| 20110013177 | LASER DIODE TESTING METHOD - An apparatus and method for verifying a laser etch on a rubber sample. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a tire production line, a sample holding device, a laser having a diode, and a servo-assembly. The laser of the apparatus is configured to etch indicia on a sidewall of a tire on the tire production line and is further configured to etch at least one line in a rubber sample on the sample holding device. In one embodiment, the method includes etching a production tire with a laser, interrupting the laser, moving the laser to a laser diode testing location, loading a rubber sample in a holding device, etching at least one line into the rubber sample with the laser, manually or automatically measuring a depth of the at least one line, and comparing the depth of the at least one line to an acceptable line depth range. | 01-20-2011 |
