SURFACE MARKING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF VIEWING MARKING INDICIA

A surface marking system for providing a surface with a reflective marking for inspection by a vision system. The surface marking system comprises at least one corner cube cavity formed in the surface to be marked, the at least one corner cube cavity comprises three substantially planar surfaces, each of the three substantially planar surfaces extending perpendicular to one another. The three substantially planar surfaces intersecting one another at a point common to all of the three substantially planar surfaces and a ridge is formed between each of the mating adjacent pairs of the three substantially planar surfaces. An impact tool with the desire geometry or etched art work is employed to form the corner cube cavities. A method is also disclosed of inspecting the marking indicia on a surface comprising a light source, a collimating lens for collimating the light, and a mirror for reflecting the light toward a beam splitter which transmits a portion of the light toward the surface of the object where it is reflected by the corner cube cavities back toward and through the beam splitter where it is sensed by a sensing device.