Technical Blog

If you manufacture medical devices you’re already familiar with the Unique Device Identification (UDI) system. To comply with these FDA regulations, your stainless steel devices must bear a unique identifier that is durable, legible and permanent—making laser marking a popular solution. Let’s explore how stainless steel laser marking works, including the advantages it has over […]

From precision micromachining to LED wafer scribing, ultrafast femtosecond and picosecond lasers shine in applications that have traditionally used nanosecond lasers. These ultrafast lasers have very short pulse widths—minimizing the heat-affected zone in metals, plastics, ceramic and glass. As a result, they can do what nanosecond lasers cannot—eliminating post-processing, raised edges and discoloration in processed […]

Laser marking is a material treatment method that uses pulsed lasers and scanning heads. There are several different methods of laser marking, including engraving, removing, staining, foaming and annealing. Oxidation or anneal marking is one of the most popular and effective techniques for marking metals, such as steel and titanium. With this method, lasers are […]

Recently, two clients of CMS Laser were seeking depaneling solutions that required a certain level of automation. The experts at CMS Laser successfully developed two types of laser PCB depaneling systems that included an in-line conveyor and semi-automatic manual load system. For each client, CMS was able to deliver a custom solution that successfully met […]

Printed circuit board (PCB) laser depaneling is an effective way for manufacturers to save money and time. Boards often contain sensitive components that can be damaged easily and laser depaneling reduces undue stress on these components and their solder joints. To avoid unnecessary setbacks, be sure to have a proper understanding of the different methods […]

What is PCB Depaneling? PCB (printed circuit board) depaneling, also called singulation, is the process of removing numerous smaller, individual PCBs from a larger multi-PCB panel produced during manufacturing. The depaneling process was created in order to increase throughput of PCB manufacturing lines as circuit board sizes reduced. At CMS Laser, our depaneling process has […]

Accuracy and repeatability are frequently the guiding principles when vision systems are implemented. In today’s complex manufacturing lines, vision systems are an integral part of process accuracy, repeatability and quality control. We previously wrote about the four key features that every vision system must incorporate: cameras, lighting, optics, and software controls. In this post, we’ll […]

Integrating a vision system with lasers is a way to increase accuracy and drive efficiency. However, implementing all of the required features and aspects into the vision system is no easy task. There are a variety of different variables and approaches in order to design the optimal vision system for the desired laser application. The […]

Vision systems have been an integral part of manufacturing for decades; however, during that time the technology has improved immensely. They are useful (and in some cases, critical) across laser functions, including laser marking, drilling, etching and engraving. These days more than half of the laser systems built by CMS Laser incorporate some element of […]

At CMS Laser, we develop a wide array of laser-based solutions to successfully meet our client’s manufacturing needs and production goals. One of our most efficient solutions is the On The Fly laser system. Many of our clients require a high-speed laser solution compatible with other production elements in a constant processing flow – and […]