Laser marking in the stainless steel industry
Summary:
Stainless steel is chosen by manufacturers for its characteristics and advantages over other similar materials. One of these advantages is its high resistance to corrosion and oxidation, due to the fact that it contains alloyed metals.
Stainless steel can be used in different sectors of the market, such as in the electrical appliance sector, the automobile industry, kitchens, the food industry or the jewelry manufacturing industry. It is a very common material in different businesses.
On the other hand, laser marking is very useful in any industry for digital codes, QR codes, identification text and other similar applications. In this process, the laser is focused on the surface, heating the material and causing a type of oxidation below the surface, leaving the desired mark . When you pass your finger over a laser marking , the surface remains intact, but with a new appearance, so the laser marking is noticeable to the eye, but not to the touch. In this article we are going to learn about the advantages of laser marking stainless steel materials and parts.
Application of laser marking on stainless steel:
Using a laser marking machine , alloys such as stainless steel can be marked permanently and easily. The different uses that can be exercised range from traceability labels to the personalization of promotional items. Stainless steel is also highly valued for its hygienic properties, allowing it to be applied in the medical field . The non-contact marking process requires no consumables or tool wear, ensuring the lowest cost per mark.
In the case of steel alloys, it is even possible to produce corrosion resistant laser marks without damaging the metal surface by annealing or annealing marking. Laser annealing is an optimized laser marking process for stainless steel. In annealing, the oxidation process caused by laser is used so that the mark remains colored, instead of black . The resulting color may vary depending on the power used and the type of metal. When used with a fiber laser system, it can bring unparalleled benefits to your manufacturing process.
To mark Data Matrix codes, barcodes, serial numbers and logos with high precision, there are different techniques to be executed using the laser, which can be very useful for marking our stainless steel parts, for example, “grinding”.
Benefits of fiber laser marking equipment:
Laser marking allows us to achieve very diverse designs or codes on different surfaces. Laser marking equipment is very versatile and we can use it for very different purposes, they have high quality fiber lasers and Galvo systems. Below, we will list some of the most prominent reasons for users of these fiber laser markers :
- Using the fiber laser we can mark and engrave different materials: stainless steel, aluminum, carbon steel, PVC, gold, copper, silver, glass spray, among others. Depending on the material, we can work with clearer marks or deeper engravings.
- Permanent applications. The laser marking and engraving is permanent and cannot be easily changed, and these markings are of high quality.
- Reduction of environmental pollution. We avoid using glues and inks to mark and implement designs and codes. These products harm the health of the environment.
- Equipment with high durability and low failure rate. The fiber laser can have a durability of up to 100,000 hours. In addition, this laser is practically maintenance free.
- Easy operation. The laser marking equipment has a plug and play system and software that is easy to work with and learn to use.
- High speed. For some applications, the speed at which this equipment can reach is very interesting. It can reach a working speed of up to 8000 mm/s.
- Own production and design. LaserComercial marking machines are designed and produced in-house, every detail is carefully thought out so that it works from the first moment.
Examples of laser marking applications:
Laser marking can be expressed and appreciated in many ways, which depends a lot on the use that the operator wants to give to the laser machine . LaserComercial has tested the laser system in different elements or components:
KEYS AND LOCKS . The laser marking machine can engrave a large number of materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, PVC, silver, carbon steel, among others. It can be a good option to easily engrave or mark keys and locks. It is possible to record codes, words, logos, among other designs.
MACHINE IDENTIFICATION PLATES . Many machines have an identification plate with the model, the code or the date of manufacture, among other details. The fiber laser machine allows these codes and details to be engraved at high speed on metal sheets or other materials. This avoids the use of tags. In this way, label and sticker printing costs can be saved. In addition, time will not be a problem, check in this video how fast you can mark a machine’s identification plate.
COMMEMORATIVE PLATES.As it is possible to engrave materials such as stainless steel, aluminum or silver, commemorative plates or the like can be engraved with a fiber laser marking machine . And not only this, these machines allow great detail precision, if desired, and high-speed marking on multiple surfaces.
Next, through a couple of videos we will show you some examples of how laser marking machines can be applied to the marking of different products.
