+31 40 8080 193Laser engraving of metal: clean, fast and flexible
Laser engraving of metal is a clean, fast and flexible processing method for engraving a large number of metals. This includes the following materials:
- Metal and stainless steel
- aluminum
- Silver
- Platinum
- gold
Other materials and exotics can also often be processed. Inquire about the possibilities. For laser engraving, a fiber laser with a wavelength of 1060nm is used.
Advantages of a fiber laser
- Short engraving time. Also suitable for fast processes.
- No post-processing required, immediate production quality.
- Works on all metals and a number of plastics.
- The engraving is really tangible in the material.
- The engraving is permanent, other than printing, painting or with stickers.
- Flexible and quick to adjust or automatically numbered.
- Clean marking without additives and contaminants (medical, food, process industry).
Want to get a quote, demonstration or your own material?
You are most welcome to see whether laser technology is a suitable solution for your cutting application or application. Bring your digital design or material to a demonstration and we can view the result on the spot. You can of course send it to
Examples of laser engraving of metals
Laser engraving of metals locally roughens the metal and also discolours the material. The contrast of the engraving can be optimized by the correct engraving settings. If color or true blacks are required then a MOPA fiber laser the better choice.
Why laser engraving metal with a fiber laser?
Marking metals with a CO2 laser is very limited. The wavelength of the CO2 laser is not suitable for processing multiple types of metal. Despite the fact that anodised aluminum is possible with the CO2 laser, we advise people who are looking for a more universal solution to use a marking laser (also called fiber laser) for metals. Laser engraving of metal is easy with a marking laser and is also suitable for stainless steel, aluminum and more precious metals such as gold and silver.
What can be engraved?
The software supplied can easily use files from Adobe Illustrator, DXF, JPEG or other photo formats, but it is also possible to create text or figures with this package. Similar to the CO2 lasers you can choose to use various layers to combine deep and superficial engraving by setting different laser power and speed and thus achieving a greater effect in your marking result.
What distinguishes fiber lasers?
Marking lasers have a small working area that can be engraved, but for most applications where a unique code, barcode or logo needs to be placed this is more than enough and marking lasers are faster and more flexible than CO2 lasers. If you would like to try what works best for your materials, please feel free to contact us and we can always experiment on site to determine the best solution.
Laser engraving of metal in color
With a standard fiber laser engraving machine a dark discoloration occurs, the contrast depends on the settings and the material. A fiber laser roughens the top layer slightly. In addition to the standard fiber laser machines, so-called MOPA fiber lasers are also available. These do not roughen the surface and there are more setting options to regulate the contrast so that it is possible to achieve true blacks and also colorization of the material as shown on the right.
More information
More information about the different laser engraving machines and possibilities. Go to the fiberlaser overview page…
