Deep Laser Engraving with a 50-Watt Laser

This post was originally written and published in 2016. At that time, fiber lasers had evolved to the point of being able to produce 50 watts of high-quality 1064 nm light for marking and engraving applications.

Well, a lot has happened during the last eight years. Fiber lasers are now able to produce kilowatts of 1064 nm light.

Although higher-powered fiber lasers are becoming the standard for metal-cutting applications, galvo-driven fiber laser marking and engraving systems are generally limited to output power in the 100-watt range. This is primarily due to heat effects on the non-water-cooled optics in Galvo systems. 100-watt fiber lasers are becoming the standard tool for deep engraving in applications like firearms engraving with a minimum engraving depth dictated by government regulations.

A 50-watt laser can ultimately achieve the same engraving depths as a 100-watt fiber laser, but the higher-powered 100-watt laser will do it faster. Doubling the size of the laser output power won't cut the marking or engraving cycle time in half, but it will reduce cycle time by 75% or so. This is because software overhead and galvo delay times exist regardless of the output power of the laser.

Our experience at Jimani is that we've had no significant issues with integrating 120-watt fiber lasers into marking systems, but a 200-watt fiber laser requires special and more expensive optics. Additionally, the price of the laser module itself increases substantially at higher power levels.

Deep laser engraving is a popular choice for permanent marking when the mark needs to withstand strain and heavy use. It is often done with a 50-watt fiber laser system on metal surfaces destined for harsh environments.

50-Watt Fiber Lasers

50-watt lasers are versatile in both the types of marks they can make and the surfaces they can effectively mark.

You can see this versatility in some of our most popular 50-watt laser posts.

• Deep Laser Engraving Aluminum Using 50-Watt Fiber Laser
• Laser Engraving Brass Bottle Openers
• Customer Service and Fiber Laser Systems

Deep Laser Engraving

Deep laser engraving, as we said above, is often used when the finished piece will be used in harsh environments, suffer wear and tear, or need to otherwise maintain legibility over a long period of time. You can see the types of applications best suited to deep laser engraving, and some of our most popular deep laser engraving posts, here.

Some examples of deep engraving fiber laser applications include:

• Laser Marking Aluminum
• Deep Laser Engraving Aluminum Using a 50 Watt Fiber Laser
• Laser Engraving Ceramic with 50W Fiber Laser Marking System

Contact Jimani and see what they can do for you with a state-of-the-art laser marking system.

You may be interested in these other posts on Deep Laser Engraving

• Deep Laser Engraving on Aluminum Brake Caliper
• Deep Laser Engraving Aluminum Using 50 Watt Fiber Laser