Laser Photonics in the news....

In the February 2009 Issue of Automotive Design and Production...

Fast Stainless Marking

According to the application engineers from Laser Photonics (http://www.laserphotonics.com/; Lake Mary, FL), Q-switched fiber lasers are superior for marking on stainless steel than CO2 lasers. The reason: because stainless steel is reflective, it is necessary to coat the stainless steel surface with a "laser marking material" (LMM). This is sprayed on, allowed to dry, then the CO2 lasing commences. Afterward, the surface has to be cleaned. However, with a Q-switched fiber laser, such as the company's 20-W FiberTower XP, no LMM is required, so the marking process is fast. In on application, they were able to mark at a rate of five inches per minute.