Achieving More With Less Optimizing Polyamide Laser Markings with EXPLAZ
Achieving More with Less: Optimizing Polyamide Laser Markings with EXPLAZ™
Chances are, you've held an item in the last week with some type of laser marking. Industries across the globe are increasingly relying on laser marking for traceability, branding, and product identification. While laser marking is not a new technology, manufacturers face a familiar challenge: Creating dark, highly legible markings while preserving appearance and performance of the base polymer.
For polyamide applications, striking that balance can be particularly difficult. Traditional laser marking additives often come with aesthetic and performance compromises that can impact functionality and visual appeal. Milliken, leveraging its extensive materials science expertise, developed a new technology to help overcome current limitations.
Curious about the result? Discover more about Milliken's new laser marking additive, EXPLAZ™.
Why is Demand for Laser Marking Capabilities Growing?
Laser marking has become an essential manufacturing tool because it offers permanent, durable identification without the need for inks, labels, or additional processing steps.
However, polyamide component manufacturers often encounter competing requirements:
- Consistent color across marked and unmarked parts
- Reliable, machine-readable codes and markings
- Strong contrast at low additive levels
- Easier color matching during formulation development
These requirements are especially important in industries where product identification, regulatory compliance, and traceability are critical. Medical devices, automotive connectors, electronic components, packaging, and consumer products all depend on clear, durable markings that remain readable throughout a product's lifecycle.
What is EXPLAZ™?
Milliken developed the EXPLAZ™ additive as a response to the growing need for laser markings. This new laser marking additive allows manufacturers to deliver dark, high-contrast laser markings at low additive loadings while minimizing the impact on the underlying color of the material.
Is there an Impact on a Polyamide’s Background Color When Using EXPLAZ™?
One of the differentiating features of EXPLAZ™ is its ability to generate laser-marking performance with significantly less influence on the background color of polyamide formulations.
Conventional laser marking additives can darken white formulations or shift color tones, making it more challenging for compounders and brand owners to achieve target aesthetics. However, EXPLAZ™ consistently produces lower color change values compared to alternative solutions across multiple loading levels.
In practice, this means:
- Reduced gray shift in white formulations
- Brighter whites and more vibrant colors
- Easier color matching during product development
- Greater design flexibility for manufacturers
By minimizing the effect on the base color, manufacturers can focus on achieving the desired appearance without sacrificing marking performance.
How Does EXPLAZ™ Contribute to Marking Appearance?
While preserving color is important, marking performance ultimately depends on contrast and readability. EXPLAZ™ is designed to deliver dark markings at low additive loadings, helping manufacturers reduce formulation complexity while maintaining excellent marking quality.
Lower loading requirements can provide several benefits:
- Improved formulation efficiency
- Reduced impact on overall material properties
- Greater flexibility during compounding
- Cost-effective performance gains
For manufacturers seeking a balance between appearance, performance, and processability, this combination represents a significant advantage.
Does EXPLAZ Assist with Reliable Traceability Needs?
As digital traceability requirements continue to expand, the quality of machine-readable markings has become increasingly important.
Milliken evaluated EXPLAZ™ using established QR-code grading methods and measurement systems aligned with ISO/IEC TR 29158 standards. Results demonstrates that the technology can readily achieve an A-rating for dark markings at minimal loading levels, supporting the creation of reliable, scannable identification codes.
This capability is particularly valuable for applications where accurate scanning is essential to manufacturing operations, product authentication, inventory management, or regulatory compliance.
Which Industries Can Use EXPLAZ™?
Because of its combination of marking performance and aesthetic control, EXPLAZ™ is well suited for a broad range of polyamide applications, including:
- Medical devices and surgical instruments
- Electronics and telecommunications components
- Automotive connectors and under-the-hood parts
- Packaging with product identification and expiration coding
- Consumer products featuring barcodes or QR code traceability
Across these markets, manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver both functionality and appearance. EXPLAZ™ helps bridge that gap.
A New Approach to Laser Marking in Polyamides
As product identification requirements become more demanding, manufacturers need solutions that perform without compromise. EXPLAZ™ provides a new approach, combining dark, high-contrast laser markings with reduced impact on base color, to help compounders and brand owners achieve technical and aesthetic goals.