Marking Electronic Components

Through the sharing of practical cases, this course explores the technical points and application scenarios of laser marking for electronic components. The course covers the advantages of laser marking technology, the operational process, and solutions to common problems. It will help users to improve the efficiency and accuracy of component marking, and is applicable to the electronics manufacturing and automotive electronics fields.

Why do precision electronic components require high-quality marking?

Not only is the marking of precision electronic components the key to tracking products, it also directly affects production efficiency and brand image.For example, if the markings on a resistor or chip are blurred or missing, it can double the time required for quality control, and even trigger complaints from customers.As a result, many manufacturers have come to rely on a dependable method of marking.

This is the key advantage of laser marking technology.

High precision, adaptable to complex surfaces.

Laser marking can clearly print QR codes, serial numbers and other information on parts as tiny as a micron, and it can handle even irregular curved surfaces with ease.For instance, a customer wanted to label a microsensor. Traditional ink printing would be too easy to smudge, but laser technology "engraves" the surface of the material, so the label will last forever.

It has high productivity, and is suitable for mass production.

Compared with mechanical engraving, which requires frequent tool changes, laser marking can reduce the time for marking a single item to under three seconds.One supplier of automotive electronics reported that after switching to laser equipment, the daily output of its production line increased by 20 %, and the company also saved a lot on labor costs.

How should one go about choosing the right marking equipment?

The wavelength is matched to the material.

Different materials absorb laser light to different degrees.For example, fiber lasers are commonly used for metal parts, while plastic and ceramic parts are better suited to ultraviolet lasers.It is recommended that you first test samples to avoid blind buying that could result in unsatisfactory results.

(1) Pay attention to software compatibility.

Good labeling equipment must be able to seamlessly interface with a company's ERP or MES system, automatically reading data and generating dynamic labels.One electronics firm had a problem with incompatible software that caused data to become garbled. The problem was only solved when they switched to equipment that supported custom interfaces.

Real-world example: Clearing up the confusion.

One connector manufacturer had a problem with its high-temperature environment labels fading.After analysis, it was found that the power of the original equipment was insufficient, and the grooves were too shallow.After upgrading to high-power UV laser markers, the depth of the marks increased by 30 %, and the parts passed the rigorous 85 ℃ / 85 % humidity test.

Small tips for daily maintenance.

Regularly cleaning optical lenses and calibrating the light path every quarter will greatly extend the life of the equipment.Once a user ignored cleaning the lens, and the marking effect became increasingly poor. Later it was discovered that oil on the lens had affected the laser focus.