Keyence has released what it says is the world’s first 3-axis control ultraviolet (UV) laser marker.
The MD-U Series is designed for cold, high-contrast marking, the firm says, to produce appealing aesthetics and improve readability on 2D codes.
The device can mark over a wide area (330mm × 330mm) and suppress heat effects, eliminating burrs and yellow tinting.
The MD-U Series is equipped with 3-axis control, a function for controlling the beam spot to match the target shape, including stepped, inclined, cylindrical, and cone targets. The MD-U series can mark 3D objects and the centres and edges of flat surfaces.
Using 3D CAD data (STL format), the profile of the target can be imported into Marking Builder 3 and used as the base of the layout. This enables users to configure settings and perform marking on targets that have complicated profiles and cannot be expressed with basic shapes, such as cylinders and step height changes, Keyence says.
The firm adds that the MD-U Series utilises a high absorption rate even with gold, silver, copper, and other materials with high reflectance.