[Ultimate Guide] Deep Laser Engraving: How Deep Can Laser Engraving Go?

deep laser engraving

Table of Contents

In general, the depth of deep engraving and the surface roughness can be weighed by changing the parameters. Different parameters should be selected according to the material’s properties to match the material’s processing requirements. The effect of processing will change with the properties of the material. Therefore, when comes to laser engraving, it deals with removing a variety of materials from the surface of a solid. These materials include titanium, steel, aluminum, copper, carbide, brass and other metals that can directly be vaporized.

The fiber laser has a high pulse power, a higher intensity and smaller spot diameter. These features make laser engraving more efficient in removing logos, serial numbers, texts, and many other materials always engraved in metals. During its operation, the laser engraver reduces the materials’ volume. The surface material will be oxidized during the deep engraving, so it is recommended to further increase the parameters of polishing. Laser engraving always requires low frequency and high power, especially when removing materials engraved on stainless steel.

How deep can laser engraving go?

The laser engraving can reach a few millimeters deeper into some metals. Regular laser engraving is the most commonly known to go deep by a few millimeters. Sometimes the regular laser engraving always goes for about 500 microns in depth. This increase in depth is evidenced in the shot blast marking of the resistance laser. The deep engraving always comes with an esthetic requirement alongside the depth. In the case of the laser engraving, there must be a higher contrast for it to meet the traceability needs as expected.

How do different parameters affect the laser engraving result?

When carrying out the deep laser engraving, it is always done in the shortest time possible. A suitable laser parameter must be chosen to achieve the desired level of engraving depth. The major parameters in laser engraving include power, speed, frequency, and lens.

Laser power

The laser power is one of the most critical parameters when choosing a laser engraver. The power is required for the laser engraver to meet the cycle time as expected. However, when it comes to laser power, a 500w laser power may not be mistaken to mean that the engraving will be five times faster compared to a 100W laser power. Many other factors will make the power ratio lesser than expected. Therefore, the only true observation that can be made from the two laser powers is that the 500W laser power will be much faster than the 100w laser power.

The deep engraving applications mainly need a laser power of at least 100w to operate at a reasonable speed. However, other deep laser engravers have a laser power below 100w. Such laser engravers with smaller power always have much longer engraving times that are not mostly recommended for use by many professionals.

Laser Frequency

The laser frequency is a parameter that mainly deals with the number of facula emitted by the laser every second. Therefore, to understand this parameter effectively, we must first look at the facula used in the laser engraving technology. The laser emission mode of pulsed laser is point mode, so these points are called “pulse laser facula”. These points are usually emitted at a higher number of times in a single unit of time when the laser engraver is under operation. For this reason, there is a need to determine the number of these pulsed laser facula points emitted in a given time. This process, therefore, results in the frequency of the laser engraver.

Therefore, laser frequency refers to the total number of “points” (facula) that the laser emits per unit of time. Its unit is HZ. The higher the laser frequency is, the more “points” that the laser emits per unit of time. Therefore, when you increase the frequency of the engraving, you will expect to have a higher number of pulse laser facula emitted per unit time. It should be noted that the energy that the laser emits per unit of time does not change and is evenly distributed to each “point”. So, the more “points” that the laser emits per unit of time, the lower the energy carried by each point. Changing the laser frequency will directly affect the processing effect.

Speed

When it comes to speed, many people confuse this parameter with frequency. However, they are different parameters that result in other effects when used. The speed, referred to as the scanning speed, is how fast the laser beams always move when the laser engraver is at work. Therefore, when the scanning speed is slower, this shows that laser beams remain longer in a particular area. This increases energy in the specific area and hence can be engraved faster and deeper. On the other hand, too much energy can result in overheating, thereby discoloring the surface. For this reason, the cycle time and quality requirements are always considered when deciding on using a higher or lower speed.

Lens

Lenses are also another essential parameter used to achieve a higher engraving speed. The lenses help in controlling the focus of the laser beams. For this reason, they play a crucial role in focusing the laser beams to reach the required intensity for deep engraving. Therefore, when you use the right lens, you will possibly double your engraving speed.

How to choose the best deep laser engraving machine according to your need?

When choosing the best deep laser engraving machine that suits your needs, there are many factors you will put into consideration. These factors include the laser engraver machine’s efficiency, reliability and affordability. You will also need to consider the machine’s safety when it is in use. The deep engraving always takes more time to complete a single part, which may be several minutes. In some cases, they take even hours and are therefore known to be a long engraving process. For this reason, the deep laser engravers are always enclosed in laser marking machines that are manually operated.

When it comes to affordability, deep laser engravers are always fairly affordable machines as compared to other types of engravers. Because there is no need for automation, you will only have to launch the engraving process. You can then load the necessary parts later on when everything is set. Therefore, you will not worry about assembling all the parts, especially when you are not financially prepared. Regarding the safety when using the deep laser engraver, there are two things you need to know.

First, you will have to protect workers from being struck by these laser beams. You can achieve this safety precaution by using a class-1 laser safety enclosure that is 100% safe. This is proof that has been tested and verified by international standards.

Another safety precaution you need to know is the fume and dust produced by the deep laser engraver when it vaporizes the solid surface. You can overcome this phenomenon by using the laser fume extractor. This fume extractor will ensure there is clean air that is safe for the workers.

Many recommended deep laser engraver products are available for you to order from JPT. JPT offers deep laser engravers with a faster engraving speed at a very affordable price. The currently available brand of the products includes the CW200W/300W fiber laser, the most featured brand.

The other products include the CW fiber laser 500W/100W, the MOPA fiber laser 200W/350W, the MOPA fiber laser 60W/100W and many others. All these machines are perfect and reliable in use therefore, you will only have to make your selection on the one that suits you most according to your needs.

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