gobain

Inventors

• Spindler Oliver

Classifications

• Y10T428/24802

  Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.] · CPC title

• Y10T428/24901

  including coloring matter · CPC title

• Y10T428/24868

  Translucent outer layer · CPC title

• B60J1/00

  Windows; Windscreens; Accessories therefor (B60J10/00 takes precedence; air curtains instead of windows B60J9/04 {; sealing strips for windshields B60J10/70; sealing sash guides for sliding window panes B60J10/74; glass partitions inside vehicles to protect occupants against personal attack B60R21/12}) · CPC title

• B41M5/267 Primary

  Marking of plastic artifacts, e.g. with laser · CPC title