Laser Lexicon - Laser engraver

How a laser engraver works, differences to mechanical engraving, areas of application, laser engraving process

What is a laser engraver?

A laser engraver is a gentle processing method for the permanent labelling of components of any type of material. Thanks to its precise alignment, the laser beam is able to produce detailed and very fine lines during laser engraving, whereas mechanical engraving is suitable for deep engravings.

The laser uses light and emits this energy in a controlled manner in the form of a laser beam. An uncontrolled emission, also known as spontaneous emission, is like switching on a light bulb. As soon as you press the light switch, the energy is released and the room is illuminated. However, it is not possible to focus the light on a specific point, which is why spontaneous emission occurs.

The laser engraver works by stimulating the emission of light in the form of focussed laser beams, hence the abbreviation laser:

LASER = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Light amplification through stimulated emission of radation

Orgin of laser beam

Marking lasers require a laser-active medium for this light amplification. This can be gaseous, solid or liquid. Energy is supplied from outisde, for example by an energy source in the form of LED light. The electrons in the housing are put into an ‘excited’ state by this optical pumping process and release their energy in the form of photons, which move freely back and forth in the medium. In order to amplify this electromagnetic radiation, the laser medium contains highly refelctive mirrors. However, a mirror is partially permeable so that part of the generated radiation can be coupled out again and utilised as laser radiation.

Alignment with mirrors

The laser engraver uses two mirrors to align the light beam, allowing the laser to be directed and aligned with the surface to be labelled with the utmost precision. Laser light is almost parallel light and can be focussed well, resulting in a high energy density for detailed and extremly accurate marking results.

The laser beam propagates at the speed of light, i. e. 300km/second. Almost all wave trains of the radiation also have the same wavelength, which is why the laser beam is monochromatic.

What is the difference between laser engraving and mechanical engraving?

Depending on the application, laser engraving or mechanical processing is more favourable. In the following, the two basic principles of the machines are explained, as well as typical areas of application and processing methods.

Laser engraving

Thanks to the laser beam, marking takes place completely contact-free through colour removal, engraving or recolouring, which also eliminates mechanical stress on the components and the laser components themselves, meaning there are no maintenance and wear costs. Specially designed ventilation systems ensure a stable laser output and simultaneously reduce the laser engraver´s power consumption to a minimum - this reduces consumption costs and also protects the enviroment.

The labelling is characterised by its extreme durability and permanent legibility. Chemical cleaning, high temperatures and continuous use cannot affect the legibility of the labelling and make laser engraving a forgery-proof labelling solution.

Lasergravierer LMG als Einzelarbeitsplatz

Overview of laser systems

Wide range of applications - Laser engravers can be used universally thanks to felxible programming. In addition to metals, plastic, glass and wood, organic materials can also be engraved with the laser.
Contactless labelling - No tedious clamping and fixing - neither the component itself nor the labelling come into contact with foreign bodies, so there is no mechanical stress and the components remain hygienically clean during laser engraving.
Maintenance & wear-free- Costs for maintenance and wearing parts? Not with laser engravers - first-class components guarantee a long service life and extremely high reliability.
Cost-efficient- Even for small series and individual parts, a laser engraver is economically viable and favourable in terms of running costs.
Smart - Easy-to-use and powerful software make your laser engravings child´s play - by the way, you don´t need any previous technical knowledge to operate our laser systems.

Mechanical engraving

Classic engraving is achieved by scratching, chiselling or engraving. Shapes and lettering are visibly engraved by removing the material. This is particularly suitable for deep engraving of metals. The metal components can also be drilled or cut with the engraving machine. However, residues are produced during this process. This waste product must then be removed from the material - either by automated processes or by manual post-processing, for example a fine dust extraction system could be used to remove it.

In addition, the milling head wears out due to machining and must be changed regularly. In addition, the component must be clamped and fastened for flawless machining, which means that considerably more time is required for the production of series. The limited level of detail in mechanical engraving makes complex geometries and very small details difficult to realise.

Laser engraver / mechanical engraving machine

Advantages & disadvantages

The overview on the right shows a direct comparison between a mechanical engraving machine and a laser engraver. Depending on the application, you can decide which machine is required. The mechanical engraving machine is ideal for deep metal engravings with additional cutting and drilling requirements. The laser system, on the other hand, is used for fast and permanent labelling and scores highly thanks to its flexible system, which is suitable for almost any material. We would be happy to provide you with a customised quote - click through our laser configurator.

Laser configurator

Comparison of advantages and disavantages of laser engravers Mechanical engraving machine

Which materials are suitable for laser labelling?

The areas of application are diverse, in addition to metals of almost any kind, laser marking on plastics, branding on wood, textiles and organic materials can also be realised.

Different ypes of laser are used depending on the beam source and the desired labelling result. For example, a fibre laser is used for metals of all kinds to achieve the optimum result. With plastics, the composition of the material plays a decisive role, for example a CO2 laser is used for best before date labelling on PET bottles.

The following table gives you an overview of which materials can be engraved and which beam source can be used for your laser engraver:

Comparison table of suitability of materials and beam sources for laser engraving

Lasergravierer Aluminium DataMatrix Code

Lasergravierer Aufschäumen schwarzer Kunststoff

Lasergravierer Elektronikgehäuse Umfärben

What types of laser engraving are available?

Both functional applications such as the numbering of individual parts in production and the creation of type plates as well as decorative surface processing are areas of application for laser engraving. For example, the so-called day/night process is used in the automotive industry, where laser engraving achieves a colour removal that illuminates the control elements in the cockpit at night.

You will find further labelling processes for laser engraving below:

Day/night design

Colour removal in day-night design describes the process in which layers are specifically removed and the underlying material becomes visible and can be backlit.

Laser engraving

Laser engraving, in which material is removed, is used, for example, to create simple, flexible, forgery-proof and permanent labelling.

Annealing marking

Marking using the tempering process is ideal for all types of metals that change colour when exposed to heat and oxygen.

Laser labelling of plastic

Labelling and decoration of plastics using foaming or recolouring processes.

Branding

Organic materials such as wood, paper, cardboard or leather are ‘branded’ using a focussed beam of light.

Industry/advertising labelling

Almost all common materials can be processed with the laser. Customised labelling of advertising media with logos, images, graphics and texts.

What types of laser engravers are there?

Whether compact marking laser, stand-alone system or integrated into your existing systems - we build the right laser engraver for your requirements.

In addition, you have the option of further optimising you processes with add-ons, such as lateral loading for the integration of a conveyor belt or robot handling of the laser head to reach even the last corner of the component.

Marking laser LMF

Smart, precise and powerful

Workstation IND

The individual solution

Laser for integration

Integration lasers for production lines or ‘marking on the fly’ solutions.

Safety first - do I need a laser protection officer for a laser engraver?

EN 60825-1 regulates the laser protection classes and the classification of laser systems as well as the necessary protective measures. Es gibt insgesamt 4 There are a total of 4 laser protection classes with individual subcategories. These are broken down as follows:

In general, all lasers for material processing correspond to class 4 and are therefore classified as dangerous for the eyes and skin. These dangers can be contained by appropiate protective measures such as isolation of the radiation in the form of an enclosure, and the laser class can be classified as harmless. For example, marking on the fly systems can be operated in laser class 1 through a protective housing.

The laser engravers from beLaser meet the highest safety standards and can be operated without a laser safety officer (LSB) or registration with the employer´s liability insurance association (BG).

Need more information?

Brochure as PDF

In our booklet you will get an overview of the numerous areas of application of laser engravers. In addition to explaining the different beam sources, we will also introduce you to the various laser systems and their advantages.

Our product portfolio includes an overview of all laser marking systems - whether compact tebletop laser, stand-alone system or integrated into your existing system.

We would also be happy to advise you on an individual solution - contact us by email or phone.

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