1) F1 racing teams use laser marking to uniquely identify over 3,500 components on each of their three race cars. This allows them to track components for quality control and safety purposes. 2) Laser marking is well-suited for component identification because it can mark small data matrix codes on a wide variety of materials, including metals. These codes can contain information to uniquely identify each part. 3) By precisely tracking each part's history, teams aim to continuously improve reliability and safety. An enterprise resource planning system maintains records to track each component's production, use, and life cycle.

1. COVER STORY
report
application
Marked for the fast lane
F
Reliability, safety, and
tRaceability aRe winning
1 teams typically strip down and rebuild
chaRacteRistics of laseR data matrix code is now globally accepted within the ity IDM FIGURE 1. The boxed portion
automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries. As codes to be of this photo contains the
three cars (two racecars and one spare) after every race/test event.
maRking the code is in the public domain, its use is free from produced following information: “This
any licensing or royalties. on almost is the decoded information
Each car is assembled from some 3500 components—all of which Due to their small size and large data capacity, the all materials, including steel, tita- contained in the microglyph
data matrix codes make it possible to identify nearly nium, aluminum, and more, with over- code unobtrusively embed-
are subject to continuous improvement, resulting in perhaps
Editor’s Note: every component on the car from wishbones and steer- all mark dimensions approaching just ded in this image. The par-
ing racks, to pistons and fuel injectors, to nuts and bolts. 1mm2. These lasers could actually pro- ticular code has a capacity
Laser marking/engraving is the largest
10,000 components being associated with each car at any The data matrix has a high degree of redundancy and is duce much smaller codes but both the of up to 1000 bytes of data
industrial laser application in terms of
resistant to marking defects, providing high reliability. It mechanic and the code reader would and can withstand up to 90
units sold. Globally, laser marking has
one time. has built-in error correction and a minimum print con- struggle to actually find and read the percent of damage.”
experienced a 20 percent per year growth trast requirement of 20 percent when reading with an code. Such a small code means that
rate as security, traceability, and warranty As part of an ongoing effort to continuously improve reliability and industrial-quality camera. nearly all components used in car build
safety, F1 (and other motor sport) teams take component identifica- Data matrix codes can be made by methods other than can now be permanently marked and
regulations are causing product suppli-
tion seriously. Although historically many of the larger assemblies laser marking, including ink jet, electro-chemical etch, and subsequently identified.
ers to turn to this versatile marking pro-
have been marked with human readable information, it is the ability dot peen. For the F1 application, the variety of materials The motor sport industry is constantly developing new
cess. At Laser 2007, World of Photonics in
to effectively track not only the large components but virtually every and surface finishes is wide. Exotic materials/alloys, includ- components, products, and services for worldwide appli-
Munich in June ILS met with more than
component on the car that is interesting. An appropriate Enterprise ing titanium and magnesium, are employed. The laser is cations, with spin-offs into the wider automotive and aero-
40 companies that exhibited industrial Resource Planning (ERP) system is required, allowing production and preferred as it is able to produce good permanent ‘readable’ space industries. Quality control and traceability are essen-
laser marking technology/equipment. Here revision control along with stock, financial, and part life control. codes on virtually all materials without compromising the tial requirements for many businesses today. Mistakes cost
structural integrity of the component. The laser is flexible time and money, and for motor sport companies, may well
we offer a sampling of applications from
Part protection and able to produce either round or square matrix elements cost lives.
our discussions with one manufacturer.
Direct Part Marking (DPM) makes it possible to track a although for dense information, squares are often preferred.
—lJb
Innovation protection
product from time of production to when it is scrapped. In addition, laser is able to mark small codes (down to 1mm
To achieve this, a high-quality permanent mark able x 1mm), which is not possible using other techniques. In addition to the protection of lives, a laser mark can
to withstand extreme conditions (heat, abrasion, F1 teams have used lasers for many years for part marking. also protect livelihood. Product innovations, in the motor
caustic fluids, etc.) is required. It is possible for Recently the trend has been to not only diminish the marking sport industry and elsewhere, are considered to be stra-
the ERP system, via a relational database, area requirement but also automate the reading process allow- tegically important as a relevant competitive differen-
to maintain an accurate history of indi- ing faster and more reliable identification. The existing lasers tiator in saturated markets. The competitive edge from
vidual components, when and have been unable to meet the challenge of marking small innovations is often jeopardized when, despite trademark
how it was made, where it IDM codes (due to the relatively large focused spot—like rights, plagiarism encroaches on a company’s sales. Using
has been, how it has been painting with a broad brush). As a result, Rofin has installed a laser, information carriers can be visibly or invisibly
used, and for how long. several of its PowerLine E – 10 (end-pumped Vanadate) laser transferred directly onto the component or onto another
Developed in the sources at a number of F1 facilities; its high beam quality carrier material (direct or indirect marking).
late 1980s in the U.S., the (small focused spot) and short pulse lengths allow high qual- Serial numbers can be applied to the component, foil, or
FIGURE 2. Changeable Laser Image
and Multiple Laser Image marking pro-
cedures are used for multilayer secu-
rity cards such as passports.
8 Industrial Laser Solutions AUGUST 2007 www.industrial-lasers.com