Laser engraving is a top trend and a great side business. There are several types of laser engravers available in the market. Selecting the best fiber laser engraver is crucial for business success.
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This guide is all about selecting the best fiber laser engraver for metal. We will discuss different variants of laser engravers. Why they are helpful to you and how you can buy your first laser engraver for metal.
Different Options in Fiber Laser Engravers
The fiber laser engraver focuses a laser beam on the material surface. As the laser moves on a given path, it vaporizes the metal to develop an engraved design. These machines are compact, efficient, safe, and a cost-effective solution.
So, if you are a small business that provides engraving services, a fiber laser marker is your best bet. The same is true for a manufacturing company that needs to engrave its brand on its products.
There are several variants of fiber laser engravers. Each variant has its distinctive features. There is an Enclosed Fiber Laser Marking Machine. It encloses the workpiece before engraving, eliminating any mishap that might occur due to negligence.
Another variant is the Desktop Fiber Laser Engraving Machine. It is a simple and cost-effective solution. These machines are available with multi-laser heads to process more than one workpiece.
There is another variant called the Automated Six Station Fiber Laser Marking Machine. It has a rotating table that can mount six workpieces. This machine reduces the time, effort, and cost of the engraving.
From all the options you can have, it can be hard to select the one that is best for your business. So, we have developed a complete guide for you to follow and filter the best machine for you.
Choosing the Best Fiber Laser Engraver
Choosing the best fiber laser engraver that fulfills all your business needs is crucial. It influences your business abilities and profitability. So, it decides the business growth and success. Following are some factors that you need to consider during the selection process.
1. Your Business Requirements
The first thing you need to consider is your business requirements. You should know the answers to some questions here. What are the services of your laser engraving business? What product do you engrave? What is the size of the product you need to engrave? What type of materials do you need to process? What is the profit margin?
It will help you know what you need from your fiber laser marker machine. These answers will also help you in further stages of machine selection.
Keep in mind that having a proper business understanding is very important here. Decisions made in this section will influence your machine selection. So, know your industry and how it works, its limitations, and potential to expand business.
2. Considering the Machine Table Size
The best fiber laser engraver for metal uses the machine table to place and hold the product. Usually, the product is first placed and gripped on the machine table, and then the engraving process can start.
So, you must know the maximum product size you need to engrave. Based on this, you can filter all the available machines that can process that maximum product size.
Selecting a machine like this will enable you to engrave all products within the maximum dimensions limit.
3. Machine Engraving Area
The machine engraving area, also known as the machine working area, is the area limit a machine can engrave. It is different from the machine table size.
The table size is the machine&#;s ability to hold the workpiece, whereas the working area is the cross-section area engraved. The working area is always less than the table size. It depends on the laser field of view.
The fiber laser marker works by focusing a laser beam on metal. To engrave the metal laser moved as per the instructions given by the machine computer.
There is a limit up to which the laser can move, called the field of view of the laser.
4. Machine Material Compatibility
There are several laser engraving machines in the market. Some of the common types are laser engravers for metal. Laser machines that are developed for engraving metal only. Further classified by metal types, such as soft metals (aluminum, copper) and hard metals (steel, titanium).
Other than metal engravers, there are best laser engravers for plastic materials. There are also fiber laser engravers that can process both metallic and plastic materials.
Selecting the best fiber laser marker based on material compatibility is a good idea. It will define your business domain and enable you to excel in one direction.
5. Machine Laser Source
The fiber laser engraver uses a fiber tube made from different elements. A fiber tube can be made of a single or a mixture of elements. Each element or a mixture of elements can produce a laser beam of a specific wavelength.
So, based on your business and industry requirements. You can filter the specific best fiber laser engraver for metal based on the fiber laser source element.
Some common types of fiber laser source elements are as follows.
Fiber laser sources from Ytterbium-doped fiber can create a laser beam with a wavelength of nm. It is perfect for working with metals. You can use these lasers for marking and cleaning metal surfaces.
Fiber laser sources from Thulium-doped fiber can create a laser beam with a wavelength of nm. This specific best laser engraver is helpful in medical fields and for marking plastic materials.
Fiber laser sources from Erbium-doped fiber can create a laser beam with a wavelength of nm. This specific laser engraver is helpful in the telecommunications field. It provides high-speed internet and voice-over IP services.
Select the fiber laser source element best for your industry and diversify your business.
Another important factor related to the laser beam is the type of beam the machine produces. There are two basic types of beams. The first is a continuous beam, and the second is a pulsed beam.
Plused-type beams have an energy peak point in a pulsating manner. Due to this, they are considered best for laser engraving projects.
6. Machine Laser Parameters
Machine laser power is the laser beam&#;s ability to develop required engraving. A laser beam with more power can do engraving faster and better.
More power means the laser beam can melt and vaporize the material quickly and better. It can produce deep grooves and can develop big fonts.
Selecting the best fiber laser engraver means selecting a laser engraver for metal with sufficient laser power. A machine with lesser laser power will not engrave materials faster.
Other factors of laser machines include spot size, beam diameter, beam focal length, and beam quality. Select a machine based on the higher laser power and better beam quality.
Similarly, find the machine with the spot size and laser beam diameter as per industry and business requirements.
Besides the power, other things affect how long it takes to engrave. These include:
The font used for text and serial numbers.
The size of the area being engraved.
The material being engraved (for instance, aluminum is easier to engrave than steel).
The background color of barcodes, data matrix codes, and QR codes (for example, a light background improves contrast but takes more time).
7. Machine Parameters
It is time to consider different machine parameters that concern your business. The fiber laser marker machines use a computer system to take CAD files of patterns to be engraved. So, the selected machine should have a powerful computer system installed.
In computers, dedicated software enables computers to read CAD files. They convert them into machine operational instructions. The machine software should be compatible with most CAD file formats and easy to use.
Other than this, the best laser engraver machine scans the workpiece before engraving. This scanning speed has to be fast to save time and reduce running costs.
Some fiber laser engravers also have an autofocusing feature. Autofocus technology utilizes vision systems to identify changes in the positioning of parts. It then automatically adjusts the laser focus to maintain optimal engraving conditions.
This technology is essential when parts cannot be precisely positioned. This usually happens when various part models are used, or when working with highly curved surfaces.
Machine running cost is also the main factor included in this section. It depends on a lot of machine laser power and other machine electronics.
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8. Maintenance and Safety
After considering all the machine related factors, it is important to consider the machine maintenance. General maintenance includes keeping the machine clean by removing busts and debris.
Schedule maintenance includes checking the machine electronics connections and wires. It also involves checking the machine laser head and table for any damage during operation. Laser heads can get damaged due to overheating, and table moving mechanisms can get damaged due to mishandling.
The machine you select for business should require low maintenance. The maintenance required should be easy to perform, like a machine that is easy to clean and inspect. It is important as maintenance involves both time and money.
With maintenance, it is also necessary to check that the machine is easy and safe to operate. This machine involves a laser beam with high energy and power. So, even a small defect in the machine can cause serious problems for its operator and surroundings.
9. Cost of Machine
Depending on your business requirements, you might need one or more machines. You might also need more than one type of machine for your business. So, in larger setups, it&#;s necessary to consider the cost of the initial setup.
The cost of the machine is usually compared with the cost of operation. If a machine costs less initially but costs more during operation, then it will not be cost-effective in the long run.
Similarly, if a machine costs more in initial setup and costs less in operation. Then it will be cost-effective in the longer run only for batch-type production models.
10. Selecting Machine Variant
With a basic understanding of the business and related industry, it&#;s time to select the basic variant of the best laser engraver. You can pick any basic laser engraver machine variants mentioned above.
You can get the fully enclosed laser engraver if you are concerned about safety. These enclosed machines have an automatic system that stops the laser beam as the machine door is open. So, these machines are the safest option for laser engravers.
Similarly, you can have a desktop-type laser engraver. There are single-laser head and multi-laser head desktop laser engravers. This machine variant is cost-effective, and the multi-laser head option can be faster than a fully enclosed laser engraver.
Your business idea includes delivering small batches of engraved products. It is better to invest in a desktop laser engraver machine with a station rotating table. This machine not only increases production speed. It also decreases the labor and time involved in installing and removing products.
It is important to note here that the selection of the machine variant is at the last position. It is due to the reason that the variant will be selected after all the factors have been considered.
Conclusion
Selecting the best fiber laser engraver for your business involves considering various factors. Such as your specific engraving needs and material compatibility. Other factors include machine size and power, maintenance requirements, and cost-effectiveness.
By thoroughly evaluating these aspects, you can ensure that you choose the best fiber laser engraver machine. A machine that will enhance your operational efficiency, and meet your business goals. All this will ultimately contribute to your success in the competitive laser engraving market.
Fiber laser marking machine is one of the most advanced and commonly used laser marking system in the world today. It has features of strong adaptability, low maintenance, and no consumables in the marking process. So the fiber laser marker has wide applications, especially in the metal and plastic processing industries for precise and efficient marking. The fiber laser marking machine is designed to meet your requirements for making marks or other information on hard and high-density materials. What do you need to know about the fiber laser marking system?
This article offers a complete guide for potential customers of fiber laser marking machines. It lists ten matters you need to know before buying a fiber laser marker, including definition, advantages, applications, parameters, price, etc.
Fiber laser marking machine is a type of laser marker machine used to mark characters, figures and patterns on certain materials. The fiber laser marking machine is also known as fiber laser marker and is also a kind of fiber laser engraver or fiber laser engraving machine.
Laser marking refers to the use of laser beams to make permanent marks on the surface of various materials. The principle of laser 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 caused by light energy, or to burn off part of the material through light energy to show the required marks. Fiber laser marking machines are mainly used in the occasions requiring finer and higher precision.
The fiber laser engraver adopts a fiber laser while the Co2 laser marker adopts a Co2 laser. Working wavelength of a fiber laser marker is 1.064um, 10 times shorter than that of a CO2 laser marking machine. Due to this much smaller focal distance, the intensity of a fiber laser marking system is almost 100 times higher than a CO2 system with a similar power output.
Fiber laser marking machines rely on fiber cables to transmit the laser, while CO2 laser markers uses optical system to transmit the laser. As a result, it's necessary to adjust the optical path of a CO2 laser marker, but there is no need for a fiber laser marker.
Fiber laser engraving machine is applicable for marking and engraving most metals and partial non-metal materials. For example, steel, aluminum, copper, gold, engineering plastics, ceramics, epoxy resin, painting materials, electroplating material, etc.
CO2 laser engraving machine is good at engraving and marking most of non-metal materials. For instance, bamboo products, wood, acrylic, leather, glass, rubber and so forth.
In terms of marking precision, fiber marking belongs to a nanoscale machining method, so its precision is higher than CO2 laser marking.
The maximum service life of a fiber laser engraving machine can reach 100,000 hours, because it doesn't need much maintenance and consumables. However, the CO2 laser marker requires regular maintenance and replacement of vulnerable parts, so its maximum life could be 30,000 hours.
With the same laser power, the laser marker price of the two also varies. The fiber laser marking machine price may be higher than that of the CO2 laser marking machine.
From the view of functions, the fiber laser engraving machine can achieve:
In terms of materials, the fiber laser engraver has significant advantages for marking materials of high hardness, high melting point and brittleness. In other words, most metal materials, as well as certain non-metallic materials such as plastics, can be marked by fiber laser marking machines. For example, common metals and alloys (iron, copper, aluminum, magnesium, zinc, etc.), rare metals (gold, silver, titanium), metal oxides, special surface treatment (phosphating, aluminum anodization, electroplating surface), ABS, Epoxy resin, etc.
The fiber laser marking machine has applications in a wide range of industries.
Automotive and mechanical industry: bearings, steel jackets, piston rings, engine labels, buttons on auto panel, machine tool accessories, etc.
Electronic communication industry: mobile keys, keyboards, electronic components, home appliance panels, optical cables, cables, etc.
Hardware tool industry: tools, measuring tools, cutters, sanitary ware, tableware, locks, knives and scissors, medical equipment, fitness equipment, etc.
Jewelry industry: buttons, luggage buckles, belt buckles, gold and silver jewelry, leather bags, belts signs, badges, attendance cards, business cards, etc.
Craft and advertising industry: welcome signs, calendars, photo frames, pens and pencil cases, certificates, trophies, medals, certificates, collectors, artworks, stamps, plaques, etc.
Instrument industry: metal watch cases, glasses frames, instrument and equipment panels, guages, etc.
Packaging industry: internal and external packages of food, drugs and cosmetics, cans, metal bottle caps, etc.
Since the metal laser marker adopts fiber laser technology, it has all the advantages of the fiber laser. In addition, the fiber laser engraver also has the following advantages.
The marks made by a fiber laser marker will not fade due to any changes in time, environment and other elements. And the marking effect is difficult to imitate and change, and has a strong anti-counterfeiting function. Therefore, the fiber laser marker machine has prominent advantages in the automotive and other industries where traceability requirements are very strict.
The minimum spot diameter of the fiber laser marking machine after focusing can reach 0.04mm or less, so the marking effect is quite delicate.
Although the purchase investment is larger than that of a traditional marking equipment, the metal laser marker has faster marking speed and smaller energy consumption. And the fiber laser engraving machine is easy to operate and does not require many consumables. As long as the laser can work normally, the laser marker machine can achieve long-term continuous marking. Comprehensively, it has great advantages compared with traditional marking methods in terms of use cost and overall technical benefits.
The energy carrier of fiber laser marking is a beam of uniform wavelength. The beam does not produce any mechanical stress when irradiating the surface of the material. Therefore, it will not affect the mechanical properties of the material, and also eliminate the chemical and noise pollution. The marks are clean and tidy.
Fiber laser cutting machine can mark most metals and some non-metal materials. Because of the use of computer intelligent control, the fiber laser engraving machine can quickly adjust the marking content through software, including bar codes, QR codes, etc. It is also compatible with multiple file formats, like DXF, BMP, JPG, CAD, CDR, DWG, etc. This provides great convenience for flexible processing.
Fiber laser marking has no pollution source and is a clean and environmentally friendly processing method.
The fiber laser engraver mainly adopts the principle of laser thermal effect. It uses the high heat generated by the laser to burn the surface of the workpiece to form a mark. Its core components include:
Undoubtedly, the fiber laser is the core and most valuable accessory of a fiber laser engraver. And its quality directly determines the use effect and the service life of the fiber laser engraver.
Fiber laser marking machines adopt imported pulsed fiber laser, which has a good output laser mode and long service life. It is designed to be installed in the casing of the fiber laser marker.
Galvo scanning system is an importance component of a fiber laser marking machine. It consists of three parts: a scanning motor, reflection lenses and a controller.
Because the galvanometer is a fast and precise component, it is required to change from one working state to another at a fast speed. In this way, the idle time of the laser marking machine will be much less. Therefore, the quality of the galvanometer could affect the processing speed and accuracy of the laser marker machine.
Function of the focusing system is to focus the parallel laser beams at one point. This is realized by a f-θ lens. The focal length of different f-θ lenses is different, so the marking effect and range are different.
Fiber laser marking machines usually use a high-performance focusing system with focal length f=160mm. The common scanning range is Φ110mm. Customers can choose a lens according to their needs.
Computer controlling system is the control and commanding center of the whole fiber laser engraving machine. It is also the carrier of the marking software. The computer controlling system controls and coordinates the laser system and galvanometer system to complete the marking process.
Fiber laser marking machines adopt the integrated design with compact size, low power consumption, long life and high efficiency. It requires little maintenance but has high-quality laser beam and fine spot. The fiber laser marking machine price ranges from $4,000 to $10,000.
As one of the core accessories, the choice of fiber laser is definitely one important factor affecting the fiber laser marking machine price. Different brands have different prices for fiber lasers. The fiber lasers of big brands have guaranteed quality, stable operation and long life, so the price will be high. As a result, the fiber laser marking machine price will also be high.
In addition, the power of the fiber laser also impacts the laser marker price. The greater the power, the higher the fiber laser marking machine price.
The cost of other parts of the fiber laser engraving machine will also affect the overall fiber laser marking machine price. Imported spare parts or big brand, high-quality spare parts will cause extra cost to the laser marker price.
For example, the choice of lens will affect the marking area. The focal length of the general lens is 160mm, and the marking area is 110*110mm. However, if you choose a lens with a larger focal length, it will result in a larger effective focus range and a larger marking area. Correspondingly, the fiber laser marking machine price will be high.
In general, the more comprehensive the after-sales service, the higher the fiber laser marking machine price. The quality of after-sales service relates to the customer satisfaction, and good after-sales service makes customers more assured.
Blue Elephant offers many types of high quality series of laser marking machine for metal and non-metal materials. The principal features of our machines include little maintenance, few consumables, stability, and long working life (100,000 hours). Here's why you should choose us:
Firstly, you need to determine the type of laser marking machine you need according to your specific processing needs.
This step requires you to figure out your processing requirements, like the type and size of materials, marking depth, main purpose, etc. It can help you determine the type, laser power and other specification of the laser marking machine you need.
If you are mainly marking on non-metallic materials such as glass, acrylic, fabric, leather, etc. you can choose a CO2 laser marking machine. The fiber laser engraver is mainly a laser marking machine for metal. Its processing materials include various common metals and rare metals.
When you require a deeper (&#;1.5mm) engraving on a harder metal, then you may need a fiber laser engraving machine with greater power.
If your factory requires marking operation in production lines, flying fiber laser marker is your ideal choice. It can be combined with other production processes to greatly improve work efficiency.
There are currently many laser marking system manufacturers on the market. Product quality is uneven. Therefore, it is necessary to do some investigations before choosing a fiber laser marking machine manufacturer. For example, the manufacturer's professionalism, production capacity, delivery capacity, available products and services, customer satisfaction, etc. If possible, it is best to go to the factory of the metal laser marker manufacturer to see the real production condition.
After choosing a suitable metal laser marker manufacturer, you can communicate your processing needs with it. If you have specific requirements for the machine configuration, you can also tell the manufacturer. Many laser marking machine manufacturers can customize their machines according to customer requirements.
Please note that the price shall not be the only criterion for your purchase of the machine. Don&#;t be tempted by low prices. You should consider all factors before choosing an acceptable price. In addition, remember to sign a contract with the manufacturer in order to protect the rights and interests of both parties.
Sometimes, the marks made by the fiber laser marking machine are inferior, such as fuzzy, whitish or dull. At this point, you should stop laser marking and look for the reasons for these poor results. After solving the problem, you can continue the marking process. So what can affect the laser marking quality?
Energy and mode of the laser beam
This is a prior factor in all types of laser machining work. Choosing a suitable laser energy and laser beam mode is the premise of laser marking.
Focusing performance of the laser beam
The laser energy is highly concentrated because the focus of the laser beam is tiny. Without good focusing performance, you can't have an ideal laser spot. As a result, the fiber laser marker machine can't achieve good laser marking effect.
Mechanical precision of worktable
The worktable is the mechanical part that drives the movement of the laser beam. And its accuracy directly affects the accuracy of laser marking.
Optical system
The optical system plays an important function in laser beam transmission. Good work of this system ensures smooth, stable and excellent laser beam transmission.
Moving speed of the laser beam
Moving speed of the laser beam matters during the interaction between the laser and the substance. It affects the speed of the laser marking.
Characteristics of materials
Different materials react differently with the laser beam. When using a fiber laser marking machine, you should choose suitable parameters based on the material type.
Working condition of auxiliary equipment
Good auxiliary equipment can not only extend the service life of the hardware but also improve the effect of laser marking.
Although the fiber laser marking machine adopts advanced technology and is free of frequent maintenance, it still needs daily clean and care.
This article gives a detailed introduction of the fiber laser marking machine, including definition, application, advantages, purchase and maintenance method, etc.
Laser marking machine has been a mature CNC laser machine after decades of years of development. The mainstream laser marking machines on the market include CO2 laser marking machine, fiber laser marking machine and UV laser marking machine.
CO2 laser marking machines have a wide range of applications, such as food, medicine, leather, tobacco, wood products, electronics and other non-metal industries. While fiber laser marking machines have higher photoelectric conversion efficiency, which is suitable for marking all kinds of metal materials. For example, electronic separation components, auto parts, integrated circuits, hardware, knives, kitchenware, tools, accessories, precision instruments, glasses, clocks, PVC pipes, etc. Especially for marking the sophisticated products like IC chips, computer accessories etc, a fiber laser engraver is the best choice. For example, date of manufacturing, QR code, tracing code, etc.
Fiber laser marking machines, particularly the portable laser marker, are quite popular with metalworking workshops. The compact size and highly automated design make it very simple to operate. Blue Elephant fiber laser marking machines have features of good quality, long service life and high precision and can serve as your excellent assistant for metal marking.
As two most commonly used laser marking machines, there are plenty of differences between the fiber laser markers and CO2 laser markers.Major parameters of the fiber laser marking machine are as shown in table below.As mentioned above, the fiber laser marking machine price varies greatly. What are the factors that affect the laser marker price?This portable laser marker machine is small and does not take up much space, which can meet basic marking needs. Its characteristics include fast marking speed, non-contact marking, long working life, flexible installation and maintenance-free. The high beam quality and the small spot make it suitable for batch marking applications of small parts.Please watch the video below to see our 30W and 50W fiber laser marking machines marking numbers, letters and QR codes on different materials.
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