With the launch of its MarkUS 2.12 laser marking software, the German company FOBA (www.fobalaser.com) — represented in the UK by Bromsgrove-based TLM Laser Ltd (www.tlm-laser.com) — introduces not only a range of advances in vision-based laser marking but also cost savings in direct part-marking.

The major enhancement offered by this latest update is the patent-pending full-field imaging technology ‘Mosaic’, which enhances automated mark alignment and makes product fixtures obsolete; operators can now place the parts to be marked in any orientation within the marking field for the mark to still be perfectly aligned.

Mosaic combines through-the-lens vision with the ‘tiling’ of multiple images, which are then stitched together to form a single image that covers the entire marking area.

This “simulates a virtually straight-down view” that is generated by a miniature camera embedded inside the laser scan head.

The MarkUS 2.12 software also includes a Laser Parameter Expert that makes it easier and quicker for operators to select the right marking parameters and achieve the required mark quality on specific materials.

FOBA products are now also supported by an EtherCAT interface, which improves the system’s interoperability in industrial environments, while a new lighting arrangement for the built-in camera addresses the challenges presented when imaging curved and shiny parts.

This new lighting also improves the OCV (optical character verification) and 2-D code validation capabilities included in FOBA’s vision-based laser marking systems.