THE Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), in conjunction with the China Academy of Science, has come up with a new use for lasers. As medical tools, laser ''scalpels'' have made their mark in intricate surgery procedures such as eye and brain operations. Now the laser-sharp marker has arrived on the scene, offering industry a new application with the same precision and discretion.
A laser beam, formidable as it is, destroys matter by vaporising any material crossing paths with its intense heat and light, but sparing those that do not, no matter how close they are. In EasyMark*, a system for marking developed jointly by the HKPC andthe China Academy of Science, a computer-controlled laser beam is directed to draw lines and pictures, and to write words and characters by burning away a thin layer on the surface. It is possible to set up a program to command the EasyMark laser marking system to print numbers in series.
Bar-codes, trade marks and logos may also be scanned in through the equipment's on-line 386 personal computer. A view of the mark to be printed may be reviewed on the monitor before execution, thus allowing for further adjustments to be made if necessary.The Easy Mark's operation is easily mastered by anyone with some PC experience. According to principal consultant L.M. Li of the HKPC's Manufacturing Engineering Division: ''Because traceability is a requirement of ISO 9000 standards, components must bear some indications of identity or serial numbers. ''The EasyMark laser-marking system works very well on hard surfaces of components such as gears, axles, cutters, gauges, tools or compasses,'' said Mr Li.
''More than a year has been spent on developing this new equipment. We have been successful in co-operating with the China Academy of Science on this sophisticated project,'' he said. Mr Li added that China's strength in research and development was widely recognised. He said the HKPC had established full contact with the industry and understood its requirements and applications. He expected that a sustained partnership between the HKPC and the China Academy of Science would benefit the advancement of industrial technology both here in the territory and in China.
In developing EasyMark, the HKPC was in charge of the equipment design and software and application development, while the China Academy of Science focused on the laser technology. A 98mm long laser gun measuring 4mm in diameter is at the heart of this handy marking system which has a host of essentials, including a krypton lamp, plus single and half reflex lenses, built in. The ''pen'' for its calligraphic skill is a 50W, 0.05mm beam of continuous wave.
It may also be Q-switched to generate instantaneous pulses of much higher peak power. Marks are made within an area of 50mm by 50mm in either the scanning or vectorising mode. The former works in the Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), which is deemed to be best for graphics. The vector mode operates to Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language (HP-GL) standards, and is capable of commanding fine rules and lines for lettering of a variety of type fonts. Interactive mode marking is also possible, as is batching mode marking which is applied in serialisation. *EasyMark is a trade mark created by the HKPC.
