Types of Laser Engraving Machines and Their Applications

Laser engraving is the most popular method for engraving materials. It is cost-efficient, quick, and simple to perform. Also, you can apply it in engraving a variety of materials like wood, glass, plastic, metal, etc.

However, you can't use this method without first bearing the initial cost of purchasing a laser engraving machine. Choosing the right machine is a tricky process for most people. This is because there are various types of laser engraving machines on the market.

To resolve this, we discuss the five main categories of laser engraving machines and their various applications.

CO2 laser engraving machines

This type of laser engraving machine makes use of a CO2 gas laser to engrave materials. It is the most versatile laser engraving machine you have on the market and can engrave a variety of non-metal materials like wood, plastic, acrylic, leather, stone, etc.

Although they are the easiest and cheapest machines you can use, they cannot be used to engrave bare metal surfaces. This is because the laser beams are easily reflected on the metal surface if it is not coated.

Fiber laser engraving machine

The fiber Laser engraving machine makes use of fiber lasers to engrave surfaces. They are one of the most powerful engraving machines you have on the market. However, they are more expensive than CO2 laser engraving machines.

Their lasers operate at a shorter wavelength than CO2 lasers and so are easily absorbed by metals. This makes them suitable for engraving and cutting metals as the laser beams are not reflected.

Green laser engraving machine

This machine makes use of lasers in the green area of the infrared and visible light spectrum. They are perfect for engraving sensitive and reflective plastic materials.

Hence, you can use them for engraving soft plastics, integrated circuit chips, and solar cells. The major drawback of this machine is that it is expensive, unlike the CO2 laser machine.

UV laser engraving machine

When it comes to the micro engraving of materials, no machine does it better than the UV laser engraving machine. It makes use of laser light in the UV region of the spectrum. UV laser has a very short wavelength and so does not produce heat when applied to a surface.

Due to this reason, they are excellent for engraving heat-sensitive materials and electronics. Materials that you can engrave with this machine are microchips and solar panels. Also, you can use them for micro engraving of precise-measuring medical instruments.

However, they are not suitable for deep engraving of metals, unlike fiber lasers. Also, they are quite expensive to purchase.

MOPA laser engraving machine

MOPA is short for “Master Oscillator Power Amplifier”, which refers to the oscillator used in producing the laser beams. They are similar in construction to the fiber laser engraving machines but differ in their core components.

Nevertheless, they are still a good machine for engraving metals. You can use them for high-contrast engraving of metals as they produce high contrast.

Contact us for high-quality laser engraving machines

Choosing the right laser engraving machine can be tricky. As a leading brand with over a decade of manufacturing reliable and high-quality machines, we got you covered.

Our line-up of suitable laser engraving machines is sure to meet your engraving needs. Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you need any of our products and services and we will be glad to assist you.