Laser Marked Tags for Harsh Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Markings on articles exposed to harsh environments, such as utility poles, face challenges in remaining legible over time due to extreme weather conditions, requiring innovative solutions for durability and visibility.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a blank tag that is marked using a light source, such as a laser, to form encoded characters like bar codes or QR codes, which can include information about the article, and optionally includes a hydrophobic or UV-resistant coating for enhanced durability and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional markings or metallic tags are used on articles exposed to harsh environments, then the markings can be applied to the article, but the markings become illegible over time due to extreme weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The marking system is segmented into multiple functional layers: a base layer providing corrosion resistance, a middle layer containing the encoded information, and a top protective layer. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function independently, ensuring the markings remain legible and durable in harsh environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The marking uses composite material structure with different layers having distinct properties - some layers provide chemical resistance, others provide structural integrity, and others provide optical contrast. This composite approach ensures both durability against weathering and maintained legibility over time.
2Reliability
If a laser is used to ablate and oxidize tag material to enhance visual contrast and durability, then the markings become more resistant to corrosion and wear, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The laser marking process is self-service in that the laser beam automatically ablates and oxidizes the material in a single pass, creating both the physical marking and the chemical oxidation for enhanced contrast without requiring separate processing steps. This reduces overall process complexity despite the advanced technology used.
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical marking methods (stamping, tagging, painting) are replaced with a laser-based system that uses optical energy to directly modify the material surface. This substitution eliminates the need for physical contact, tools, and multiple processing stages, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while enhancing marking durability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures that the markings remain legible and durable for extended periods, even in harsh environments, by using a laser to ablate and oxidize the tag material, enhancing visual contrast and resistance to corrosion and wear.
Implementation Method 1
the laser ablates at least a portion of an outermost layer of said plurality of layers to form said at least one character
Implementation Method 2
forming the at least one character (such as with a laser) can cause a portion of material forming the tag to become oxidized
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to methods, systems and machine readable media including computer programs to track information for an article of manufacture. An illustrative method includes providing a blank tag for the article of manufacture, and forming a marked tag from the blank tag by forming at least one character on the blank tag using a light source, such as a laser. The at least one character can be encoded with information relating to the article of manufacture.