Engine manufacturer drives traceability ambitions

Once the need was identified, Gibson Technology worked closely with specialist supplier Laser Lines, to understand more about the different laser marking systems that were available.

“Performance and reliability are critically important attributes in the class of racing engines that we design and manufacture here at Gibson Technology,” explained Operations Director, John Manchester. “In case there ever is a problem with a component, we need to individually mark each part used in each engine with a unique manufacturing batch number to provide full traceability of when a part was produced, the material specification that was used and the engines that the components have been fitted in.”

Gibson Technology needed to be able to mark anything from carbon fibre, titanium and steel, through to aluminium and plastic in a variety of shapes and sizes.

“The consistency and accuracy of the marks across different parts was a very important consideration for us,” continued Manchester. “However, the speed and ease of marking was also extremely important to ensure that other areas of the manufacturing process were not delayed.”

Gibson Technology had previously used dot peen technology to mark parts, however the system proved to be extremely time-consuming and was difficult to use, making the whole process inefficient. 

Chris Ogden, Industrial & Scientific Laser Division Manager at Laser Lines, added: “To help Gibson Technology feel assured that they were choosing a solution that would best meet their requirements, we arranged an onsite demonstration. During this consultative meeting, we were able mark a range of different materials for Gibson so they could see the quality and consistency of the marks first-hand and evaluate the ease of use.”

Manchester continued: “The Datalogic Ulyxe laser marking system came out on top. While there were many different systems out there, the speed and accuracy of the marks produced by the Datalogic system was far superior to the other competitors.”

In addition to supplying the laser marker itself, Laser Lines also provided an appropriate sized workstation to Gibson Technology that would enable them to mark both small and large parts and provide the required levels of safety for operators when the machine is in use. Training was also delivered by the Laser Lines engineer on the same day that the system was installed and calibrated to ensure the client was up and running as soon as possible.

“Being able to mark parts in the manner we do now has already had a big impact on our operations,” Manchester added. “Reducing the process time from the shop floor through to inspection to actual assembly has been a big advantage to us. It was always really important for us to identify a machine that we knew would be accurate, consistent and reliable and certainly with the Datalogic solution we have met all those requirements.” 

Kamran Farooq, UK & Ireland Sales Manager, Manufacturing at Datalogic, concluded: “We have worked in partnership with Laser Lines for 20 years and are thrilled to have been involved in delivering this exciting laser marking application for Gibson Technology. With such a diverse range of materials to mark, we are pleased to see the Ulyxe system excelling to provide enhanced traceability for these high-performance engines."