Commentary

PETCO: Where the lasers go

May 14, 2013

If you haven't used one of the laser machines in your favorite pet store to engrave an ID tag, definitely give it a try.

Gail Overton

Most everyone with a pet knows the slogan "Petco: where the pets go". When I set out to write this blog on laser-engraved pet identification (ID) tags, I wanted to come up with a catchy title so readers would sort of infer what the blog was about and so, "borrowed" this slogan. Unfortunately, the title is misleading because the pet ID tags I had made for my two dogs back in 2009 were from PetSmart, not Petco, and I wasn't able to ascertain from an online search whether Petco has laser-engraving or laser marking systems in its stores or not (perhaps a more informed reader can help me out here). I only know from a quick Google search that Epilog Laser Systems sold a record 563 laser systems to TagWorks back in 2009 for pet ID tag systems specifically for PetSmart. I wonder how many commercial systems exist now?

Anyway, to the heart of the blog: I am impressed by the longevity of my laser-engraved pet ID tags that are now about four years old. The metal itself from which the tags were made has worn quite a bit, but the laser-engraved printing is still as crisp and readable as ever—including the fine print on the back side (see the heart-shaped tag on my malamute Zuni in the photo above).

If you haven't used one of these machines, I would definitely recommend giving it a try. And if you're a laser nerd like me, it's great to show your friends and family how these things work in an actual "commercial" setting—might make you seem less nerdy! Check out these YouTube videos for an idea of how the systems work (direct links to the videos are http://youtu.be/04zBbPhaGf4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi1fFaNuIjE).

Anyway, the videos are not nearly as exciting as going to the store and watching the sparks fly!

In researching these systems on the Internet, it's really quite amazing how much technology goes into the marking process. For example, I'm assuming the pet ID laser systems use carbon-dioxide (CO₂) lasers and not neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG or often shortened to just YAG) type lasers—especially considering that a CO₂ laser system at around 40 W is about $2000 to $6000 dollars while a YAG system runs about $12000 to $25000 dollars (if Alibaba is any indication of competitive pricing).

I'm sure that Industrial Laser Solutions readers understand laser marking much better than I do, as I was surprised to learn that CO₂ lasers are not meant for metal marking (I should know this, really; perhaps I need to read LFW once in a while rather than just write for it). In fact, the short web tutorial from Epilog laser systems (see http://www.epiloglaser.com/tl_yaginfo.htm) explains that the 1064 nm or 1.064 micron YAG wavelength is easily absorbed by most metals for good metal-marking characteristics, while many other materials like wood, acrylic, plastics, cloth, etc. cannot be easily marked with a YAG. Conversely, the 10.64 micron CO₂ laser wavelength—ten times longer than the YAG wavelength—is ideally suited to marking materials other than metal. To mark metals using a CO₂ laser, the metals are typically coated with a laser marking material (LMM) like CerMark or TherMark that is physically bonded to the metal by the heat of the laser creating a permanent black mark. The LMM market is indeed extensive; there is even a blog site devoted to all things CerMark-related; see http://lasermarkingmaterials.blogspot.com/.

So next time you head to one of those specialty stores to buy your pets a treat, check out the laser marking machine and make your pet a tag (I prefer the bone-shaped ones for male dogs and the heart-shaped ones for female dogs). They're worth the extra money and you can impress your loved ones with your extensive laser knowledge on the subject!

About the Author

Gail Overton | Senior Editor (2004-2020)

Gail has more than 30 years of engineering, marketing, product management, and editorial experience in the photonics and optical communications industry. Before joining the staff at Laser Focus World in 2004, she held many product management and product marketing roles in the fiber-optics industry, most notably at Hughes (El Segundo, CA), GTE Labs (Waltham, MA), Corning (Corning, NY), Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR), and Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA). During her marketing career, Gail published articles in WDM Solutions and Sensors magazine and traveled internationally to conduct product and sales training. Gail received her BS degree in physics, with an emphasis in optics, from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in May 1986.