How does laser marking machine work

Laser marking machine can be seen at school or in the office. It has become part of our study. In order to use it better, you need to understand how the laser printer works. This article will help you understand laser printers.

There are several ways to describe material processing using laser light. Laser marking and laser engraving are two concepts that are sometimes used and sometimes with distinction in its meaning. Laser etching is also used to describe the process of marking a material. Below are a few definitions.

mopa laser marking machine

color laser engraving machine

Engraving involves vaporizing the materials surface locally, in a small and focused spot. By moving the laser beam around on the surface, patterns can be formed from the vaporized parts of the material surface.

The rmochemical reaction occurs when plastics react to exposure from laser radiation. The resulting mark will have different properties based on what reaction takes place. Common reactions are melting, foaming and bleaching, all of which are a function of the material composition and color of the material. Additives may sometimes be used to achieve color change or induce coloured markings. Also called contrast marking.

Annealing by laser causes a color change on most polished steel types. By carefully heating the steel with the laser, you get dark contrast markings with good readability without any material removed.

Ablation by laser is made on anodized, plated and painted materials by removing the top layer and expose the base material which is in a contrasting color.

Fiber Laser Marking Basics

With fiber laser marking, focused light from a laser interacts with a material to produce a high quality, permanent mark on an object.  A laser marking system is usually made up of a fiber laser engine, scan head assembly (commonly known as galvos) and control software. The software also provides the interface to manage multi axis motion systems if required. Frequently, fiber laser marking systems not only mark, but offer laser engraving and laser machining capabilities, including thin material cutting, scribing and material removal.

The fiber laser is equipped with software that enables the laser marking of text, graphics, logos, barcodes and data-matrix codes. Automation features enable part serialization, date coding, variable text inputs, remote programming, input/output control and many other programming features.

Two principles for guiding a laser beam

Control of the laser beam can be achieved in a number of ways and falls into two categories. These are our control and mirror Galvanometers.

Cartesian control means that the laser beam is fixed and the object to be marked moves in the x and y coordinates with a so-called XY table. Switching the beam and controling the movement of the material with the XY table is made by means of laser software and electronics.

In some cases, laser machines that are Mopa based are, in fact, hybrid machines. This means that the material moves in for example the y direction and the laser beam in the x-direction. When controlling the laser in one single axis like this, it is commonly referred to as a "flying optic" system. Laser cutting machines are often hybrid machines with "flying optic" in one or two stages.

Galvanometer mirror control utilizes a pair of strategically placed live mirrors just before the focusing lens. These mirrors are attached to small, yet extremely quick analog or digital electric motors, also referred to as "galvos". By altering the angle of the mirrors using the galvos, the beam can be guided within a limited area, through an F-theta lens and onto the surface of the material.  

Controlling the laser beam with the Galvanometer principle means that the marked object doesn't have to be moving unless it is outside of the lens range. 

This is the basic knowledge of laser marking machine. If you have other questions, you can come and consult us. We also welcome you to visit our website for our products.