Industrial Marking Solution for Pacific Coast Fabrication

The Challenge

Pacific Coast Fabrication supplies machined aluminum and stainless steel components to customers in the aerospace and industrial sectors. As their aerospace business grew, so did the documentation requirements — specifically, permanent traceability markings on every part: part numbers, serial numbers, date codes, and customer-specific data matrix codes.

Their existing process used a combination of manual stamping and ink marking. Stamped characters were inconsistent and sometimes damaged thin-walled parts. Ink marks were not considered permanent for compliance purposes and required chemical solvents that created disposal costs and safety concerns.

With an AS9100 audit approaching, they needed a reliable, permanent marking solution that could handle variable data (different serial numbers per part) without slowing down the shop floor.

The Solution

Synergy Products assessed Pacific Coast’s part mix and throughput requirements and recommended the Tykma Electrox Merlin Series fiber laser marking workstation — a compact, enclosed system designed for shop floor integration.

The Merlin’s 20W fiber laser permanently marks metal without consumables, tooling changes, or surface prep. EzCad software handles variable data, serial number sequencing, and barcode/data matrix generation natively.

Installation was completed in a single day by Synergy’s service team. The technician configured marking templates for Pacific Coast’s most common part families, set up serial number auto-increment sequences, and trained the operator on the full workflow — mark setup, job execution, and basic maintenance.

Results

The impact was immediate. Parts that previously took 4 minutes to mark — including setup, inking, curing, and cleanup — were completed in under 45 seconds with the laser. That’s an 80% reduction in marking time.

Mark quality was consistent across every part: same depth, same character size, same placement. The marks are permanent and survive the cleaning, finishing, and assembly processes their customers require.

For the AS9100 audit, Pacific Coast documented the laser marking process as their primary traceability method — and passed. The machine’s ability to generate 2D data matrix codes compliant with MIL-STD-130 was a key factor in securing a new aerospace contract shortly after installation.

Chemical consumables related to marking (inks, solvents, cleaners) were eliminated entirely. The only ongoing cost is electricity.

Equipment Used

• Tykma Electrox Merlin Series — 20W enclosed fiber laser workstation, 100mm marking field
• EzCad Software — variable data, serial sequencing, barcode and data matrix generation
• Installation and operator training by Synergy Products

What They Said

“[Placeholder — customer quote to be added upon review and approval.]”

— Operations Manager, Pacific Coast Fabrication Ltd.

Need industrial marking for traceability, compliance, or part identification? Contact us or explore Tykma Electrox systems.