Two types of custom dog tags are being used by many types of businesses
and individuals for promotional purposes: authentic military dog tags
and military “style” dog tags. From wedding and party favors to
tradeshows and conferences personalized dog tags are gaining in
popularity. Authentic military dog tags are embossed, a process
involving letters, numbers and some special characters being stamped
into the metal giving the text a raised look. These tags are made from
stainless steel and feature a rolled edge. Embossed stainless steel dog
tags have been used by the U.S. armed forces since WWI. Military style
dog tags are made from anodized aluminum and lack the rolled edge. These
dog tags are personalized using a method known as laser engraving to
reproduce text as well as logos on one or both sides. Whereas authentic
military dog tags are typically produced in silver or brass, military
style engraved dog tags are available in a wide variety of aluminum
colors (i.e. black, blue, red, green, purple, gold etc.). Both styles of
custom dog tags can be outfitted with rubber dog tag silencers as well
as neck chains or split rings for keys. Other less common customizing
methods for personalizing dog tags include pad printing and full color
process printing. Both of these methods are capable of reproducing
designs in one or more colors whereas laser engraved designs show up
bright white. This article is concerned with the process of laser
engraving to produce custom engraved dog tags.
LASER is Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A
process when applied to anodized aluminum and other materials produces a
permanent mark that won’t rub or scratch off. Laser engraving is a
superior marking process to conventional screen printing and pad
printing which wears off over time. Laser engraved dog tags will keep
your name, logo or message visible at all times…a clear advantage for a
promotional product.
Laser engraving produces custom dog tags by removing the colored
anodized coating exposing the raw aluminum beneath the surface. The
process of anodization is used to produces a durable coating on the
metal which can also be of a certain color. In addition to colorizing
the metal it also serves to protect the surface from becoming weathered
and scratched.
So how does a laser work it’s magic to produce custom engraved dog tags?
There are two types of laser engraving systems being used to customize
dog tags: CO2 systems and Nd:YAG systems. To engrave, both systems focus
a beam of high intensity light through a lens. This high-powered focused
beam of light has enough energy to vaporize the anodized coating
exposing the aluminum beneath the surface thus producing a visible mark
on the material. A CO2 system manages the forming of the image much like
a conventional dot matrix printer scanning left to right as it moves
down “through the image” while pulsing it’s vaporizing beam onto the
material. The Nd:YAG laser system achieves the surface image by steering
the beam of light through a lens by means of mirrors controlled by a
computer.
When it comes to producing engraved dog tags both systems are not equal.
The much slower CO2 system produces marks of varying quality depending
on the product color (anodized coating) being marked. Quality is defined
in terms of brightness of the mark. The brighter the better. A high
quality laser engraved mark appears bright white no matter what the
color of the material. With CO2 systems, some marks take on the color
tint of the material being marked resulting in a less desirable looking
image. Trouble colors include red, blue and black. Rarely, if ever will
a CO2 laser produce a bright white mark on custom dog tags of these
colors. Take home message: when placing an order for laser engraved dog
tags always inquire about the equipment being used. If it’s a CO2 laser
you can expect that your image on some colors will not look very
attractive (for example it will look pink on red, light blue on blue and
grey on black colored products). A more consistent and higher quality
engraved dog tags is achieved with Nd:YAG laser systems. In addition to
producing the desired bright white mark that screams quality, Nd:YAG
lasers are much faster than CO2 lasers resulting in lower run-time costs
and savings for you. Custom laser engraved dog tags personalized with
names, logos and messages are promotional products that will sure to
make a great first and lasting impression on the recipient.[Home] [Military]
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