In 2007 we made the decision to invest in our own laser marking machine to help improve processing times and to give us more flexibility in customisation of product. The laser marker etches the surface of the product with virtually any form of graphic from a serial number to a company logo and beyond.

Laser marking is a simple and relatively quick way of marking and/or customising product and provides much more flexibility than traditional stamping. The machine we bought is a MaxBox600 made by Electrox which has a maximum loading pallet size of 300mm/12” square to accommodate virtually any product we manufacture.The MaxBox has adjustable settings so it can cope with all metals – steel, stainless steel, aluminium and even titanium, as well as plastics/PVC. Virtually any image can be converted into the MaxBox software and cycle times vary according to complexity, font type, shading etc. Laser etching is not a colour process giving the option of either dark on plain metal surfaces or white on anodised surfaces however the level of detail can be almost infinite.

This has dramatically improved our flexibility in offering customised finishes. Now products can be fairly simply individually serialised according to UK LOLER requirements. In addition the potential for private labelling is improved as a product can be uniquely marked/customised quite easily and at little extra cost. Under international Standards requirements, the manufacturer must display its recognised mark on any product sold and on something as small as a karabiner or pulley that often limits the ability to display a customer logo too. This is particularly true when stamping and so this is an option that will no longer be available – laser marking will be the preferred method in future. This will actually provide good potential for brand partnering especially as the ISC brand becomes more well-known and desirable. If you require any further information on what can be offered and the costs involved please contact us. Some examples of laser-marked products are pictured below