Laser Marking Stainless Steel

Laser Etching and Engraving on Stainless Steel

A fibre laser marking machine is the preferred system for laser marking stainless steel parts and surfaces. These laser systems are used to etch and engrave identification codes directly onto steel parts and on stainless steel plates that are attached to larger products. The laser marking process alters precisely targeted areas of the metal surface to create a highly visible code in the steel – these codes may be numeric and alphanumeric text, 2D or conventional barcodes.

Stainless steel laser marking has become increasingly important in industries where the authentication and traceability of individual parts has become more critical, such as aerospace and automotive, as well as the production of medical devices.

Laser engraving marks codes on stainless steel parts and products at the high speeds required by industrial production. Many are capable of engraving up to 900 marks per minute. The lasers are also capable of directing their beams to mark targets as they move among production lines, supporting higher productivity. The process creates permanent codes that ensure identification is possible throughout the life of the product.

Laser marking is the only coding technology that will successfully permanently mark stainless steel. Companies that have used inkjet and thermal transfer codes have found that those codes are quickly erased. As the ability to trace parts and products has become increasingly necessary to companies, the permanence has increased in importance.

Laser Marking Steel with Fibre Lasers

Fibre lasers are compact compared with solid state or gas lasers of comparable power, and their high peak power and nanosecond pulses produce superior engraved results. Their higher power and better beam quality provide cleaner cut edges and faster speeds. The laser marking process eliminates the possibility of important identification information being blurred or obscured during or after application and becoming unreadable, since it is a permanent part of the product.