Choosing a laser marker:
10 guidelines to avoid mistakes

In the world of Industry 4.0, projected toward the future and into the automation of industrial processes, laser marking today plays a leading role, having achieved this by surpassing all the other systems competing with it in terms of brand awareness but above all traceability.

Laser marking is unrivaled in terms of technology and integration, thanks to a series of well-known reasons that are specific to the laser and the state of improvement achieved today:

Contrast and visibility: laser marking has a microscopic quality and precision that other systems cannot achieve

Resistance: over time, prints and labels become damaged and codes and text no longer are visible, causing damage both in terms of productivity and company image.

Versatility: the laser is the most versatile marking method ever thanks to its intrinsic characteristics. It is in fact possible to mark any logo or text, as well as variable 1D/2D codes, according to the most disparate needs (simple progression, change of date and time, automatic content update according to business logic)

Economic benefit: at first glance, a laser marker might seem like an excessive investment compared with other opportunities on the market. But this is precisely what it is: a long-term investment, with an almost inexistent rate of wear and which involves no additional costs related to consumables. To give a practical example, the estimated average life of a fiber laser is 100,000 hours of operation – not just mere start-up – for an objectified average of 11 years of continuous work, considering use 365 days a year, 24 hours per day. Furthermore, from the point of view of the additional costs, consider that, unlike the laser, other technologies involve many consumables and waste materials that must be disposed of (just think of the paints and inks for pad printing or ink jet systems).

Ecology: it must be emphasized that laser is the best technology from the point of view of environmental safety, again with regards to its absence of waste materials. Zero waste materials also means less chemical and dangerous substances and, at the same time, since the laser is a DPM (Direct Part Marking) technology, we do not add additional paper or plastic components to our product.

So how do I choose a laser marker?

The first thing to do is to define the material or materials you need to mark. This is absolutely necessary as it allows you to define the correct laser source with which to equip your marker. In fact, it should be noted that no laser exists that is capable of perfectly marking all materials; there are sources and different pulses that include a more or less extensive range of materials. For example, in the case of plastics, tests are usually carried out on components due to their different chemical composition, which are not always clear to the manufacturer, who does not whether or not a certain element could compromise the effect of the marking.

We have created a system to guide you in choosing the best laser marker for you: five easy steps to help us understand what you need, in order to show you the best laser machines for you. Below, we have tried to simplify the concept in order to get a general overview of the applications:

Once the source has been defined – for which we always advise you to take tests, which are always free – let’s take a look at the other fundamental aspects:

The number of pieces to be marked
This in fact allows us to define whether you need a rotary table, a certain number of movement axes, a magazine for automatic loading or other additional tools.

The size of components
Always keep in mind that the part to be marked must be fully equipped in the cabin, and therefore must fit the dimensions, so as to guarantee the safety of the entire process. In fact, class I is the only safe category according to EC legislation. Consequently, even if you had to mark a few pieces per day, you cannot consider a bench-top system if these pieces measure 500×500 mm.

Additional integrations
Working in combination with a robot, as happens in large production chains, implies that the laser marker must be both electrically and mechanically fitted.

24h work
Another request could be non-stop laser marker operation. If working in a line, no modification is clearly necessary, while the machine must be equipped for unmanned processing for stand-alone systems.

While we have so far focused on the technical parameters that will allow you to make the right investment to optimize your time, it is now important to make a small note on choosing the supplier.

Considering that most laser marking solutions are equipped with fiber lasers, it is fair to say that this has now achieved state of the art status, which means that there are few big world players that bring more or less similar technology to the market, which do not add value to the quality of the result obtained. This means that the fiber optic laser used by LASIT is unlikely to have a better or worse effect than the fiber optic laser of any other competitor.

The actual difference and the added value lie in the design and implementation of the entire device and in the ability to be followed by a team of experts, dedicated to your individual project, which it develops with the utmost care.

LASIT has specialized for years in the production of complete systems, for which it is the sole supplier, thus guaranteeing total flexibility and customer care that is difficult to find when you need to call third parties for advice or assistance. The absence of intermediaries and the total responsibility that we assume in case of need are some of the traits that differentiate us and that have over time led many large companies to choose us.

Another important aspect, with which we conclude, is our company’s history and rate of specialization. We have been on the international market thirty years, solely in the research and development of laser marking systems. Specializing means dedicating our entire team of more than a hundred people solely in the research of new cutting-edge methods to ensure maximum performance for any application.

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