Why are some laser marking engraving machines suitable for metal, and some for non-metal?

Talking about the laser marking engraving machine, we know that it can laser mark and laser engraves on different kinds of materials. Some materials are metal like stainless steel, aluminum alloy etc, and some materials are non-metal, for example, wood, plastic, ceramics, paperboard etc.

Normally, for different kinds of laser marking engraving machines, they are suitable for laser marking & laser engraving on different kinds of materials.

For example, Fiber laser marking engraving machine is suitable for laser marking & laser engraving on metal materials, and a few non-metal materials, for example, plastic. But fiber laser marking machine totally cannot laser mark engrave on wood or leather or paperboard material.

If we want to laser mark engraves on wood, leather, paper, even textile fabrics these non-metal materials, then a Co2 laser marking engraving machine is the best choice.

What makes the differences? Let see the secret in the following. This is because of the different laser sources and their laser beam wavelength.

The fiber laser source’s laser wavelength is 1064nm, this 1064nm wavelength mainly has the very good reaction for metal materials, for example, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, silver, gold etc. and also has the reaction for some plastic and some non-metal materials.

The Co2 laser source’s laser wavelength is 10600nm, contrarily, the 10600nm wavelength mainly has no reaction for metal materials, but it has the excellent reaction to various kinds of non-metal materials like wood, ceramics, paperboard, plastic, acrylic, leather, textile fabric etc. So Co2 laser marking engraving machine is very suitable for laser marking engraving various kinds of non-metal materials as above mentioned.

Is there a laser machine that could have laser mark & engrave on all kinds of materials? Yes, there is another laser machine has neuter wavelength 355nm, and this is a UV wavelength. So we know, that UV laser sourced laser marking engraving machine is suitable for marking & engraving on all kinds of materials. But for UV laser marking engraving machine, the UV laser source component is extremely expensive. It causes the UV laser marking engraving machine is much more expensive than both fiber laser marking machine and co2 laser marking machine.

Generally, according to above analysis, we know that fiber laser, co2 laser, and UV laser all have their own advantages and disadvantages for laser marking engraving metal and non-metal materials.

Metal materials: Fiber laser marking engraving machine is the best choices, UV laser marking engraving machine also could do metal laser marking engraving and would be more precisely and ultra-fine, but UV is more expensive.

Non-metal materials: Co2 laser marking engraving machine is most suitable, UV laser marking engraving machine also could do non-metal laser marking engraving and would be more precisely and ultra-fine, but UV is more expensive.

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