Dual-Format Laser-Marking Innovation: Compound and Masterbatch Solutions Delivering Superior Readability
Hello! I’m Wilfried Grob from Penn Color’s European Sales team. At Penn Color, we strive to deliver a best-in-class customer experience by developing tailored solutions that address unmet needs across the plastics value chain.
In this case, one of our global customers—experiencing rapid business growth—needed a new solution to enable laser marking on polypropylene jackets for data cables. Beyond meeting the technical requirements, the customer also wanted to simplify operations, while maintaining the flexibility to handle both very small and very large production runs. The challenge called for functionality, flexibility, and speed, hence cost efficiency.
To achieve this, we worked closely with the polymer supplier, the laser pigment supplier, the customer’s technical team, and our own Penn Color development experts. Together, we created a solid base formulation, then refined it into multiple variants and validated each one for markability and compatibility as a true solution for the existing manufacturing process. Our ability to design, test, and adjust formulations quickly in-house, combined with open communication and swift follow-up, ensured fast progress and confidence at every stage of development.
Ultimately, the laser-marking solution was offered in two formats: a compound, which eliminates the risk of non-quality and reduces complexity and setup time for small runs, and a masterbatch, best suited to optimize manufacturing costs for longer runs. This collaboration achieved two important goals at once—helping the customer grow their top line with a superior product that enables durable and easy identification of data cables, while also strengthening their process efficiencies.
By working hand in hand across the value chain, Penn Color delivered a solution that not only met every technical and operational requirement but also demonstrated how functional innovation and close partnership drive lasting customer success.
