How to evaluate laser marking for injection-moulded plastic parts

Prepare material records, representative samples and acceptance criteria before choosing equipment for plastic component marking.

When adding a product code to a moulded component, laser power should not be the only starting point. Plastics described by the same general name may contain different colours and additives. A useful equipment discussion begins with material records and acceptance criteria rather than a catalogue specification alone.

Collect complete material information

Polymer type, commercial resin grade, colour and additives can influence marking results. Wavelength compatibility matters, so selecting fibre or UV equipment from appearance alone is unreliable. Provide supplier information and safety documents for technical evaluation instead of experimenting casually with unidentified materials. Suitable extraction and operating conditions must also be established.

Make the sample set representative

Do not submit only the easiest light-coloured component. Include relevant production colours, resin suppliers and surface textures. Label every sample with its batch information. This makes the conditions behind a successful result traceable and helps prevent one favourable sample from being treated as evidence for an entire product range.

Separate visual and functional requirements

A logo may prioritise consistent appearance, while a product code must have distinguishable characters. Identify the marking zone, minimum text size and unacceptable surface changes on the drawing. Assess applications on fit surfaces or dimensionally sensitive areas separately. Approval should consider the component's function as well as the darkness of the mark.

Control the move into production

Store the material reference, artwork revision and process configuration with the approved sample. Changes in resin, colour or supplier should not automatically inherit the previous approval. First-piece checks and periodic sampling help identify changes earlier. Measure loading, positioning and inspection alongside processing time when assessing throughput.

Prepare the application discussion

• Resin grade, colour and available technical documentation.
• Component dimensions, marking zone and representative samples.
• Required text or artwork and daily production volume.
• Acceptance criteria for appearance, readability and service conditions.

Review the laser marking product group, then send your application information to BİEM LASER. Ask for the appropriate laser type and product suitability to be evaluated using the samples, rather than assuming a listed model is already validated for the material.