Apparatus and method for the decoration of foodstuffs
The present invention provides a wafer product decorating apparatus comprising a laser, a collimator, at least one galvanometer driven mirror, and an aspheric scan lens, the apparatus being positionable relative to the wafer product to be decorated wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a laser beam having a spot size of from 100 to 750 μm in diameter on the surface of the product to be decorated and a substantially flat focal plane, characterised in that the focal plane has a depth of field of from 5 mm to 20 mm and that the focal plane of the laser beam is from 5 mm to 30 mm above or below the surface of the product to be decorated. The invention also provides a process for decorating a wafer product.
1. A wafer product decorating apparatus comprising a laser ( 6 ), a collimator ( 7 ), at least one galvanometer driven mirror ( 8 ), and an aspheric scan lens ( 9 ), the apparatus being positionable relative to the wafer product to be decorated wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a laser beam having
a spot size of from 100 to 750 μm in diameter on the surface of the product to be decorated and
a substantially flat focal plane,
characterised in that
the focal plane has a depth of field of from 5 mm to 20 mm and that
the focal plane of the laser beam is from 5 mm to 30 mm above or below the surface of the product to be decorated, wherein the wafer product is a cone.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the laser is a CO2 laser.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the spot size is from 150 μm to 700 μm in diameter.
4. An apparatus according to any of claim 1 wherein the spot size is from 250 μm to 600 μm in diameter.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the focal plane of the laser beam is from 7.5 mm to 27.5 mm above the surface of the wafer-based product that is to be decorated.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the focal plane of the laser beam is from 7.5 mm to 27.5 mm below the surface of the wafer-based product that is to be decorated.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the depth of field of the focal plane is from 5.5 mm to 17.5 mm.