Are you looking to boost your product labeling game with laser marking machines but are confused about which one is right for your business? Well, we have all the information you will need right here. With their higher efficacy and smoother working, laser marking machines have taken the industry by storm recently.
All your competitors are buying them so they can increase production. We understand that you don’t want to be left behind in this race and wish to buy one for yourself. However, there are many lasers marking machines in the market.
Finding out which is best for your business and is within your budget at the same time is no easy task. A wrong decision, and you will find yourself looking at an incredible loss. However, don’t worry, as we have everything.
This article will cover the features of the five types of laser marking machines and their drawbacks. So, keep reading.
What Is Laser Marking Machine?
Lasers are monochromatic beams with high coherence and travel in parallel rays. The beam reacts with the surface to form a design. With a laser-making machine, you can utilize these properties of laser to create markings on the target surfaces.
A critical difference between engraving and marking is that marking achieves its results through discoloration, whereas engraving creates indentations.
Types Of Laser Marking Machines
Here we will discuss the five types of laser marking machines.
1. Fiber Laser Marking Machines
Fiber Laser Machines are one of the popular machines these days. They operate on a power level from 20 to 50 watts, making them the most powerful beams in the market. With smaller spot sizes, these machines are perfect for depth etching on harder metals.
Moreover, they can be used for cutting fragile metals with ultra-fine precision. It can work on substrates like plastics, coated metals, coated glass, acrylic, wood, rubber, etc. You can also use it for annealing, foaming, and carbonizing purposes.
Additionally, it has the highest conversion rate out of all the types – 25%. However, when using on thick or highly reflective metals, its operating speed will slow down.
Best Selling Fiber Laser Machines
2. Green Laser Marking Machines
As the name suggests, green laser marking machines operate in the green – visible light spectrum. They operate on a wavelength of 532 nm and a power range of 5 to 10 watts. There are many advantages of operating at this wavelength—the chief one being that they have excellent absorption in materials.
It does so without raising the thermal energy. Moreover, green laser machines offer very high precisions since their tight spot go as small as 10 micrometers. All of these benefits make it the perfect machine for marking reflective and sensitive materials.
These include semiconductors, PCB, ceramics, epoxy resins, IC chips, silicon wafers, and other softer plastics. You can also use it for engraving surfaces of glass products such as mobile phone screens and LCDs. The drawback of using green laser machines is that they are very high-cost performance and are not best for depth marking.
Best Selling Green Laser Marking Machines
3. UV Laser Marking Machines
UV laser machines are equipped with a beam that operates in the ultraviolet region. UV light has a wavelength from 10 to 400 nanometers. It is one of the best marking machines with a uniform laser power density, fine light spot, and stable output optical power.
It has a high marking speed compared to the CO2 laser marking machine. It also produces minimum heat while marking objects. Moreover, the performance and maintenance costs are pretty low. UV laser machines have applications in the medical industry because of their features.
They are used to mark heat-sensitive plastics such as syringes and cylinders. They are also used in the IT industry to mark microchips and circuit boards. However, when deciding to use a UV laser machine, the biggest problem is that the machine is quite expensive itself – ranging up to 20,000$. Moreover, they are not ideal for deep etching.
Best Selling UV Laser Marking Machines
4. CO2 Laser Marking Machines
This marking machine has been in use for ages.CO2 laser marking machines uses gas as a laser source. It operates in the infrared region with a wavelength of 10.64 micrometers. All the gas molecules release the laser and join to form the beam.
CO2 laser machines have broad applications in several industries – from food to electrical appliances. It’s best for nonmetallic materials such as wood, glass, quartz, ceramics, and fabrics. Before using it on metals, the target metallic surface must be treated with a special marking agent. Only then will the machine be able to engrave on the metal.
They are mainly used for producing bar codes, serial numbers, etc. However, the machines have a high-power consumption and maintenance cost with only a 10% conversion rate.
Best Selling CO2 Laser Marking Machines
5. Mopa Laser Marking Machines
Mopa fiber lasers have semiconductor diodes for a pumping mechanism while doped fiber optic cable for a gain medium. It has higher efficiency than fiber laser machines since they can reach an amplitude of 27000 kHz.
These machines are perfect for use on stainless steel since they can produce multiple color markings allowing users to create intricate designs. Moreover, it is used to make black and white markings on anodized aluminum phone casings.
The most significant advantage to using Mopa laser machines is that you can control melting/burning while working on plastics. However, they cannot work on wood and glass. Additionally, since they have a variable pulse length, operating them can be quite a task.
Best Selling Mopa Laser Marking Machines
Final Words
Summing it up, laser marking machines have revolutionized the industry. They have made labeling products easier by reducing time and effort. There are many types of machines in use – each suited for a different material.
Fiber laser is best for metals, while green laser is best for the IT industry. Moreover, UV lasers are suited for glasswork, while CO2 can be used for nonmetallic materials.