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Applications

Applications

Laser Marking

The versatility of fiber lasers and their ability to perform high-speed marking of parts without the use of inks and dyes has made lasers the preferred marking technology for many years. More recently the continued reduction in fiber laser prices is making the process even more cost effective, leading to over 100,000 new fiber laser marking installations per year1.

  • No consumable materials - no dyes, inks, or stylus tips to replace 
  • Reduced operating cost and increased tool availability
  • Non-contact technique with no contamination transfer between part and process head in either direction
  • Wide flexibility and easily programmed - no restrictions on image types or styles
  • No hardware adjustments necessary when switching between jobs

Improve your marking speed and precision - contact a local IPG laser marking engineer to learn how.

 

Why are more manufacturers using laser marking?

Laser marking offers durability, simple programming and marking speeds not available from any other technology. The dramatic reduction in laser costs enabled by IPG makes laser marking systems highly affordable and the marking technology of choice where quality and durability is required.

Ink jet marking

Ink Jet vs
Fiber Laser Marking

Ink jet marking is fast, easily programmed and ubiquitous in paper, packaging, and low-cost product applications. 

Fiber lasers are more suitable for metal, plastic and ceramic parts, they eliminate consumable ink and require no jet maintenance. Fiber laser marking physically changes the surface, giving it a permanence that can never be achieved with ink.

Fiber laser marking on metal

Electromechanical etching

Electrochemical Etch vs 
Fiber Laser Marking

Effective for large-area designs, Electrochemical etch requires a stencil of the pattern to be made and requires parts to be electrically conductive. 

  Fiber laser marking has no electrical restrictions, no cost of stencils, and can change mark patterns on the fly for part serialization.

Fiber laser marking on polymers

Dot peen marking

Dot Peen vs 
Fiber Laser Marking

Dot peen is an economical means of putting alpha-numeric characters on metal parts. 

Fiber laser marking is higher resolution, can apply any 2D image and is much faster. In applications like Unique Device Identification (UDI) marking, fiber lasers can produce small dimension marks that are not possible with dot peen.

Fiber laser marking on a metal tool

Literature

1 Optech Consulting: Micro and Low Power Laser Materials Processing, August 2018

Advantages of IPG Fiber Laser Marking Technology

Fast and Cost-Effective

Laser marking is a fast, non-contact application that requires zero consumables. With nothing to repair or replace, laser marking costs are negligible. Because of IPG’s zero-maintenance laser, laser markers have exceptional availability, resulting in high part throughput and fast ROI.

Best Industry Reliability

IPG fiber laser marking solutions are configured with the user in mind. Typically supplied as a complete solution with fiber laser, scanning head and control software, these solutions are easily programmed for complex logo images, single part serialization numbers, or automatic generation of individual 1D and 2D data matrix codes.

Permanent Marking

IPG fiber lasers are available in a wide range of options so the marking process can be matched precisely to the materials and applications. From the deep engraving of automotive components to the permanent black marking of medical devices that must withstand continued sterilization, IPG fiber lasers produce marking that endures.

Laser Marking Systems

custom-ipg-laser-system-x1

Custom

Custom

Custom Laser Processing Systems
Genesis-Laser-Enclosure-x1

Robotic Systems

Robotic Systems

Robotic Integration Solutions from Genesis
Laser Scanning Workstation

Scanning Laser Workstation

Scanning Laser Workstation

Low to Mid-Power Laser System for Welding, Cutting, Marking and Cleaning

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