Invest for success
“We’ve built our expertise and competencies in this area by investing the necessary resources to provide overall solutions in terms of performance,” says Xavier Couillens, New Business Development Manager C&E, DOMO. “This includes the latest equipment, as well as developing materials suitable for providing the best laser contrast for the customer. And, because we’re focused on innovation, we’re continuously investing in new laser levers to provide cutting edge solutions.”
There are currently three main laser technologies in use for this type of laser marking – UV laser (355nm wavelength), YAG infrared laser (1064nm wavelength), and green/picogreen laser (532nm wavelength). While the E&E market tends to use UV and green lasers, the automotive sector prefers the more economical YAG laser technology. DOMO has invested in all three types of lasers to best serve its customers.
Thanks to this investment, rather going through several rounds of sending samples to the customer for testing and refinement, DOMO’s Technyl team can provide a product that is tailor-made to the customer’s specifications, the first time. This allows the customer to design and develop their product significantly faster, and really sets DOMO apart in the market.
It is critical to determine what laser technology the customer is using and under what conditions in order to establish the most suitable polyamide grade, as well to optimize the targeted contrast. It is also important to choose the right shade of colour for optimal laser marking contrast, because the additives used in laser marking will impact the colour and the pigment used will affect the laser marking contrast.
Customer-centric design
“What we offer customers is the ability to provide laser marking in-house using whichever technology they employ,” says Xavier. “In our customer application centre, because we have the three main types of lasers on the market, we can use the same technology employed by the customer to custom design the product. In this way, we are better able to adjust the formulation and get the right answer from the start,” he adds.
“It is important to understand that it is not just the laser technology that determines the best outcome, but the product also needs to be designed to be laser markable,” says Cecile Corriol, R&D Project Manager, DOMO. “The materials we are able to laser mark include PA6, PA66, high temperature polyamides and our range of recycled polyamides.”
What is more, whereas in the past, only shades from white to black were in demand for laser marking, DOMO can now also formulate bright colours like orange, as well, which is important for the growing electromobility segment. Bright colours are more challenging, because of the additives for the laser, which the formulation needs to take into account in the final colour achieved.
“With Technyl ORANGE, for example, all of the properties for the orange grade combine in a product offering that enables laser marking, thermal stability and processability,” says Cecile. “In terms of thermal stability, we have seen no other polyamide grades on the market that can withstand what ours can in terms of temperature or aging, while ensuring colour consistency for the life of the product.”
