Laser Marking

Laser Marking

What is Laser Marking?

Laser marking is a non-contact process that uses a focused beam of light to create a long lasting or permanent mark on a surface. Laser marking works by transferring heat energy to the target material to generate visible markings on or just under the surface via controlled burning or ablation. Lasers can mark a wide variety of materials including metals and non-metals like polymers, ceramics, and glass.

The high-precision and small spot size of focused laser beams enables the creation of complex and high-resolution marks which are often used for labeling, product tracking, machine vision, and regulatory compliance. The speed and reliability of laser marking has led to widespread adoption for marking applications across industries such as automotive, electronics, aerospace, semiconductor, and medical devices.

Advantages of Fiber Laser Marking

  • Fast processing speeds
  • Non-contact process with no tool wear or contamination
  • Accurate and repeatable process with no consumables
  • Flexible, safe, and environmentally friendly
  • Easily configurable for marking vectors, drawing files, barcodes, logos, and alphanumeric text
  • Able to mark above and beneath material surfaces or perform deep engraving

Laser Marking Technology vs. 
Traditional Marking Methods



Inkjet
 vs. Fiber Laser Marking

Inkjet marking is fast, easily programmed, and ubiquitous in paper, packaging, and low-cost product applications.

Fiber lasers are more suitable for metal, plastic, and ceramic parts, they eliminate consumable ink and require no jet maintenance. Fiber laser marking physically changes the surface for mark permanence that is impossible with ink




Electrochemical Etching
 vs. Fiber Laser Marking

Effective for large-area designs, electrochemical etching requires a stencil of the pattern to be made and requires parts that are electrically conductive.

Fiber laser marking has no electrical restrictions, does not require stencils, and can change mark patterns on the fly for part serialization.




Dot Peen
 vs. Fiber Laser Marking

Dot peen is an economical means of putting alpha-numeric characters on metal parts.

Fiber laser marking is higher resolution, can apply any 2D image and is much faster. In applications like Unique Device Identification (UDI) marking, fiber lasers can produce small dimension marks that are not possible with dot peen.

Discover Your Laser Marking Solution​

IPG is a partner for every stage of production from research and development to full-scale manufacturing.

Our laser marking experts are ready to evaluate your application and offer a solution optimized for your requirements.

Get an Application Evaluation
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How Can We Help?

Whether you have a question or just want to learn more about laser marking, an IPG laser expert is ready to help you find your marking solution.