(ANCA: Wixom, MI) -- Traceability is a fast-emerging trend in the manufacturing industry. It is defined as the ability to retrieve the full history or location of an item or product by means of recorded identification. In the tool making industry, the requirement to trace an individual tool and the ability to determine its usage and/or re-grinding history has become an industry standard, allowing end users to maintain the highest tool quality and productivity.

In the tool making production process, tool laser marking is a necessary step that not only serves the purpose of providing basic tool geometry information, but also includes information pertaining to tool provenance and regrinding history. A basic requirement of laser marking is to have identification that is clear, and easy to read and understand.

Laser is the technology of choice for tool marking for several reasons. Firstly, laser produces an indelible mark which is crucial for easy identification throughout the lifetime of the tool. The quality is consistently excellent with high contrast and minimal surface disturbance – both of which are important for cutting tool performance. Secondly, laser technology is very mature which ensures consistent high reliability over many years.

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