Most laser engraving techniques involve either engraving the mark into metal or plastic contents, or ablating a surface layer to differentiate a contrasting stock underside. Both techniques normally entail high energy pulsed laser systems and also involve process debris.

Fiber lasers are presently a potent industrial tool with a different series of capabilities that permit a wide range of precision items processing making methods. Fiber lasers give low running expenses, a quick return on investment, a little footprint and exceptional reliability, and are thus make use of a growing acceptance within the laser-assisted manufacturing industry as a cost-effective alternative to long-established laser design.

Laser etching is able to generate high contrast, conveniently interpretable and permanent identification on a wide variety of parts for industrial use or consumer goods. Computer generated vector or bitmap patterns (logos, barcodes or text) can be engraved or etched using a non-contact Process onto metallic and nonmetallic materials, with metals, plastics, glass, electronics, Pcbs, wafers, medical devices, sporting goods and packaging.

A combination of a dependable commercial laser, swift and precise galvanometric imaging systems and favorable computer control supplies manufacturers with a unique mixture of speed, longevity and versatility that can't be matched by any other engraving method.

Laser Engraving Processes
Normally, laser engraving involves either engraving a physical characteristic onto a surface just as for regular engraving techniques, generating a simple color change in surface, or engraving of a surface layer of property to differentiate another, exceptionally contrasting layer underneath. Either technique can be used on a broad spectrum of items, and in addition to creating identifying marks can also form part of an industrial Process, for example in electronics manufacture.

The benefits of laser marking include speed, flexibility and the non-contact marking Process, meaning that elements parts are not stressed by the marking Process. The non-contact nature of the Process also contributes to low service schedules, as tools do not need to be replaced. In addition laser marking is also extremely repeatable and conveniently recognizable (even machine recognizable).

Demanding Quality Control
A laser etching Process is commonly used for etching metal surfaces as it is quick, non contact and extremely rugged, but is however also accountable for the production of debris - fine metallic particles removed from the surface as part of the engraving process.

Normally for bearing manufacture there are stringent requirements for Process debris. The marking of bearing enclosures using a laser has thus normally compounded a "minimal" engraving Process with an influenced change in surface color. CMS had not long ago accomplished this utilizing Nd:YAG lasers, but customer necessities was looking for a way around the cost, maintenance, lifetime and reliability issues coupled with the Nd:YAG design.

For this application CMS engineers have developed the use of a fiber laser from SPI Lasers plc of Southampton, UK - more specifically a 100 W cw/modulated fiber laser customarily used for welding and cutting tasks. SPI has been creating fiber lasers for the industrial business for many years, primarily for materials processing applications such as microwelding and microcutting, but also for marking applications.

Switching to the new fiber laser means generating the same thermally influenced high contrast mark on the bearing housing, but doing so with less development of debris, at reduced raised recast, and at much greater ease to the end-user - meaning almost no service, Expandd lifetime and astonishing reliability.

The 100W fiber laser used in this application typifies the ease of use of fiber lasers as a tool for a wide variety of operations - engraving applications are traditionally an application for high energy pulsed lasers, but the performance envelope furnished by fiber laser technology permits systems integrators like CMS to redefine these domains.

Advantages of Fiber Lasers
Many various laser designs have found their way into materials processing applications. Fiber lasers are however changing many of these operations through a intermixture of transformed optical performance, greater system ease of use, high component yield, long up-time and noteworthy reliability.

Important to many etching operations, they don't show forth the shortfalls in spot size performance found in other laser designs - at all power levels, across all pulse sequences and during the entire lifetime of the laser, the spot size remains minuscule, calculable and consistent.

The small spot size and high beam quality also mean high irradiance at the focus, so building tools equipped with fiber lasers can produce preferable results faster and at lesser power levels. The focused beam usually treats only a very small area of substance, with the benefit that very little heat is generated in the surrounding area. High quality precision etching, welding and cutting can be performed close (0.1 mm) to the most obscure and perplexing part parts.

Factoring in the reputable operation and power modulation ease of use, fiber laser technology is nowadays frequently chosen as an upgrade over traditional flash-lamp pumped solid state, or even DPSS laser technology in many other laser-assisted industrial manufacture segments. The consistent and transformed marking performance means reduced service costs, longer up-times and improved fabrication quality with less scrap. Fiber lasers are also exceedingly physically powerful and thus suitable for the most challenging of industrial environments.

All of these factors equate to a plug-&-play, maintenance-free architecture for systems integrators looking to reduce development, production and servicing expenses, with the added benefit of being able to provide the end user with a outstanding, more flexible product. Finally, the end user will be able to focus on their business requirementss rather than having to become laser maintenance experts.

Advantages for Industrial Manufacturers
In general, the choice of tooling for any application comes down to determining the necessary performance followed by a trade-off between initial outlay, part yield, uptime and maintenance.

Not only are part assemblies becoming increasingly more complex but, at the same time, more and more demands are being placed on their quality and functionality. The placing of manufacturing tools equipped with fiber lasers to enhance Process control can thus bring significant financial benefits for any manufacturer. Banded together with the small footprint, such tools can also open up techniques that were previously out of reach for some manufacturers.