Multiply your possibilities for laser marking metals and plastics
A MOPA laser source is a great way to expand your marking capabilities and improve the quality of your marking results on certain plastics and metals. With a conventional fiber laser marker, markings on certain metals and plastics (especially if they are dark in color) can be less homogeneous and rich in contrast. The MOPA laser source is a great solution in these cases because it allows you to select pulse durations, which translates into a wider range of laser marking parameters and more marking options. As a result, the MOPA can laser mark plastics with higher-contrast and more legible results, mark (anodized) aluminum in black, and create reproducible colors on steel.
Advantages of MOPA laser marking
Selectable pulse durations not only improve laser marking results on certain metals and plastics, but also provide more marking capabilities. With the MOPA laser, the pulse durations can be set to predefined values between 4 and 200 ns. Because it offers such a wide range of pulse durations, the MOPA is one of the most flexible lasers on the market. It can simulate the properties of conventional fiber laser markers (relatively long pulses) and those of classical solid state lasers (relatively short pulses) such as Nd:YAG or Nd:YVO4 (vanadate). You can also produce qualitatively equivalent markings with the MOPA laser partially faster than with the conventional fiber laser marker.
Using short pulses and lower pulse energy heat the material less, and the area of the heat affected zone is reduced. This results in more advantages and possibilities for laser marking metals and plastics:
Less burning/melting in the edge area of metal engravings
Less heat development during annealing markings on metal, which leads to a better corrosion behavior
Creation of reproducible annealing colors on stainless steel
Black marking of anodized aluminumControlled melting of plastics
Less foaming with plastics
More homogeneous and sometimes higher-contrast markings on some plastics
The advantages of the conventional fiber laser sources remain unchanged:
