Various type of laser marking systems are used for laser printing and marking on metal surfaces. These permanent codes are essential to ensuring that genuine products and parts can be quickly identified. Some industries that use laser marking on metal surfaces include the following:
- Aerospace and Automotive
- Electrical Components and Electronics
- Medical Devices
- Consumer Packaging
- Beverages
With this list in mind, it is important to remember that additional industries also utilize laser marking on metal. In summary, industries in the market for laser marking are likely to choose Videojet, given its expertise, innovative technology, and robust support capabilities for metal engraving. Let’s explore what laser marking on metal entails and the types of engravings possible with a laser marking machine.
What is Laser Marking on Metal
Laser marking on metal is a technique that uses a laser beam to engrave high-quality and detailed markings on metal surfaces. This marking will be indestructible unless the product is destroyed. Additionally, laser markers do not use any inks or consumables, so it saves you money and it is environmentally friendly.
What kind of markings can you engrave with a laser marking machine? You can engrave anything from serial numbers, barcodes, text, logos, expiration dates, lot numbers, and various other elements.
The importance of engraving on metal is for quality control and traceability. More importantly, the law requires most industries to engrave products for safety and compliance reasons.
Typical laser marking machines that we will go over below are a variety of CO2 laser systems and fiber laser systems.
| Type | Beam Output | Output Power | Maximum Line Speed | Marking Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO2 Laser Markers | Steered Beam | Ranges from 10 to 60 Watts | 900 m/min (2,940 ft/min) | Up to 2,100 characters per second |
| Fiber Laser Markers | Steered Beam | Ranges from 10 to 100 Watts | 900 m/min (2,940 ft/min) | Up to 2,000 characters per second |
CO2 Laser Markers
The picture above is the Videojet 3640 and it’s one of our highest output power CO2 laser machines that can generate up to 60-watts of power. This CO2 laser marker is suitable for many application: metal, aluminum, flexible film, foils, labels, glass, paperboard, plastic, rubber, wood, and lumber.
High performance CO2 laser marking machines are useful for printing on metal. One of the popular choices, these machines have a max speed of up to 2,100 characters per second. Additionally, wavelength options are available to find the best match for your metal surface. CO2 comes with diverse combinations of marking heads, lenses, and laser fume extractors to bring out the best possible match for engraving on metal surfaces.
Fiber Laser Markers
Videojet 7610 Laser Marking Machine
This is one of our highest output power machines which can generate up to 100-watts of power. This fiber laser marking machine is capable of engraving on several applications including metal, flexible films.
Another great option for marking on metal surfaces is with fiber laser markers. Fiber laser markers have the capacity to produce the power output of 10-Watt, 20-Watt, 30-Watt, 50-Watt and 100-Watt of fiber laser. Resulting in crisp and clear codes with high marking speeds, fiber lasers can work with any metal surface. Fiber lasers come with additional and optional laser fume extractors, beam shields, mobile floor stands, and much more.
Types of Metals for Laser Marking
Fiber lasers and CO2 lasers are capable of printing on any type of metal. In fact, laser printing is the preferable option for metal engraving since they excel in resistance to harsh environments. As a result, your marking on metal will be more precise, durable, and visible. Below we will go over the types of metals that laser markers are capable of engraving and how many powers of watts are needed.
Stainless Steel
You can certainly engrave on stainless steel using a laser marker. However, you need a laser marker that uses at least 50 watts to effectively engrave your marking. Therefore, higher wattage lasers like the 50 watt or 100-watt fiber laser marker and even the 60-watt CO2 laser marker can get the job done. These types of metals are more challenging to engrave due to their hardness and resilience.
Aluminum
Second on our list of metals is aluminum. Laser marking on aluminum can be done with many laser markers ranging from at least 20-watts of power. Aluminum can be less dense compared to stainless steel which only requires 20-watts.
However, aluminum metal depends on the thickness of the design which means that thicker aluminum will require more watts for deeper engravings. For deeper engravings on aluminum and faster processing speeds, you can test out higher watt lasers like the 30-watt and 50-watt CO2 and fiber lasers or the 100-watt fiber laser.
Copper
Next on the list of metals is copper. Copper metal can be less dense and etching on this metal requires at least 30-watts. Now this all depends on how heavy and thick this copper metal can which means you will need to go with up to 70-watts of power. For thicker copper metals, the CO2 lasers with 60-watts is more than sufficient. On the other hand, you can use the 30-watt CO2 laser and fiber laser for less dense copper.
Experience Precision in Laser Marking & Printing
Choosing laser printing technology for your operations offers numerous benefits. Most of all, you want to pick a laser marker with exceptional mark quality and durability, high operational uptime, and easy maintenance. However, it is important to recognize that not all lasers or laser suppliers are equal.
You will want to choose the right partner who is equipped with a comprehensive range of tools, deep knowledge of applications, and extensive field support. Since 1985, Videojet has been a leader in laser innovation, consistently expanding the widest possible selection of substrates and applications including metal.
Talk to Videojet to choose your metal laser printer (833) 270-0843
Metal Laser Printing is an ideal solution for:
Customer Feedback:
“Aerospace requires 99% of parts to be marked, which was previously done by hand stamping. A Videojet system has saved a great deal of time in the marking process.”
– IT Director, Small Business Aerospace Company
