Speedy series: Laser engraving and cutting machines for formats up to 1016 x 610 mm
⚫ Engrave | ⚫ Cut | ⚫ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂, Flexx or Fiber laser |
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Work area: | 610 x 305 up to 1016 x 610 mm |
Max. workpiece height: | 125 - 305 mm |
Laser power: | 20 - 120 watts |
SP series: CO2 laser cutter for large-format materials.
⚫ Engrave | ⚫ Cut | ⎯ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂ laser |
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Work area: | 1245 x 710 up to 3250 x 3210 mm |
Max. workpiece height: | 50 - 112 mm |
Laser power: | 40 - 400 watts |
Marking laser stations with galvo marking heads. Marking area up to 44.1 x 25.0 inch.
⚫ Engrave | ⎯ Cut | ⚫ Mark |
Laser type: | CO₂ or Fiber laser |
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Max. work area: | 190 x 190 up to 1300 x 450 mm |
Max. workpiece height: | 250 - 764 mm |
Laser power: | 20 - 100 watts / 20 + 100 watts MOPA |
In this tutorial, we will show you how to laser engrave or deep engrave metals using a MOPA laser source. We also provide you with time-optimised and quality-optimised laser parameters for deep engraving of metals.
Laser engraving involves removing the material from a solid surface. Due to the very high intensity of the laser, materials including steel, titanium and (almost) all other metals can be vaporised directly. This is made possible due to the high pulse power of the fiber laser (Trotec lasers have up to 10 kW peak power) in combination with a very small laser spot diameter (Trotec ~ 45 μm with the F-160 lens). With this method, text, logos, serial numbers and other contents can be laser engraved into the material. The volume of the material is reduced and its colour is changed. The resulting brown areas consist of metal oxides (or rust), which can be cleaned with a second cleaning cycle using polishing parameters. Laser engraving on stainless steel requires high power, low frequency (which results in high power per pulse) and marking speeds of 250 - 900 mm/sec.
The process for deep engraving is fundamentally identical to regular laser engraving, however, deep engraving requires more passes. There are two different sets of parameters:
Please note that the set of parameters used to achieve optimal quality (2) takes about three times as long to reach the same laser engraving depth. A 20 watt MOPA laser with F-160 lens is used in both applications. The time-optimised engraving results are shown at the top of the image, while the quality-optimised engraving results are at the bottom.
Firstly, deep laser engraving is carried out in the fastest time possible. The laser engraving parameters are chosen so that the desired engraving depth (in this case: 200 μm) is achieved as quickly as possible. The quality of the deep engraving is not taken into consideration here. This results in a warp of up to 100 µm. The laser engraving depth ranges from the desired 200 μm to 240 μm.
Power | Speed | Frequency | Pulse duration |
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100% | 250 mm/s | 60 kHz | 200 ns |
Focus | Filling lines distance | Passes | Laser engraving time |
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In focus | 0.03 mm bidirectional | 32 (for 200 μm depth) | 112 seconds (5x5 mm square) |
In the second step, deep engraving is carried out with the best possible quality, using the quality laser engraving parameters. The laser parameters are selected to ensure that the desired engraving depth (also 200 µm) is achieved together with the best quality. The laser engraving process takes three times as long using these parameters, however there is no warping of the material. The laser engraving depth ranges from the desired 200 μm to max. 220 μm.
Power | Speed | Frequency | Pulse duration |
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100% | 900 mm/s | 180 kHz | 200 ns |
Focus | Filling lines distance | Passes | Laser engraving time |
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In focus | 0.03 mm bidirectional | 450 (for 200 μm depth) | 375 seconds (5x5 mm square) |
We are happy to advise you.
Deep laser engraving metals offers many possibilities. Different laser parameters can be used depending on your requirements. In the time-optimised example, a great deal of material evaporates in a few passes (at a comparatively slow speed), and the quality-optimised variant uses significantly more (and faster) passes in order to remove the material in a more uniform and controlled manner, negating the possibility of the material warping.
Our experts are happy to advise you if you have any questions about deep laser engraving metals. Contact us today for a sample.