Engraving Etc. Website

I met Harvey Lentchner out in Las Vegas at the ARA show and he told me about his website, Engraving Etc. This site is an online resource for the awards and engraving industry. It offers discussion forums on all types of topics related to the industry including tools and equipment, industry news, software, glass etching and sandblasting, dye sub and imaging, FAQ's, and engraving tips and tricks. It also has an advertising section where you can place an ad. I did a keyword search and found that there were almost 500 posts on the site that had "CerMark" in them. Wow! I think the site is a great resource, if you are interested it is located at www.engravingetc.org

Mr. Science

ARA Show Report

We're back from the ARA Show in Las Vegas and I think it was a great success. We displayed some of our latest work and new products and generated quite a bit of interest. Many people were interested in our multi-color images that we produced with the CerMark glass and ceramic marking materials. These images were produced by taking a standard JPG image and using Paint Shop Pro to split the image into the C, M, Y, and K color separations. The separations were then used to make the marks. One of the CerMark
colors was applied and then marked using one of
the separations, then the tile was washed off. Then another color was applied, marked with a different separation, and washed off. This produces a multi-color image like the ones you can see on the tiles in the picture at the right. We also met with a company that is making some very nice multi-color images using our marking materials. Atomic Art Images is producing some very good images that you can take a look at in their galleries at: http://www.atomicartimages.com

We have also updated all of our technical literature for 2006. If anyone would like a CD with our updated info, or if you have any questions about making multi-colored marks like those you see here, contact Dave or myself at smithde@ferro.com or weirs@ferro.com.

Mr. Science

LMM-6000 Aerosol Can - Problems with Spray Valve

The LMM-6000 Aerosol Can package has in the past been known to clog or spit during normal usage. These issues were related to the material settling in the bottom of the can. The settled material could be sucked into the nozzle and valve system of the can, as seen to the right, causing a clog. The LMM-6000 Aerosol Can has been reformulated to correct this issue, and the settling has been largely eliminated.

Some users may still experience clogging of the LMM-6000 can. Our testing has determined that this may be due to a problem with the valve used on the can. The gasket in the valve may not completely seal, causing leakage to occur. If it occurs, the leakage can be seen under the nozzle, in the metal cup, as seen at below right. The gasket problem can cause clogging and leaking of the can.

To help prevent this condition, we recommend a thorough cleaning of the nozzle and valve after each use of the can. The nozzle should be removed from the can and cleaned with warm water. The can valve should also be cleaned well with warm water to remove all traces of LMM-6000 material. Spinning the nozzle slightly while removing and inserting into the can valve will also help loosen any dried material that could cause clogging. Keeping the valve and nozzle system clean should allow continued use of the LMM-6000 Aerosol Can.




Additional Information

Questions about properties of this product, application techniques or laser settings can be directed to:

Dave Smith (724) 250-5503
Marketing Manager

Sean Weir (724) 229-5161
R&D and Technical Service

Wanda McDowell (800) 245-4951, ext. 5167
Customer Service - Orders

CerMark to Exhibit at the ARA Show in Las Vegas

Ferro Corporation will be exhibiting at the ARA Show in Las Vegas on March 2nd through March 4th, 2006. The Awards and Recognition Association (ARA) is a membership organization of 4,000 companies dedicated to increasing the professionalism of recognition specialists and advancing the awards and engraving industry. We will have an exhibit space displaying metal, glass and ceramic objects laser marked using CerMark Laser Marking Materials. Dave and I will be available during the show to answer your questions about using our products, the applications of our products, and to give you pointers on obtaining the best results with the marking materials. We will also be planning on giving a 20 minute "Quick Tip" seminar on the show floor that will demonstrate the use of our products. If you are a professional working in the awards and engraving industry, this is a show you need to attend. Hope to see you there!

Mr. Science

To learn more about the ARA, or to download the show brochure, visit www.ara.org

CerMark Laser Marks Survive The Rigors of Outer Space!!!

Ferro Corp.'s CerMark laser marking materials have survived nearly four years of Low Earth Orbit exposure on the exterior of the International Space Station. CerMark supplied bar code test marks on aluminum and glass, passing NASA's criteria for its Material International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). MISSE was a multi-stage experiment designed to establish part identification methods and techniques that might survive the rigors of space.

On the lower portion of the ISS airlock chamber, the marks were exposed to the experiment's harshest conditions, receiving the maximum amount of UV radiation and atomic oxidation. Post-flight, NASA evaluated each mark based on percentage of contrast, axial uniformity, print growth and error correction. The marks passed all of NASA's test criteria, grading no lower than a "B" on all of the markings.

"This is a significant achievement for CerMark's laser marking business and Ferro Corporation as well," said David Smith, sales manager, Laser Marking. "Our products have consistently produced high-quality, durable marks for years -- and few products can claim space as a test market. We welcomed the opportunity and are extremely pleased with the results."

For more information about CerMark's laser marking materials or the MISSE experiment, please contact Dave Smith at (800) 245-4951, ext. 5503, or at smithde@ferro.com

LMM-6000 Aerosol Cans Ready To Go.....

The new CerMark LMM-6000 Laser Marking Spray cans are now available again. This new package has been reformulated to prevent clogging and spitting issues you may have experienced before when using the aerosol cans. The new cans won't clog or spit, and spray performance has been improved. A new nozzle and propellant combination will provide a better spray pattern with more efficiency than the old can. The material's performance is unchanged. You will still get the same dark, black, high contrast mark as you achieved before with the old cans, or even with the LMM-6000 paste. All of the active ingredients are still the same, so you can now make the same high quality marks you need with an easier to use package.

To order a new can, please call Wanda at

(800) 245-4951, ext. 5167

Lining Up Marks - Part Two

Another technique we've found useful when lining up artwork or marks on an object is the use of black paper. Black paper is actually pretty hard to find in a store, so we make our own with a photocopier. If you run off some copies with the cover of the copier open and nothing in it, the copies will come out black. You can then use small pieces of this paper to test out the size of your markings. If you run the laser at a low power and a fast write speed, this will etch off the black ink and leave your image on the paper in white. You may have to experiment a little to get the settings just right. This can be a pretty handy tool for testing whether or not a particular design or mark will fit into a certain space on an object.