What is the difference between different laser marking machines?

Generally, laser marking machines of different types adopt different technologies and different kinds of the laser. The main factor that determines whether a type of material that a certain laser can handle is the wavelength of the laser. The wavelength of fiber lasers is usually 1,060 nm, while the wavelength of CO2 lasers is 10,600 nm. So, what are the detailed differences between laser marking machines that adopt different kinds of laser? Please let me introduce them to you in the following contents.

Here is the content list:

l What are the main kinds of laser marking machines?

l What are the main differences between them?

What are the main kinds of laser marking machines?

Generally, according to the types of laser certain marking machines adopt, laser marking machines can be divided into two genres, the first is fiber laser marking machine and the second one is CO2 laser marking machine. The fiber laser marking machine is a solid-state machine that uses a "seed" laser to generate a beam and amplify it into a specially designed glass fiber and provide energy through a pump diode. The wavelength of the fiber optic system is 1.064 microns, the focal length produced is very small, even though the power emitted is the same as the CO2 laser system, its intensity is 100 times higher than that of the CO2 system. A CO2 laser marking machine is a system utilizing gas, which contains an electrically stimulated carbon dioxide mixture. They are most suitable for processing non-metallic materials and most plastics and provide a wavelength of 10.6 microns. Due to its relatively high efficiency and excellent beam quality, CO2 systems are the most widely used laser type.

What are the main differences between them?

Fiber laser machines are most suitable for high-contrast markings such as metal annealing, etching, and engraving. They produce extremely small focal lengths, making them ideal for permanent marking of serial numbers, barcodes, and data matrices on metals. Fiber lasers are widely used in product traceability and identification applications. One big advantage of laser marking machines compared to CO2 ones is that fiber lasers are maintenance-free machines and have a long service life, usually at least 25,000 working hours. They are also smaller than carbon dioxide laser machines. Besides, due to the high electrical efficiency of fiber lasers, they use much less power than CO2 lasers, thereby saving huge costs for cutting applications. A CO2 laser marking machine is an ideal choice for a variety of non-metallic materials, including plastics, textiles, glass, acrylic, wood, and even stone, since the laser it generates is not so intensified and more gentle. CO2 laser marking machines are used for various applications including pharmaceutical and food packaging, as well as the marking of PVC pipes, building materials, mobile communication gadgets, electrical appliances, integrated circuits, and electronic components. Unfortunately, CO2 lasers use much more power than fiber lasers, resulting in higher operating costs. For example, when running at maximum power, a high-power CO2 laser and cooler will consume approximately 70 kW. Fiber lasers of similar power consume about 18 kW of power. The price of CO2 laser marking machines is often lower than that of fiber laser marking machines. The price of a carbon dioxide laser marking system is usually between US$35,000 and US$80,000. Similarly, power will affect the cost. In a nutshell, although each type of laser has its advantages and unique use cases, CO2 is an older technology. With the development of technology, fiber lasers are rapidly gaining the market.

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