How to Choose the Best UV Laser Marking Machines
UV laser marking machines are the current players who have made a permanent place for themselves. A laser makes the marks on the packaging and the pills themselves. In addition, lasers are used to simplify ID and credit card security features. The same technology is also used to make marks on eyeglasses that are almost impossible to see. Ultraviolet (UV) lasers that produce light with wavelengths between 150 and 400 nm are used for these uses.
Whether you are new to laser marking or have a lot of experience, you should always try to improve the quality and contrast of the marks you make with a laser. Metals are in almost everything we use daily, from electronic gadgets to high-tech medical equipment, so laser marking them is especially important.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about laser marking machines and how they are used in the industry, so you can decide what to buy.
Factors affecting your selection of UV Laser Marking Machines
Besides the type of laser machine, here are some other important things to consider when choosing the best UV laser marking machine:
Whether you are new to laser marking or have a lot of experience, you should always try to improve the quality and contrast of the marks you make with a laser. Metals are in almost everything we use daily, from electronic gadgets to high-tech medical equipment, so laser marking them is especially important.
Marking Speed
When choosing a laser marking machine, the speed of marking is the first thing to look at. Laser marking is one of the fastest ways to mark something, but high-end and low-end models are still very different.
Your marking speed will also depend on the material you want to mark and the size of the marks you want to make. The process may go quickly or slowly, depending on your desired mark. Etching takes a lot less time than laser annealing. But it leaves a mark that can’t be erased and doesn’t hurt the surface of your material.
Material Properties
When using a laser to mark something, it’s important to consider what kind of material is being marked. Different materials have different absorption spectra, so they react differently to different wavelengths. This is important to remember when choosing what material to use with which laser source. The material’s melting point and how it reacts to heat must also be considered. It’s also important to think about how hard the material is. For example, laser marking aluminum takes less time than laser marking steel because aluminum is much softer and has a lower melting point.
UV Laser Marking Accuracy
Not every industry needs the same level of accuracy. You may need to carve in an ID number in some fields quickly. Others, like the medical and pharmaceutical fields, may need more accuracy.
A few things can affect how accurate industrial laser marking machines are. The beam spot size on your material is one. The more precise the laser can get, the smaller that spot needs to be. The quality of the optical system and the way it handles heat are also important. Even small changes could lead to the same disappointing results.
The True Cost of Ownership
Some companies will tell you that a laser-marking machine is a one-time purchase, but that is not true. No one plans to buy a laser-marking machine, use it for a year, and then throw it away because it is no longer useful. When you buy a machine, you want to know how long it will last and what kinds of repairs you will need to plan for. Good machines should last for about ten years and not need a lot of work to keep running. Be careful with companies that say their machines are easy to fix, because you will probably have to fix them a lot.
Work Environment
As with any machining job, it is important to use the right airflow, ventilation, and filtration systems. Lasers make heat, and laser marking machines can make vapors and small particles. This makes it very important to have a safe place to work.
The Mix of Functionality, Reliability, and Affordability
The best laser marking systems have a good balance of how they work, how reliable they are, and how much they cost. When you give up any of these three things, you put yourself in a bad situation. It is better to do a lot of research and buy only once than to take a chance and be sorry. The laser marking systems are the most well balanced of those out there.
Choosing a Reputable Seller
You should be sure of every big investment you make. You might think that all companies that sell laser marking machines know what they are doing, but you cannot be sure until you see for yourself. When you talk to a salesperson on the phone, you should make sure they can explain how the machine works and have a good idea of what it can be used for. If a salesperson does not seem to know much about the products they are selling, how can you expect them to help you choose the best one?
Laser technologies will drive the market for marking and engraving. UV lasers will be the most common way to work with sensitive materials, materials that can’t handle heat or processes that need to be very precise. UV laser engravers can become the go-to technology because they can do many different things.
In addition, their uses have been discussed in a lot of detail above to help users better understand the domain. Knowing what each technology does well and what it does poorly is important.
So, the same thing can be said about UV laser marking machines. From a price point of view, these machines may seem to cost a lot, but their performance and the fact that they don’t need much maintenance make up for the high price and a bit more.