Laser marking FAQs

Today, there are different methods to mark and engrave parts made of different materials. They have evolved and offer greater advantages for different industries, which obviously include laser marking. For this reason, we think we need to share laser marking FAQs with you.

At COUTH, we know how relevant and important laser marking is in industrial terms, since we are a solid, well-known company specialised in industrial traceability and marking. For this reason, we provide you with definitive solutions for fibre laser marking devices so you can achieve effective, high-quality results.

COUTH Laser Marking Lines

Before getting started, we would like to clarify that our devices fall under a marker unit line that guarantees high capacity and performance in the industrial sector, of which the following are of note:

• LASER PRO, which is designed to meet highly demanding production requirements and has power up to 100 W. PLC communication is also possible.
• LASER MAX, which provides the greatest versatility for laser marking functions.

It should be noted that both laser marker lines guarantee excellent performance, which has made the COUTH brand stand out on a highly competitive market, with noteworthy differences and advantages.

Learn laser marking FAQs

So that you can clear up all your questions before purchasing our devices and decide which one is best for you depending on your company’s specific needs, we are providing a selection of laser marking FAQs.

1. What is laser marking?

Laser marking is a technique or procedure used for marking or labelling different materials or parts with a laser beam, lightly intervening on the surface of material and removing a slight part of it to leave a permanent mark.

2. What is a laser marker machine?

As far as laser marker FAQs are concerned, it is essential that you know that this is a device that uses fibre laser technology for permanent engraving or marking the surfaces of different materials.

This kind of machine has a system that uses mirrors to guide the laser with high precision over the surface you are working on.

3. Which materials can you laser mark?

In response to this other laser marking FAQ, laser marking can be used on different materials from different sectors and industries that are used in sectors like automobile, aeronautics, iron and steel, jewellery, item personalisation, and much more.

These other materials include:

• Metals such as aluminium, brass, gold, silver, stainless steel, bronze, platinum, titanium, copper, etc.
• Plastics such as plastics with additives for laser, polycarbonate, ABS, Plásticos, polyamide, PMMA.

4. What are the advantages of laser marking?

1. High-quality results thanks to the precision you attain with lasers, making this an ideal method for reading with artificial vision systems. These results are fundamental for all industrial traceability systems.
2. Permanent marking with high wear resistance, as well as resistance to high temperatures and acids.
3. Depending on the material, you can mark without damaging the surface, based on the laser parameter settings. This means you achieve the results you need for each project.
4. Thanks to laser technology, you can conduct clean work that requires no greater contact and does not affect the environment.
5. High marking speed, which contributes to greater production, optimising operational costs.
6. Can be integrated onto chain production lines.
7. They are highly versatile since they provide different types of marking. They can make all kinds of shapes and marks, such as Datamatrix, QR codes, dates, logos, images, geometric shapes, and a wide variety of options. They can also be applied to different materials with varied techniques.
8. Some of the diverse materials you can apply laser marking to include PVC, stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminium, silver, gold, copper, glass, etc. The material type means you can achieve deeper or clearer results.
9. These devices help to reduce environmental pollution.
10. These devices are easy to operate and to learn to use.
11. They provide great flexibility in use, since they can adapt to the most complex marks, with different heights, including irregular geometric shapes, on cylindrical surfaces, and marks with no need to interrupt the production chain.
12. Marking is silent, very quick, and highly precise.
13. These devices require very low maintenance, which facilitates a return on investment.

5. What are a laser marker’s different techniques?

Another FAQ regarding laser marking has to do with types of laser marking techniques, which depends on the material and kind of finish you wish to achieve.

The different laser marks you can apply also depend on the device’s power. The most well-known laser marking techniques are:

5.1. Annealing

This technique is a special kind of laser mark for the metal market. It consists of taking advantage of the oxidation process caused by the laser underneath the surface of the material you are working on, changing the colour instead of remaining black with the heat created by the laser beam.

The colour you obtain depends on the kind of metal and power level you use.

5.2. Laser engraving

This procedure melts the material’s surface, which evaporates with the laser, creating an engraving in the depression you have created.

5.3. Elimination

This is to eliminate upper layers of the base material, achieving a contrast from the differences in colour between the base and the upper layer. This is applied to materials like painted metals, anodised aluminium, films, and laminates.

5.4. Decolouring

This procedure consists of a chemical reaction in the material you are working on caused by the heat generated by the laser beam, creating changes in colour tones depending on the material.

5.5. Foaming

With this technique, the material is melted by the laser beam, which causes bubbles of gas on the surface that reflect the light. This is normally applied to dark plastics.

6. What are the power levels of laser marker machines?

This is one of the most frequent FAQs regarding laser marking. Power levels can be classified by three different types:

• 20W
• 30W
• 50W

Use of the proper power level depends on the material and job to be conducted.

7. Can laser marking damage the material you are using?

This is another laser marking FAQ. To begin with, we should clarify that the material that the laser marking process is applied to is called substrate. It is a normal to ask whether it can be damaged when subjected to this type of procedure, so it is important to know that this substrate is not damaged.

What is important to consider is that laser marking slightly alters the surface of the substrate and leaves a permanent mark, with no need to apply adhesives, dyes, or any other related method.

8. How do you maintain a laser marker machine?

Laser marking FAQs also include maintenance for a marker unit.

As mentioned before, one of the most noteworthy advantages of fibre laser marker devices is that they do not require complex maintenance, which is also an important cost savings for the company that purchases this kind of machine.

COUTH’S laser marking systems are high quality and provide great performance and a long life cycle.

Maintenance is mainly focused on protecting the devices’ optics, which must be revised before, during, and after laser marking. You must protect and clean the lenses when not in use, following basic recommendations such as using optic solvents.

9. Are COUTH’S devices made by third parties or do you manufacture your own machines?

At COUTH, we are manufacturers. We offer varied laser solutions based on our experience that go through our industrial manufacturing structure, so we can guarantee quality throughout the entire process.

The knowledge we have gleaned allows us to offer the best laser marking solutions that can be applied to different industrial settings, and also allows us to provide this summary of laser marking FAQs.

10. What do you mean when you say you offer customised solutions?

Our COUTHlaser engraving line is designed to meet all fibre laser engraving needs in the new industry 4.0 in settings with high artificial intelligence participation, robotics, connectivity, and data analysis.

We offer solutions for independent work stations with our  model (COUTHlaser MAX), as well as solutions that require more complex communications and integration processes on production lines (COUTHlaser PRO).

We develop laser solutions with the necessary capacity to adapt to new, diverse projects.

At COUTH, we conduct an exhaustive diagnosis on the specific marking needs of each one of our clients in order to design a project that is customised for their technical requirements. This way, we guarantee personalised solutions for laser marking that are adequate and efficient, making them more competitive and productive.

For this reason, part of offering customised solutions means making laser marking FAQs available to you.

11. What are the features of the COUTH Laser Pro?

Another laser marking FAQ has to do with the features of the COUTH Laser Pro:

• This is a laser marker device especially designed to provide solutions to companies that require high productivity.
• It can be effectively integrated onto production lines.
• It was exclusively manufactured with the highest quality materials and components to guarantee a long life cycle.
• Its premium optics provide for a top-quality laser beam.
• Its software is highly flexible, since it can adapt to several needs and possibilities, which mean it can be adapted in personalised fashion to the customer.
• Laser marker unit with laser engraving system, ideal for high, 24/7, ongoing productions.

It should be noted that COUTH Laser Pro provides, based on its rated power:

12. What are the features of the COUTH Laser Max?

To answer laser marking FAQs, now we are going to focus on the COUTH Laser Max, which offers the greatest versatility on the market:

• This is a model especially developed to efficiently adapt to multiple laser marking needs.
• It can be effectively used for marking at independent workstations.
• Provides on-demand manufacturing with unitary marking.
• It can be efficiently applied to a wide variety of materials for laser marking and engraving.
• The software is truly intuitive and very easy to handle, making work with all kinds of graphics easier.

In terms of its rated power, the COUTH Laser Max offers:

Get the best efficacy in laser marking with COUTH’S devices. Don’t wait any longer and contact us so we can give you all the guidance you need, answer laser marking FAQs, and offer you the best solutions for your company.