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How to Choose a High-Speed Laser Marking Machine

authorIcon By Olivier Proulx on September 30, 2024 topicIcon Laser Marking

For industrial laser marking, high-speed lasers are essential to meet tight production schedules while maintaining high-quality standards. But with so many options available, choosing can be confusing. After all, you want a machine that not only performs at high speeds, but that is also cost effective.

In this article, we’ll break down the key considerations to select a high-speed laser marking machine that best fits your needs. From understanding the different types of lasers to evaluating important features and automation options, we aim to help you choose the right machine.

Table of Contents

What is the Best Laser for High-Speed Marking?

Fiber lasers are typically the best choice for high-speed marking applications because they can achieve higher power levels and thus faster processing speeds.

Fiber lasers also require less maintenance than other types of lasers, which means there is more uptime and fewer interruptions.

An important factor to consider when choosing a laser is the type of material you're working with. Different materials absorb laser light in varying ways, which can affect the speed of the marking process. For example, metals and certain plastics absorb fiber laser light really well. However, CO2 or UV lasers may be better suited to materials like wood or glass.

Below is a comparison of how fiber lasers, CO2 lasers, and UV lasers are used:

Laser Type Best Suited Materials Typical Applications & Industries Maintenance
Fiber Laser
  • Metals
  • Plastics
  • Permanent markings
  • High-speed marking
  • High-contrast markings
  • Industrial environments
  • Laser annealing process (color change without etching) available for iron-based materials
  • Automotive industry & traceability
  • Lens cleaning to remove dust accumulation
  • No need for frequent calibration
  • Air-cooled units require low maintenance (filters); water-cooled units require more maintenance (pumps, filters, fluid levels)
  • Laser source with a long lifespan (+10 years)
CO2 Laser
  • Wood
  • Glass
  • Ceramics
  • Permanent markings on organic materials
  • Non-permanent markings possible on metals (with a marking spray)
  • Small businesses & DIY projects
  • Lens & mirror cleaning to remove dust accumulation
  • Optical alignment
  • Gas refill or replacement
  • Water cooling requires regular inspection (pumps, filters, fluid levels)
  • Average lifespan
UV Laser
  • Plastics
  • Synthetic fiber materials
  • Acrylic
  • Glass
  • Silicone
  • Permanent markings
  • Color change without etching
  • Medical industry
  • Frequent cleaning and recalibration of optical components
  • Air-cooled units require low maintenance (filters); water-cooled units require more maintenance (pumps, filters, fluid levels)
  • Sensitive components require careful handling
  • Short lifespan

What to Look for in a High-Speed Laser?

When looking for a high-speed laser marker, some features are essential. Here are the ones we recommend when we customize machines for our clients.

Air Knives to Minimize Lens Cleaning

During laser marking, a small portion of the material is removed and turned into dust. This dust tends to accumulate on the lens and, over time, reduces the marking quality by blocking the beam.

For this reason, all types of lasers require routine maintenance for lens cleaning.

To make the most of the laser’s high speed, air knives can be installed on the lens to blow air and prevent dust accumulation. Air knives help reduce the frequency of manual lens cleaning, resulting in longer intervals between maintenance stops. They are essential in high-throughput operations where every minute counts.

We almost always recommend air knives because they are not very expensive and can save you a lot of time.

Laser Power to Match Your Cycle Time

Laser power is one of the most important factors that affects the speed of the marking process. As a general rule, if you double the output power, you almost double the laser marking speed. For example, a 100W laser is approximately twice as fast as a 50W laser.

sand casting plants.

To evaluate the power needed for your application, it’s best to discuss your application with an expert and provide them with the following information:

  • The type of the identifier you want to engrave (QR code, DMC code, serial number, etc.)
  • The size of the identifier
  • The information you want to encode
  • The type of material being engraved
  • The shape of the marking area

To optimize the cycle time, we generally recommend that our clients minimize the amount of information they store in 2D codes. This allows them to make smaller codes that are faster to mark. You can still store extra information in a database. You can learn more about how barcodes work here.

Pulsed Laser Technology for Efficient Marking

The way laser power is presented can be misleading because of the information that is omitted.

If you see a 100W laser, are you right to assume that it is faster than a 50W laser?

Well, it depends.

When you look at a laser’s spec sheet, you need to know whether the laser beam output is pulsed or continuous. A 50W pulsed laser can be faster than a 100W continuous laser because it makes a better use of its energy.

Continuous lasers always release the same amount of energy. Pulsed lasers build up energy and release it in pulses. This allows them to achieve a higher peak power.

Here are some numbers to give you a concrete idea of why pulsed lasers are more powerful.

peak power of 10,000 watts.

A 50W pulsed laser can hit the surface with 50,000 pulses of 10,000W per second.

In laser marking applications, the high peak power of a pulsed laser creates marks easily in the material. With continuous lasers, the peak power is typically not enough to ablate the material and generate permanent marks at high speed.

Pulsed laser markers are typically more expensive than continuous lasers because they require additional components.

The Right Wavelength for Your Material

Laser wavelength table

The wavelength absorption of different metals. Image courtesy of Novika Solutions.

Choosing the right wavelength is crucial because different materials absorb laser energy at different rates. Metals, plastics, and ceramics all respond to wavelengths in unique ways.

Metals, for example, absorb laser energy better at shorter wavelengths, like the infrared light produced by fiber lasers.

Plastics, on the other hand, require CO2 or ultraviolet (UV) lasers to ensure precise marks without damaging the material.

The wavelength also impacts the marking speed. When a material absorbs the laser efficiently, the marking process is faster because less energy is wasted. If the wavelength isn't a good match, the laser has to work harder, which slows down the process.

The Fastest Marking Process

Laser marking can be done using different sets of parameters and optical configurations. We call these laser processes.

Each laser marking process affects the surface in its own unique way. Most importantly, for a high-speed application, some processes are much faster than others.

Here is an overview of common laser marking processes.

Laser Etching

 

 

Laser etching is the fastest process, as it alters only the material's surface by heating and expanding it. This process is ideal for high-speed applications. It is also more affordable than other processes because it does not require a high-power laser.

Laser Engraving

 

 

Laser engraving removes material to create deeper marks, making it slower but more durable. The deeper the engraving, the more time it requires. Laser engraving is typically more expensive because it requires a more powerful laser.

Laser Annealing

 

Laser annealing does not remove or alter the material's surface. Instead, it uses heat to change the color of metals with iron in them, such as stainless steel and titanium. Changes occur under the surface. It is used when the integrity of the material must remain untouched while still achieving high-quality marks.

This process slowly heats the surface, which allows oxygen to penetrate it without melting or ablating the material. Because of the way this process works, there is no point in using a high-speed laser.

Automation Adapted to Your Production Reality

Laser machines are available in various forms for high-speed applications. Here’s an overview of our fiber laser marking machines.

1. Manually Loaded Rotary Table

This portable workstation provides maximum throughput for a manually loaded machine. With a rotary table, operators can load new parts while others are being laser marked, ensuring continuous operation.

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Manually loaded rotary table laser machine

2. Fully Automated Rotary Table

This rotary machine is the most efficient laser marking machine available. The robot loads parts in just a few seconds while the high-power laser engraves parts in hidden time for maximum efficiency.

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Fully automated rotary table laser machine

3. Fully Automated Conveyor

This machine can be easily installed on any conveyor system and keep up with its cycle time, including existing setups. Positioned above the conveyor, the laser head can engrave moving parts and adjust automatically to positioning changes.

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Fully automated conveyor laser machine

4. Open Air Robot

The open-air design of this system provides great flexibility and a small footprint. A robotic arm holds parts during the process, making it simple to engrave multi-cavity parts and switch between different models with minimal changeover.

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Open air laser machine

5. Automated Door Robot

This metal engraver combines simplicity with flexibility. The door used to load parts can be placed on any side to fit your plant layout. It is also one of the most affordable automation solutions.

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Automated door laser machine

Ready for the Next Step?

If you want to make sure that your next laser marking machine meets your needs, contact our experts. They will help you make an informed decision to minimize cost and optimize speed.

 

Let Us Know Your Application

 

Olivier Proulx's picture

Olivier Proulx

Olivier is responsible for the development of Laserax’s most widely used laser marking system, the LXQ. He is trained on industrial electronics technologies. He also has extensive experience in automation and is responsible for training new automation staff at Laserax.