A Quick Guide to Laser Marking Pharmaceuticals

One of the primary applications of laser marking technology is in the pharmaceutical industry. Our quick guide explores laser marking technology in pharmaceuticals and how they’re used.

WHY DO PHARMACEUTICALS MARK PILLS AND TABLETS?

If you’ve ever had to take prescription pills or tablets, you’ve probably noticed the drugs’ small and detailed markings and labels. What are these markings, and what is their purpose?

These special pill and tablet markings are for the pharmaceutical imprint code the FDA requires for pill identification. The pharmaceutical imprint code helps provide critical information, like the drug’s name, manufacturer, ingredients, and dosage strength, without needing a container or label.

HOW DO PHARMACEUTICALS MARK PILLS AND TABLETS?

Drugs and tablets require some marking for identification, but how do pharmaceutical companies make permanent marks on such small and fragile materials? Whereas other labels can peel off and printed markings can smear or dissolve, laser markings provide permanent identification.

Pharmaceutical laser marking machines can precisely and delicately mark the smallest pills and tablets with detail and without damaging the material.

WHAT IS LASER MARKING?

Laser marking is the process of permanently marking the surface of a material with a focused beam of light or light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (laser). Laser markings have three subsets: engraving, etching, and annealing.

Engraving and etching make permanent marks by burrowing into the material without abrasion, while laser annealing uses the laser’s heat to create permanent marks beneath the surface. Not all lasers are the same, and different lasers are utilized for certain applications. In the case of pharmaceuticals, the most common laser type are CO2 lasers.

HOW DOES CO2 LASER MARKING WORK?

CO2 lasers are the most common form of laser marking in pharmaceuticals, but how do they work? In a CO2 laser, the CO2 gas is confined in a cylinder container with electrodes used for electrical discharge.

The electrical discharge of the electrodes generates plasma within the CO2 gas. The light in the tube travels back and forth between the reflective mirror and the output coupler until the output is a laser.

We hope our quick guide has helped you learn more about laser markings, pharmaceuticals, and how they intersect. Contact our helpful staff today if you’d like to learn more about pharmaceutical laser marking equipment and machines!