What is the difference between laser marking and laser engraving

Ink coding, mechanical stamping, mechanical engraving, die engraving and chemical corrosion are our common material marking methods, but with time and environmental factors, the drawbacks of these traditional operating methods gradually appear. Ink coding is easy to fade and fall off, and the ink is a chemical printing and dyeing material, which is not conducive to environmental protection. The mechanical stress generated by mechanical stamping and mechanical engraving has a small scope of application, and is not "friendly" to hard and brittle materials, and the processing procedures are particularly cumbersome and inefficient. Labor costs are high.

With the continuous development of laser technology, the types and performance of laser equipment have gradually improved, and the penetration and replacement of traditional processes has become wider and wider. The use of lasers for marking and engraving has become commonplace. So what is the difference between laser marking and laser engraving?

Laser marking is to irradiate the surface of the material with a highly focused high-energy density beam for non-contact processing, so that the surface of the material produces a permanent, clear, almost no obvious tactile mark, which plays an irreplaceable role in product anti-counterfeiting and root tracing. . At the same time, this process does not generate any mechanical stress and will not cause damage to the material.

Laser engraving uses light as a "knife", with 3D marking software and hardware, by drawing or importing 3D vector graphics, and setting relevant parameters such as the trajectory and speed of the laser spot, the high-energy density laser beam will follow the set items. The parameters remove the surface of the material to expose cavities, display the image at eye level, and use a laser engraver to create deeper marks, often requiring multiple repetitions.

Therefore, the differences between laser marking and laser engraving are mainly reflected in the following points:

The performance results are different. Laser marking acts on the surface of the material, and the marking is very shallow. Generally, the depth is less than 0.5mm, and it is not obvious to touch by hand. However, laser engraving obtains a certain depth of engraving graphics, and the depth can vary from 0.1mm to 100mm.

Different hardware and software are required. Laser marking requires 2D marking software and hardware, while laser engraving requires software and hardware with 3D marking function, and often optional electric lifting platform and rotating shaft can be adjusted in three directions of XYZ.

The 355nm UV nanosecond laser can be used for ultra-fine marking and engraving. Based on the high single-photon energy, short-wave wavelength characteristics and high material absorption efficiency of the 355nm UV laser, it is suitable for marking food, medicine, film and plastic packaging materials, glass, Rapid division of thin, hard and brittle materials such as sapphire, circular special-shaped cutting or deep engraving inside the material, the beam quality is good, the volume is small, the stability is high, the marking speed is fast, and the efficiency is high.