Provided is a laminate and label for laser printing which are capable of preventing or reducing the occurrence of failure in printing by laser light irradiation. A laminate (1) is at least a laminate for laser printing, including a first layer (31) having a property of shielding against laser light, a second layer (32) having a property of absorbing the laser light, and a base material layer (33) which is optically transparent, which are stacked in the order named. The second layer (32) may have a thickness of not more than 15 μm, and may have a specific composition.

A method for marking, at the outlet of a forming machine using a laser beam, a marking area on hot glass containers comprises determining the longitudinal and transverse positions of the marking area of each container by positioning a first optical axis of a first light sensor and a second optical axis of a second light sensor in a non-parallel manner to each other, in a detection plane parallel to the conveying plane of the containers, detecting the instant of intersection or disengagement, by a container, of the first optical axis and the instant of intersection or disengagement, by a container, of the second optical axis, and calculating said transverse and longitudinal positions from these instants and in consideration of a known or constant speed of translation of the containers. The method can determine the marking instant for each container running past the laser apparatus.

A method for marking, at the outlet of a forming machine using a laser beam, a marking area on hot glass containers comprises determining the longitudinal and transverse positions of the marking area of each container by positioning a first optical axis of a first light sensor and a second optical axis of a second light sensor in a non-parallel manner to each other, in a detection plane parallel to the conveying plane of the containers, detecting the instant of intersection or disengagement, by a container, of the first optical axis and the instant of intersection or disengagement, by a container, of the second optical axis, and calculating said transverse and longitudinal positions from these instants and in consideration of a known or constant speed of translation of the containers. The method can determine the marking instant for each container running past the laser apparatus.

A surface is laser-etched to convey a 2D machine-readable code pattern. Various strategies are detailed to minimize the etching time. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to reduce a path length traveled by the laser. Some strategies include modifying the code pattern to make it sub-optimal, i.e., making the code pattern a less-faithful approximation of an ideal code pattern. In some embodiments the etched surface is the surface of a plastic container, and the code pattern conveys information indicating the type of plastic of which the container is manufactured. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A laser marking system comprises at least one controller to control an array of optical devices, between a laser source and a scan head. The array applies a selected pattern of portions of the received spatial profile of the laser beam to the substrate to achieve a second intensity different from the first intensity of laser beam at a rate of power deposition relative to a rate of thermal diffusion in the substrate for a predetermined time interval to thermally heat locations of the substrate with the selected pattern of the portions. The second intensity effectuates carbonization of materials of the substrate to create a mark without ablation.

A laser marking system comprises at least one controller to control an array of optical devices, between a laser source and a scan head. The array applies a selected pattern of portions of the received spatial profile of the laser beam to the substrate to achieve a second intensity different from the first intensity of laser beam at a rate of power deposition relative to a rate of thermal diffusion in the substrate for a predetermined time interval to thermally heat locations of the substrate with the selected pattern of the portions. The second intensity effectuates carbonization of materials of the substrate to create a mark without ablation.

A marking process of an object comprising providing a processing device/unit/member/circuit having a word processing software and a display and operationally connected to an apparatus for the marking of an object having a marking head, entering one data by the word processing software suitable for being engraved on an object, switching on a detecting device/unit/member/circuit which are positioned above a work top of the apparatus to receive the object to be marked, positioning the object to be marked above the work top, acquiring an image of the object to be marked and sending it to the word processing software to show it on the display, checking via the display whether the data entered is at least partly superimposed on the image of the object, and starting the marking of the object.

Methods for marking a seat belt webbing with an infrared compound are described herein. The methods comprise ablating a surface of the seat belt webbing by directing one or more laser pulses toward the seat belt webbing; and coating the ablated surface of the seat belt webbing with the infrared compound, wherein the infrared compound increases absorptivity or reflectivity of the seat belt webbing to infrared radiation. Methods for optically monitoring operation of the seat belt webbing in a vehicle and distinguishing between proper positioning and improper positioning of the seat belt webbing are also disclosed.

A fired ceramic article including a screen printed layer of primer on a portion of the fired ceramic body. The thickness of the primer layer is less than 25 microns. A machine-readable code is laser marked onto the screen printed layer of primer. Methods of marking a ceramic article are also provided.

A method of manufacturing a metal product comprise forming a base region on a surface of a metal member by repeatedly scanning along a predetermined first direction while irradiating the surface of the metal member with a base laser beam over a first set of rows. The method further comprises forming a marking by repeatedly scanning along a predetermined second direction while irradiating the surface of the metal member with a marking laser beam over a second set of rows. The second direction is different from the first direction. An identification code having a predetermined pattern comprises a combination of the base region and the marking.