Laser Marking, Laser Welding, Electropolishing and Passivating

Contract Services

Laser Marking:
Laser Marked Banded Tubes Dark Laser Engraving on Brass
Laser Marking on Aluminum Ring Laser Marked Calibrated Banding on Tubular Components
Laser Welding:
Laser Welded Tube Ferrule Butt Laser Weld - Magnified 10x
Circular Laser Weld - Magnified 10x Seam Laser Weld - Magnified 60x
Electropolishing & Passivating:
316L SS Tubes Electropolished and Laser Welded Pointed Cannula - Before and After Electropolishing
Electropolished Hooks Before and After Electropolishing

Laser Marking Terminology

There are no universally recognized standards to describe the different types of laser marking and laser engraving offered. At NLE we have standardized on the following terms to make it easier for our customers to specify exactly what they want:

Laser Marked Barcode Marked on StainlessStain Mark: On metals and some plastics, this is normally a permanent dark mark without surface texture. This is often used on medical devices and components that benefit from a non-disrupted surface, or in cases where a customer wants the look and smooth "feel" of the marking.

Dark Laser Mark on BrassDark Laser Engrave: In this case, the component is actually engraved. The laser vaporizes material, and a dark, oxidized engraving, with texture, is left behind. Often this type of process will require wiping to remove vaporized material surrounding the engraving. It is also possible to run a "clean up pass" to remove the darkness from the engraving.

Corrosion Resistant Laser Marking Using NLE's Proprietary ProcessCorrosion Resistant Laser Marking per NLE-CR-01 (our proprietary process): This process is similar to a stain mark in that it leaves no appreciable texture to the surface. However, NLE's corrosion resistant process has been specially designed to resist the formation of rust on or around the marking. This process is been used extensively on medical instruments made of 300 series, as well as 17-4 and 17-7 stainless steels.

White/Frosted Laser Mark"White" or "Frosted" Etch: This type of marking is particularly useful on highly polished or reflective parts. In this case the laser lightly disrupts the surface of the component, leaving a mark that appears white or "frosted". This type of mark is also used on pewter or silver, since it does not require wiping (which can scratch or scuff soft metals)

Deep Laser Engraved Mold Core PinsDeep Engrave: In laser engraving terminology, deep engraving refers to depths greater than .002". NLE can engrave as deep as .030, with the cost corresponding to the depth required. Often, deep engraving is used on injection mold cores due to the superior level of detail over other processes.

Many companies use their own internal specifications to describe the type of marking required. Almost always, one of the descriptions above will match these requirements. Using this terminology on purchase orders and quote requests will insure that the correct type of marking is applied.