Everything you need to know about fibre laser engraving
An overview of the technology, its advantages, and applications
Fibre laser engraving is a popular technology for marking industrial parts and objects. Its unique combination of efficiency and precision makes it a must-have technology in many sectors, from industrial to personalisation.
This article will help you understand how a fibre laser works, discover its benefits, and explore its many applications.
What is a fibre laser?
Fibre laser engraving technology uses optical fibre to amplify light, producing a highly concentrated and precise beam of light with a wavelength of 1,064 nanometers. This technical feature makes it compatible with a wide range of metals and plastics, offering flexibility for various applications.
The two types of fibre lasers: Classic and MOPA
"Classic" Fibre Laser
The "classic" fibre laser combines precision, power, and speed. Its reliability and low maintenance requirements make it a popular solution for high-contrast black marking on steel and marking on plastics.
MOPA Fibre Laser
The MOPA pulsed fibre laser stands out for its ability to control pulse duration in fine detail. This enables it to create deep markings or high-precision engravings on metals and plastics. In this way, it meets the needs of demanding industrial and personalisation applications.
Fibre laser engraving
Main advantages
- High precision thanks to a narrow laser beam diameter, making it ideal for fine, detailed engraving. This finesse is particularly appreciated for engraving barcodes, serial numbers, QR codes, Datamatrix, etc.
- High laser power due to beam amplification - beams pass through glass fibres or fibre-optic cables and are thus amplified.
- Adaptability to a wide variety of materials (aluminium, brass, copper, chrome, painted metals, carbon, fibreglass, nickel, silver, steel, gold, ceramics, wood, plastics, rubber, leather, etc.).
- High energy efficiency, significantly reducing energy consumption and heat loss.
- Fast processing speed capable of marking thousands of parts per hour with consistent quality (galvo-based laser system).
- Durability, with minimal maintenance and a long service life of tens of thousands of hours.
- Flexibility of use, allowing adaptation to different marking zones (even complex ones) and various engraving depths.
Fibre laser engraving applications
Fibre laser engraving
Solutions for industry and traceability
In the industry, fibre lasers excel at permanently marking metal parts, enabling the affixing of unique identifiers (barcodes, Datamatrix, etc.) crucial for traceability. They also allow high-contrast marking of parts, essential for the smooth operation of industrial machine-reading tools.
This technology is particularly popular in demanding sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and medical industries, where each component must remain identifiable throughout its life cycle to ensure proper assembly and reliable tracking.
Fibre laser engraving
Creative applications and personalisation
Regarding personalisation, fibre lasers are prized for their high precision. They enable fine engraving of jewellery, watches, and other accessories.
Capable of adapting to the most complex surfaces, this technology delivers results of remarkable quality with high contrast.
Fibre laser engraving
Signage solutions and marking on a variety of substrates
For signage, fibre lasers are an ideal solution for small metal signs designed for outdoor use. They enable durable, resistant marking in demanding industrial environments.
This technology is particularly well suited to engraving pre-cut labels used to indicate instructions, signal access, or identify equipment. It is commonly used for doorbell labels, PRM access signs, and personalised company parking spaces.
Focus on Gravotech fibre laser engravers, adapted to all your needs
Gravotech’s fibre laser stations, like the LW2, LW3, and WeLase™ models, are designed for precise industrial marking on metals and plastics.
- The WeLase™ is a fibre laser engraver perfect for object personalisation and fine engraving, particularly in the jewellery field, but it also enables the marking of tools or equipment identification plates. Its intuitive interface and preview mode make it a powerful, easy-to-use tool.
- The LW2 ensures fast, automated marking with high precision, which is ideal for mass production.
- The LW3, on the other hand, enables marking large industrial parts while guaranteeing safe use.
Integrable fibre lasers are ideal for fast, permanent marking on metals and plastics. Designed for seamless integration into production lines, these fibre laser engravers combine high speed, low maintenance, and long life, guaranteeing long-lasting results even in demanding industrial environments.
Tabletop fibre laser engravers, such as the LS100EX Fibre, LS900 Fibre, and LS900 EDGE, are ideal for engraving plastics and metals.
- The compact and precise LS100EX Fibre is ideal for signage and personalisation applications.
- The LS900 Fibee, with its large work volume, boosts productivity and meets industrial and large-format signage needs.
- The LS900 Edge combines fibre and CO2 technologies for unrivaled versatility. It can cut acrylic and engrave nameplates, avoiding the need to invest in several machines.
