Laser Marking Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate (PC) is a thermoplastic that can be purchased in sheet form as well as a granular form for use in plastic moulding or extruding machines.

PC is a strong and lightweight material, with good properties for shock absorption and electrical insulation. Polycarbonate is easy to thermoform and is available in various transparent and opaque varieties, therefore, polycarbonate can be found as a base material in many products from the casings of electronic devices to windows in aeroplanes.

When laser marking polycarbonate a laser operating at 1µm or lower is required. Laser marking machines at longer wavelengths, such as 10.6µm (CO2 laser) will simply cause the material to melt.

When exposing polycarbonate to a 1µm fiber laser marking machine the material will undergo a carbonization process: this is where the carbon within the material is released to show a contrasting grey to jet-black result. The greater the degree of exposure, the darker the result.

Laser carbonization of polycarbonate is visually appealing and normally of a high perceived value. The mark can be made to penetrate deep into the material, so it’s very hard wearing too. Laser marked polycarbonate is therefore often found on machine control panels and other such functional devices.

When using a lens with a short focal length it is possible to laser mark photos to polycarbonate with incredible resolution and quality.

Using a 1µm fiber laser marking machine it is also possible to foam polycarbonate. This process occurs when the material is sufficiently heated by the laser engraver to a point where gases are released and the material bubbles then reforms raised slightly from the surface of the original material.

As well as laser marking with excellent contrast, it is also possible to laser mark polycarbonate at extremely high speeds using even the lowest powered laser source. Therefore, laser marking polycarbonate is often a viable alternative to other forms of marking such as pad printing, for example.

Laser marking applications for polycarbonate can range from laser marking ID cards, to laser marking phone cases, to laser marking meter boxes.

Laser marking polycarbonate with a shorter wavelength laser such as 532nm (green) or 355nm (UV) can produce even higher detailed results. These short wavelength lasers also produce less thermal reaction within the material.

Laser marking polycarbonate is a clean process with near to zero waste as a by-product. It is therefore no surprise that many thousands of laser marking machines are dedicated to laser marking products made of polycarbonate.

At Lotus Laser Systems we manufacture a wide range laser marking and engraving solutions ideally configured for laser cutting, laser marking and laser engraving all types of materials. Our experts would be happy to recommend which configuration best suits your application.