Laser Marking Glass

Laser Marking Application:

Laser marking a model image/picture on glass with a black background using a CO2 laser.

Recommended System:

The SBM 1200M laser cutting and laser engraving machine comes equipped with CO2 laser combining flying optics with a precision Direct Drive motion system. CO2 laser equipped system provides highly accurate cutting, welding, engraving and marking capabilities for multiple materials.

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Laser Marking Aluminum

Laser Marking Application:

The parts were marked using a 20 watt q-switched ytterbium fiber laser with 160 mm focal length lens. The samples were sprayed with TherMark to create brightly contrasting marks. The marking on the cylinder had the same cycle time. There were additional marks made at a smaller size. The cycle time for the smaller marks was 16.86 seconds. The parameters were the same as the flat plates. Using the 160mm lens made it difficult to mark on the cylinder due to the roundness of the part. The edges of the mark became unfocused and caused the end result to look a little distorted. This can easily be remedied by using a larger focal length lens, such as the 254mm or 420mm focal length lens.

Laser Marking Stainless Steel

Laser Marking Application:

The parts were marked with a 10 watt q-switched ytterbium fiber laser and 160 mm focal length lens. The 160mm focal length lens has a working distance of 176mm from lens to part. Two passes were needed to darken the steel with out causing too much warping of the material. The cycle time for both passes was 36.14 seconds.

Laser Engraving Graphite

The parts were engraved with a 20 watt q-switched ytterbium fiber laser and 160 mm focal length lens. The 160mm focal length lens has a working distance of 176mm from lens to part. The marks were done at 3 different depths using 2 passes, 4 passes and 6 passes. The artwork on the part was duplicated.

Process Parameters:
Material: Graphite

Power: 18 Watt

Method used: Engraving

Frequency: 25 kHz

Depth: Various

Speed: 5 inch\sec

Laser Type: Q-Switched Fiber Laser

Focal Length Lens: 160mm

Cycle Time:

Marks 1 – 2 Passes – 32.59 Seconds

Marks 2 – 4 Passes – 65.17 Seconds

Marks 3 – 6 Passes – 97.75 Seconds

Laser Engraving Plastic

Laser Engraving Application:

This part was marked using a 20 watt q-switched ytterbium fiber laser with 160 mm focal length lens. The sample was etched with the information provided by customer.

Medical Device Marking:
Material: Plastic

Power: 8 watts

Method used: Engraving

Frequency: 20 kHz

Depth: Surface

Speed: 10 inch/sec.

Laser Type: Q-Switched Fiber Laser

Focal Length Lens: 160mm

Cycle Time: 5.14 seconds – 2 passes

Laser Engraving Titanium

Laser Engraving Application:

The parts were marked using a 20 watt q-switched ytterbium fiber laser with 160 mm focal length lens. The titanium coated steel was engraved to create a dark mark on the surface of the samples. The parts were marked using approximately 17 watts of power, with a frequency of 25kHz, at a speed of 5 inches per second, resulting in a cycle time of 3.54 seconds.

Recommended System:

The FiberTower™ Series

FiberTower™ Series is the new generation of Fiber Laser Material Processing Systems for Direct Parts Marking, UID Marking (Unique Identifier), and Deep Engraving. It is the most advanced, compact, industrial grade, mid size, Fiber Laser Engraving Machine available on the market.

Laser Engraving Steel

Laser Engraving Application:

Laser engraving was accomplished using a 20-Watt Fiber Laser using a 160 mm lens. The steel was engraved using 18 Watts of power, frequency of 25 kHz, speed of 10" per second, resulting in a cycle time of 2.75 seconds per row of numbers.

Technology: Q-Switched Fiber Laser

Wattage: 20 Watt

Wavelength: 1060nm - 1070nm

Focal Length Lens: 160mm

Laser Engraving Brick

Laser Engraving Application:

Deep engraving was done on this red brick sample to show the capabilities of using CO2 lasers for engraving purposes. The depth and speed at which the process can be done simply depends on the power of the CO2 laser system.

Deep Laser Engraving of Aluminum

Laser Engraving Application:

Deep laser engraving of aluminum using a paint removal process. The powder coated red aluminum part was laser marked using the i-Series Fiber Laser Kit with a 254mm lens. The part was engraved with a frequency of 50 kHz. The fastest method to remove the paint was to mark each letter in the logo individually. Removing the paint going letter by letter gave the paint less time to cool of resulting in a much faster cycle time. The red part with 0.0045" coating needed 140 seconds to be removed.

Laser Engraving Steel

Laser Engraving Application:

This part was marked with a 20 watt q-switched ytterbium fiber laser with a 160 mm focal length lens. The sample was laser engraved to create a deep mark that would not be damaged by sand blasting. The sample was produced using a fiber laser at a setting of 17 Watts, with a frequency of 20kHz, and speed of 6 inches per second. Complete cycle time: 56.34 seconds.

For other laser applications, such as laser cutting and laser marking, please visit our website.

Laser Cutting Acrylic Stand Sheet Samples

Laser Cutting Application:

The acrylic strand sheet samples were processed using the SBM 1200 cutting system equipped with a 250W CW CO2 (10.6 um) through a 2.5" lens. 3 circles were cut @ 5mm, 10mm and 20mm diameters. The circles were cut with emphasis placed on edge quality above all.

The SBM 1200M Laser Cutting and Engraving Machine comes equipped with CO2 laser combining flying optics with a precision Direct Drive motion system. CO2 laser equipped system provides highly accurate cutting, welding, engraving and marking capabilities for multiple materials.

Laser Cutting 6.25mm Thick Aluminum

Laser Cutting Application:

Having received 6.25mm thick aluminum 5052 sample materials from a customer for laser cutting, the application engineers here at Laser Photonics used a 2kW CW fiber laser (1060nm) to make the cuts per the customers’ requirements. During this process, the application engineers also attempted to cut 1/8'' copper with the same 2kW laser.

Using a 2kW CW fiber laser equipped with a focal length lens of 9 inches and operating the system at 90% power, the samples were cut 10mm/second in one pass. The laser system used Nitrogen for assist gas. The assist gas pressure was 280~300PSI. The nozzle diameter was 1.4mm and the nozzle standoff: 0.5mm.

Following the completion of the cutting applications, Laser Photonics application engineers recommended the Titan cutting machine equipped with a focusing lens of 9 inches and a CW fiber laser (1060nm), 2kW for ¼” steel and aluminum. Should the customer desire to cut 1/8” copper, the recommendations are for a laser that is 5kW and up because it was not possible to cut through the copper as it requires a more powerful laser.

Laser Cutting Plastic (Polyethelene)Tube Sheets

Laser Cutting Application:

Samples of plastic (polyethelene) tube sheets arrived at our plant for cutting and fusing. The first sample was the thinner one measuring 0.00128”. The second sample had a thickness of 0.0005 inches.

The application engineers processed the samples using the SBM 1200 cutting system equipped with a 250W continuous wave CO2 (10.6 um) through a 2.5" lens. The plastic packaging was cut while fusing the cutting edge to form a bag. This process proved successful with the thinner 0.00128" material making the cut in 100mm/second and in just one pass. The material with a thickness of 0.005" required a more powerful laser than what was currently available in the lab. A 400-500 watt laser would be needed to fuse the ends of the thicker material while maintaining a manageable cutting speed. This process would require fixturing for the materials and some fume extraction to reduce the amount of residue caused while cutting/fusing.

The SBM 1200 Laser Cutting and Engraving Machine comes equipped with a CO2 laser combing flying optics with a precision Direct Drive motion system. This system provides highly accurate cutting, welding, engraving and marking capabilities for multiple materials.

Laser Cutting Plastic Sheets

Laser Cutting Application:

Plastic sheets can be used for a wide variety of industry applications. In two separate applications, our engineers processed plastic sheets cutting through them using the SBM 1200 equipped with a 250W CW CO2 (10.6um) through a 2.5” lens. The sheet was cut using the dimensions requested by the customer. The operating power was 33% ~70 watts, with a frequency of 5kHz (Modulated), and a speed of 50mm/sec. The samples were cut in just one pass.

In the second application, the previous process was duplicated with the number samples cut increased to seven to test the consistency across a number of samples. Again, the samples were processed using the SBM 1200 cutting system equipped with a 250W CW CO2 (10.6 um) through a 2.5" lens and according to the dimensions requested by the customer. The cutting speed and power used to cut the samples were chosen to optimize accuracy and edge quality.

The SBM 1200 Laser Cutting and Engraving Machine comes equipped with CO2 laser combining flying optics with a precision Direct Drive motion system. CO2 laser equipped system provides highly accurate cutting, welding, engraving and marking capabilities for multiple materials.

Laser Cutting Aluminum

Laser Cutting Application:

The aluminum dog tag shapes were cut out using a 2kW CW fiber laser (1080nm) with a focal length lens of 9 inches. The samples were processed using Nitrogen assist gas, an assist gas pressure of 280~300PSI, a nozzle diameter of 1.4mm and nozzle standoff of 0.5mm. In one pass, at 50% power, each dog tag was cut in 22mm/sec.

The application engineers recommend the Titan Series cutting machine for this process with a CW fiber laser (1060nm), 2kW power and a 9 inch focal length lens. The newest edition to Laser Photonics’ product line is the Titan Series. This machine is Laser Photonics’ first multipurpose fiber laser cutting machine with a single pallet shuttle table. It is equipped with a high-powered, energy efficient fiber laser and an advanced direct drive motion control platform. Comparable to other machines, the Titan has a lighter weight design and the fastest cutting speed on the market for comparable systems. This system offers ultra low power consumption allowing for the lowest operating costs among all laser types. The Titan’s fully software-controlled geometry alignment eliminates the need for special installation requirements. The Titan requires no optical system alignment, laser service or laser replacement parts making this system virtually maintenance free.

Laser Cutting Sheet Alumin with Polyethylene Backing

Laser Cutting Application:

Polyethylene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products, most notably the plastic shopping bag. Over 60 million tons of the material is produced worldwide every year. Shopping bags just scrape the surface of the uses of polyethylene. Manufacturers make various other everyday consumer products from polyethylene including: tables, chairs, and outdoor storage sheds. The medical industry, in particular, benefits from polyethylene when it’s applied as a backing on a sheet of aluminum and used to seal test tubes.

In this application, circles were cut from a sheet of aluminum with polyethylene backing which is used to fuse a series of tubes to the sheet. The circles were cut so that the tubes could be easily removed from the sheet without causing any damage to the tubes and maintaining the seal. The aluminum sheet with polyethylene backing samples were processed using a pulsed fiber laser (1064nm, 1mJ @ 20kHz) through scanning head and160mm focusing lens. The process took 3.24 seconds per hole and cut through in just one pass using 100% power.

The application engineers recommended a FiberTower™ marking system with a pulsed fiber laser (1064nm, 1mJ @ 50kHz) and a focal length lens of 160mm.

Laser Cutting Copper Sheet

Laser Cutting Application:

Laser Photonics was contacted to process 0.7mm thick copper sheet. Our application engineers cut through the samples using a 2kW CW fiber laser (1060nm) equipped with a 9 inch focal length lens. To complete this application, the power was set at 60%, the copper sheet samples were cut in just 50mm/second using 2.5 Bar (36PSI) Oxygen as an assist gas with a nozzle diameter of 1.4mm and a nozzle standoff of 0.4mm. The samples were cut in just one pass.

Our application engineers recommend the Titan Series for these types of applications. The Titan Series is Laser Photonics’ first multipurpose fiber laser cutting machine with a single pallet shuttle table. It is equipped with a high-powered, energy efficient fiber laser and an advanced direct drive motion control platform. This system will achieve a level of quality and detail that is unprecedented in the industry for laser cutting. Comparable to other machines, the Titan has a lighter weight design and the fastest cutting speed on the market for comparable systems. This system offers ultra low power consumption allowing for the lowest operating costs among all laser types. The Titan’s fully software-controlled geometry alignment eliminates the need for special installation requirements. The Titan requires no optical system alignment, laser service or laser replacement parts making this system virtually maintenance free.

Laser Cutting Acrylic Panel Samples

Laser Cutting Application:

Acrylic panel samples were processed by our application engineers using the SBM 1200 cutting system equipped with a 250W CW CO2 (10.6 um) through a 2.5" lens. Using 200 watts at a frequency of 5 kHz (modulated), the samples were cut with a pattern similar to the existing cuts on the sample. Samples were cut 1mm from cutting nozzle with ~10 psi compressed air. Cutting speed was 20mm per second and the application was completed in one pass.

The Laser Photonics application engineers made the following recommendations to the customer: The most appropriate system for this type of application is the SBM 1200 equipped with a 250 Watt continuous wave CO2 (106um) laser. A focal length lens of 2.5 inches should be used, depending on the focal distance requirements.

Laser Photonics LLC is an industrial leader in producing high power Fiber and CO2 Laser cutting machines. Our standard line of laser cutting machines is built in different sizes, speeds and strengths to meet different industry applications.

Laser Cutting a Diamond Tip

Laser Cutting Application:

Laser Photonics received an inquiry regarding the FiberTower™ Series Fiber Laser Systems. The customer wanted to use a fiber laser system to make a cut on a diamond tip mounted within a holder. At our facility in Lake Mary, Florida and our application engineers processed the customers’ samples, using a 20 Watt Q-Switched Fiber Laser to make the cuts. Using a 160mm F-theta Lens and 95% power, the fiber laser made multiple passes cutting half way through the material sample. These samples were processed at no charge to the customer.

The FiberTower™ Series equipment is safe, compact and service-free, designed to meet individual cutting needs. It can be delivered as a stand-alone system that can be integrated into any production line or with full turnkey workstations. These laser systems possess a reliability that is unmatched by any other kind of solid state or gas laser systems. Wide selectivity of operating wavelengths, ultra-low amplitude noise, high stability and ultra-long pump diode lifetime complete an impressive list of advantages of these modern fiber laser systems.