Comparison: CO2 vs.Diode vs.Fiber Laser Marking

Fiber laser marking, diode and the one from CO2 lasers are the most common marking technologies out there. This article reviews which one suits you and the pros and cons of them.

Introduction

Laser marking and laser engraving are sometimes confused with each other. Laser marking refers to placing legible information on the surface of a part with little or no penetration, while later refers to putting information onto a part with evident penetration below the surface of the material to make a permanent and clear impression.

When it comes to laser marking, the choice of the right technology is as crucial as choosing the right surface for a product. Fiber laser marking is one of the most common solutions used in the industry right now, while CO2 and diode laser marking are also used, but all of them have their pros and cons. Before selecting one of the three, one has to consider the distinctions between these technologies, and how they may fit one’s specific marking needs. Below is their detailed comparison:

1. Fiber laser marking

It is a technique that involves using laser beams to mark materials without making physical contact with the material to be marked. It has become widely used because it is effective in producing high-quality impressions without the use of materials such as ink.

This technique uses a fiber optic cable that is doped with rare earth metals. The laser beam ejected is used to deposit the required mark on this material and is associated with high beam quality and good stability. Fiber lasers are in the infrared group of lasers with a wavelength of 1064 nm.

Pros and cons

This technique is known for its high-quality marks in high resolution, making it a great choice for small texts and intricate designs. Also, such marking offers a long operational life for its hardware, often exceeding 100,000 hours, and is much more energy efficient. Moreover, this technique is also great for metals and many other surfaces.
The initial cost is much higher as compared to other common techniques, and it is also less effective on organic surfaces. Also, they can create heat-affected zones on the surfaces, so they are not suitable for applications where surfaces are fragile.

3. CO2 Laser Marking

This marking technique uses a gas mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium to produce a laser beam that works in the infrared zone with a wavelength of roughly 10.6 µm. This wavelength is in the range where it can well-absorb into organic materials. Laser marks with this beam are made by vaporizing its surface layer.

Pros & Cons

This laser marking technique gives great results on a wide variety of organic materials and also has a low initial cost as compared to other mentioned techniques. Also, it offers fast marking speeds and doesn’t result in a significant heat-affected zone on the marking surface.
Having said that, it has poor effectiveness on metals and needs additional anodizing and coating to get the desired results. Also, such systems are much more maintenance-hungry and have shorter operational lifetimes.

Conclusion

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