Use laser annealing process to mark cast iron
Laser marking cast iron is most commonly achieved by annealing, a process where the laser heats the surface of the metal to form an oxide layer. The colour change in laser annealing is caused by a chemical change in the surface of the metal, meaning that no material is vaporised or removed from the cast iron surface. Crack propagation is an especially significant concern for cast iron, and iron laser engraving is an excellent option for creating permanent marks on cast iron without compromising its physical integrity.
Iron laser marking is an incredibly accurate and reliable technology that can create highly detailed marks with consistent quality. An iron laser engraver can create marks, such as barcodes and QR codes, that are legible enough to be machine readable. By using multiple passes of a laser engraver, codes can be cleaned up for enhanced quality and contrast. With automated laser parameters, the hue of marks made by iron laser engraving can be varied from light gray to rich black. Being an automated process also gives iron laser marking the benefit of being repeatable, a desirable quality for producing consistent traceability marks on a high volume of items.