Laser is peculiar. Since its creation, it has been used more and more widely, and has truly entered our lives. Here we will focus on one of the applications of laser – laser marking machine.
Laser marking machine is also often called laser coding machine, laser printing machine, laser engraving machine, laser marking equipment.
Laser marking machine is mainly used in some applications that require finer and higher precision. For example, it marks on these products:
Electronic components, integrated circuits(IC), electrical appliances, mobile communications, hardware products, tool accessories, precision instruments, glasses and clocks, jewelry, auto parts, plastic buttons, building materials, PVC pipes, etc.
Related: See more laser marking/engraving samples
Working Principle of Laser Marking Machine
Laser marking machine is to use laser beam to make permanent marks on the surface of various materials. The effect of marking is to expose the deep material through the evaporation of the surface material, or to “engrave” traces through the chemical and physical changes of the surface material through light energy, or to burn part of the material through light energy, showing the desired etched pattern or text.
Why Choose a Laser Marking Machine to Replace Traditional Marking Tools?
At present, laser marking machine has a very high market share and can be used in basically every industry. Compared with the traditional marking mode, laser marking machine is very flexible and can also help enterprises save production costs.
Features of laser marking machine
1) Non-contact processing: Marks can be printed on any regular or irregular surface, and the workpiece will not generate internal stress after marking.
2) Wide application range of materials: It can mark on metal, plastic, ceramics, glass, paper, leather and other materials of different varieties or different hardness.
Related: see our laser marking/engraving videos
3) Simple operation: The use of microcomputer numerical control technology can realize automatic processing. Laser marker can be used for high-speed processing of parts on the production line, can be used as a part of the flexible processing system, and one person can operate the entire machine.
4) Durability: Changes in the environment (touch, acid and alkaline gas, high temperature, low temperature, etc.) will not make the marking fade away.
5) Anti-counterfeiting: The marks engraved by laser marking technology are not easy to imitate and change, and have strong anti-counterfeiting to a certain extent.
6) Low operating cost: Although the purchase investment of the laser marking machine is larger than that of traditional marking equipment, the marking speed of the laser marking machine is fast, the energy consumption is small, and it is easy to automate management; no general consumables are required, as long as the laser can work properly to achieve a long time continuous processing. Comprehensively, it has great advantages compared with traditional marking methods in terms of cost of use and comprehensive benefits of technology.
7) Fast marking speed: The laser beam under computer control can move at high speed (up to 5-7 m/s), and the marking process can be completed within seconds.
8) Fast development speed: Due to the relationship between laser technology and computer technology, users can complete laser printing output only by programming on the computer, and can change the printing design at any time, which fundamentally replaces the traditional mold manufacturing process.
9) High engraving accuracy: The pattern of the items engraved by the laser marking machine is fine, and the line width can reach 0.04mm. Markings are clear, long-lasting, and beautiful. Laser marking can meet the needs of printing large amounts of data on small plastic parts. For example, it can print two-dimensional barcodes that require more accuracy and higher definition. Compared with embossing or jet marking, it has stronger market competitiveness.
10) Environmental protection: Laser marking is non-contact marking, which saves energy, and avoids chemical pollution compared with corrosion methods; compared with mechanical marking, it can also reduce noise pollution.
Classification of Laser Marking Machine
In recent years, laser marking machines have been widely used in industrial laser processing. In the face of different product marking requirements in the market, different types of laser marking machines have emerged.
Classification according to the principle and characteristics of laser markers
1. According to laser wavelength
According to the different laser wavelengths, there are: deep ultraviolet laser marking machine (266nm), green laser marking machine (532nm), YAG laser marking machine (1064nm), semiconductor side pump YAG laser marking machine, semiconductor end pump YAG laser marking machine (1064nm), fiber laser marking machine (1064nm), CO2 laser marking machine (10.64um ).
2. According to the laser
According to the different lasers, there are: CO2 laser marking machine, semiconductor laser marking machine, YAG laser marking machine, fiber laser marking machine.
3. According to laser visibility
According to the different laser visibility, there are: UV laser marking machine (invisible), green laser marking machine (visible laser), infrared laser marking machine (invisible laser).
Classification according to the industry specific models
1. Fiber laser marking machine
Currently the most widely used model is to use the fiber laser to output the laser, and then through the ultra-high-speed scanning oscillator system to achieve the marking function.
Fiber laser marking machine has high electro-optic conversion efficiency, adopts air-cooling method, small size, good output beam quality, high reliability, long operating life, energy saving, and can engrave metal materials and some non-metal materials.
Fiber laser marking machine is mainly used in fields with high requirements for depth, smoothness and fineness, such as stainless steel jewelry for cell phones, clocks and watches, molds, IC, cell phone buttons, etc.
The marking speed of the fiber laser marking machine is 3~12 times that of the traditional first-generation lamp pump marking machine and the second-generation semiconductor marking machine.
UV laser marking machine belongs to cold light or UV laser marking, which is a promising model.
Generally speaking, the text and patterns marked by the UV laser marking machine will be finer and clearer. It is mainly used for products that companies have higher requirements for marking.
UV lasers commonly used in the market are 3W, 5W, 7W, 8W, 10W, 15W.
CO2 laser uses CO2 gas as the working substance, and the laser wavelength is 10.64m, which belongs to the mid-infrared band.
CO2 laser has relatively high power and relatively high electro-optical conversion rate. It has stable performance, long service life and is maintenance-free.
Composition Structure of Laser Marking Machine
Laser power supply
The laser power supply is a device that provides power to the laser, and its input voltage is AC220V. It is installed in the marking machine control box.
Laser
This is the core accessory of the laser marking machine. It has a good output laser pattern and long service life, and is designed to be installed inside the marking machine housing.
Galvo scanning system
The galvanometer scanning system is composed of two parts: optical scanner and servo control. The whole system is designed and manufactured with new technology, new material, new process and new working principle.
The optical scanner adopts the servo motor of dynamic magnetic deflection working mode. It has the advantages of large scanning angle, large peak torque, large load inertia, small electromechanical time constant, fast working speed, stability and reliability.
The optical scanner is divided into X-direction scanning system and Y-direction scanning system, and each servo motor axis is fixed with a laser reflector. Each servo motor is controlled by a digital signal from the computer to control its scanning trajectory respectively.
Focusing system
The function of focusing system is to focus the parallel laser beams at one point, mainly using f-θ lens. Different f-θ lenses have different focal lengths, and the marking effect and range are not the same. When purchasing, you should pay attention to clarify the marking range and determine according to your needs, do not blindly seek large.
The optional f-θ lenses are:
f=100mm, effective focusing range Φ65mm.
f=160mm, effective focusing range Φ110mm.
Computer control system
The computer control system is the control and command center of the entire laser marking machine, as well as the carrier of software installation. The workpiece marking process is completed through the coordinated control of the acousto-optic modulation system and the galvanometer scanning system.
The computer control system of laser marking machine mainly includes chassis, motherboard, CPU, hard disk, memory, D/A card, floppy drive, monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.
Auxiliary accessories
Laser marking machine auxiliary accessories include red light, laser lamp, ccd positioning system, fan/water tank, optical path system, field mirror, feeding belt, vibration plate, etc. It mainly depends on your own needs for laser marking machine.
