Laser marking is the process of marking parts or workpieces using laser technology. A laser beam hits the material, and its energy creates a reaction that leaves a permanent mark. The speed, power, and focus of the laser beam on the part will lead to different laser processes. You can mark using laser engraving, laser etching, laser annealing, or laser ablation.
Choosing the right laser technology and configuration is key to successfully mark your parts. To determine what you need, you must first define your application requirements. This includes information like:
Keep reading to learn how these requirements will help determine the laser system, power, and process you need for laser marking.
Wavelengths emitted by most industrial laser systems can&#;t be seen by the naked eye, so they&#;re hard to imagine. Yet, different materials react differently to different wavelengths.
Each material has a unique composition that absorbs certain wavelengths and not others. Since lasers produce a single wavelength, they&#;re highly specialized tools for marking very specific materials. Different materials thus have different laser requirements.
Depending on your material, you&#;ll either need a fiber laser system or a CO2 laser system.
The various types of lasers emit different wavelengths based on their gain medium&#;a component of the laser source. The material you&#;ll be marking will dictate which type of laser marking system you need.
Fiber laser systems are sometimes considered to be solid-state lasers. They have a laser source that includes an optical fiber that contains a rare-earth metal like ytterbium. They produce laser light on a wavelength of approximately 1 micrometer ( nm). Most metals react well with fiber laser marking.
Gas-state laser systems have a laser source that includes gas. The most widely known gas lasers are CO2 lasers. These laser marking systems can produce laser light on wavelengths that range from 9 micrometers to 10.6 micrometers (9,000&#;10,600 nm). Most organic compounds react well with these wavelengths. But as opposed to fiber laser systems, metals react poorly with these wavelengths.
Tell us about your application
Your application will dictate which laser marking process you need. For example, you may need to create highly resistant marks that cannot be erased. Or, you may need to fit the marking process within a specific cycle time.
To choose a laser process, you must understand your needs and your production process.
Laser engraving engraves marks deep in the material by disintegrating part of the material into dust. For example, laser engraving machines can be used for VIN marking, which typically requires deep markings that ensure durability and prevent falsification. They can also be used for marks that need to be resistant to aggressive post treatments like shotblasting.
Laser etching is usually used when the laser marking process must be as fast as possible to integrate a production line. This technology melts the material surface nearly instantly, creating high and low bumps on the surface of the material. This creates, for example, high-contrast black and white marks.
Laser annealing causes a chemical change under the material surface. Nothing is disintegrated, nothing is displaced, and nothing melts. It&#;s one of the only solutions for marking stainless steel, whose surface must remain unaffected by the mark. Laser annealing is also used for esthetic applications like logos. Although slower than other laser marking processes, it creates the most beautiful surface finish.
Laser ablation creates a mark by removing from the surface something other than the material (typically paint). Part of the paint can be removed to mark an identifier like a barcode. Laser ablation is the same thing as laser cleaning. The only difference is the application: the goal is to mark, not clean. In certain cases, laser ablation is the fastest laser marking solution. For example, removing paint is faster than marking steel.
Click your material to find out which laser processes you can use:
Goto ezcad to know more.
If you increase laser power, you can achieve a higher energy density. Since different laser marking technologies need different energy densities, more laser power may be needed for certain applications. For example, laser engraving is the marking technology that requires the highest energy density.
But the higher the power, the higher the cost. Fortunately, if increasing laser power is key in increasing a laser beam&#;s energy density, it&#;s not the only way.
Laser beams can either be pulsed or continuous. Continuous-wave lasers emit laser beams at a continuous rate. Pulsed lasers emit laser beams at a set repetition rate.
When a laser beam is pulsed, it can achieve higher peaks of energy for the same laser power. This is like hitting a nail with a hammer. The faster you hit it, the less power you have for each blow.
Pulsed laser systems can thus be used for marking applications that demand a higher power density than continuous-wave laser systems. They can also perform tasks at a higher speed.
Laser engraving systems manufactured by Laserax either emit pulsed or continuous laser beams. Since metals demand a higher energy density than organic materials, laser beams are pulsed for fiber laser systems and continuous for CO2 systems.
Watch the following video to see a fiber laser marking machine in action.
More and more manufacturing industries are choosing lasers as their marking solution. And there are good reasons for it.
With laser marking, you get to mark directly and permanently on the part. And unlike other marking methods, the marking process can be performed at the beginning of the production line.
Even if the marking is performed before treatments like shotblasting and e-coating, you keep high-quality marks throughout the part&#;s entire lifetime. You don&#;t need to worry about preserving the quality of data matrix codes, barcodes, or alphanumeric serial numbers.
Having no consumables simplifies the marking operation, and it contributes to improving health and safety in the workplace by replacing technologies that use chemicals or ink. Getting rid of consumables is also cost effective since you reduce yearly operation costs.
Laser marking machines and systems have no moving parts, which means that their components are less likely to break. Laser machines thus require less maintenance and are less wasteful than the machines they replace. Their laser source is highly reliable, having a mean time before failure of 100,000 hours, which can represent over 10 years of operation depending on the daily use.
Tell us about your application
When choosing the correct laser marking system for your business many factors should be taken into consideration. Throughout this process, you should evaluate all laser marking models to determine the proper wavelength, wattage, marking field of view, and safety requirements. Below are the main factors:
&#;Materials &#; this will narrow down laser marking models by wavelength.
&#;Time allowed for marking &#; with marking time you can determine wattage.
&#;Marking Style/Setup &#; whether it is a large logo or a matrix of small text this will determine the marking field of view.
&#;Integration style &#; safety is always a priority so inline vs offline solutions will change the safety requirements.
For more laser marking softwareinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.