Lower-power light enhances tool marking

END USER: Garr Tool Co., (800) 248-9003, www.garrtool.com. CHALLENGE: Increase uptime for lamp-pump laser marking machines by reducing equipment maintenance and downtime. SOLUTION: Fiber diode-pump laser marking machines. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Beamer Laser Marking Systems, (810) 638-5388, www.beamerlasermarking.com.

Most cutting tools are not complete without a “finishing touch”—marking. Garr Tool Co. laser marks more than two million solid-carbide endmills a year with the toolmaker’s logo, catalog number, batch number and a brief description, noted Ray Melow, inventory manager for the Alma, Mich., toolmaker.

Garr Tool previously used four 70w lamp-pump laser marking machines. They etched tools effectively, but required an operator to manually load and unload each tool after the production process. In addition, maintenance requirements were increasing, especially for the two machines the company bought used, and each machine was down once or twice a year. Garr Tool stocked spare standard parts but a typical repair took 2 days, and one that involved a major component, such as a power supply, took longer.

“A machine would be down for 2 weeks because we had to overnight ship it to California, have it repaired and fly it back,” Melow said. “We had four machines to make sure we always had two and a half to three running. They were just kind of maintenance babies.”

While the company was experiencing these problems, a sales representative from Ultra-Dex Tooling Systems, Flushing, Mich., approached Garr Tool about the fiber diode-pump laser marking machines from its Beamer Laser Marking Systems division. “They said they’re marking carbide with 10w of power on these diode-pumped machines,” Melow said. “We thought, ‘Oh, you’re nuts. It must go really slow.’ “

VIDEO

Click here to view a video courtesy Garr Tool as the toolmaker uses fiber diode-pump laser marking machines from Beamer Laser Marking Systems to mark its solid-carbide endmills.