Spectra-Physics Promotes Marking at Laser Munich 2003
Munich, Germany (June 23-26, 2003) – In the field of laser marking, one of the most novel exhibits at the Laser Munich 2003 conference and trade show will be a sealed bottle full of Kentucky whiskey with an elaborate company logo marked within the glass. Created by Spectra-Physics (Mountain View, CA), the world's first commercial laser manufacturer, this bottle will be on exhibit in the booth of the Bavarian Laser Center (BLZ, Erlangen, Germany) in Hall B2, Stand B2.379. The Bavarian Laser Center performs cutting edge research and process development for industrial users and integrators of laser equipment, such as major automobile manufacturers.
As shown in the accompanying photograph, this logo was created within the glass itself, from a simple CAD/CAM file, using a state-of-the-art, all solid state laser delivering ultraviolet (355 nm) output. Unlike the majority of commercial glass marking systems that utilize carbon dioxide infrared lasers, the ultraviolet laser marks by a cold process with no damage to the inner or outer bottle surfaces, and with no effect on the nature or quality of the bottle contents. The ultraviolet laser also provides the potential to mark glass with much higher spatial resolution than with an infrared laser.
According to Dr. Gerd Esser of the Bavarian Laser Center, there are applications for UV laser glass marking in many industries. "One example is in flat panel displays where it's important to mark the panels and parts with serial numbers. Surface marking or engraving is very undesirable in that application because of the risk of fracture or contamination." Dr. Wolfgang Juchmann of Spectra-Physics adds that, "The key to supporting new applications is systems integrators like the Bavarian Laser Center who understand laser interaction with materials and can combine all the technologies necessary to produce turnkey systems. We hope that this display at Laser Munich 2003 will get people thinking about novel ways to employ laser technology."
About the new Spectra-Physics
Founded in 1961, Spectra-Physics was the first commercial laser business and has grown to become a global leader in the design, development, manufacture, and distribution of solid-state and high-power semiconductor lasers, gas lasers and ultrafast systems for industrial, scientific, micro-electronics, and biomedical markets. Today, Spectra-Physics has expanded to provide a broader spectrum of photonics products, capabilities, and services including Corion thin-film interference filters, Hilger scintillation and electro-optic crystals, replicated diffraction gratings from Richardson Gratings, Oriel Catalog and Instruments, and CIDTEC charged-injection device (CID) solid-state video cameras. SpectraPhysics is a wholly-owned business of Thermo Electron Corporation (NYSE: TMO).
About Thermo Electron
Leading the world in high-tech instruments, Thermo Electron Corporation helps laboratory and industrial customers advance scientific knowledge, enable drug discovery, improve manufacturing processes, and protect people and the environment with instruments, scientific equipment, and sample-in/knowledge-out solutions. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, Thermo Electron has revenues of more than $2 billion, and employs approximately 11,000 people in 30 countries worldwide.