1. Core Working Principle
The basic principle of laser marking involves generating a high-energy continuous laser beam from a laser generator. When the laser is focused on the surface of the substrate, the light energy is instantly converted into thermal energy, causing the surface material to melt, vaporize, change color, or undergo chemical reactions. This leaves a permanent, high-contrast, and wear-resistant graphic or text mark with clear edges. The entire process is precisely controlled by computer software without the need for molds, achieving a processing precision of up to the micrometer level (±0.01mm), with a single character marking time of less than 0.1 seconds.
2. Mainstream Technology Routes and Selection
Depending on the laser wavelength and characteristics, companies must balance material, precision, and cycle time when selecting equipment. The three mainstream technology routes are:
Fiber Laser Marking (1064nm): Features high electro-optical conversion efficiency, excellent stability, and maintenance-free operation. It excels in processing various metals, certain plastics, and surface coatings.
UV Laser Marking (355nm): Characterized by "cold processing" with high photon energy and an extremely small heat-affected zone, preventing thermal deformation. It is the preferred choice for ultra-fine marking on heat-sensitive materials like glass, flexible PCBs, silicon wafers, and polymers.
CO2 Laser Marking (10.6μm): Features a longer wavelength and high material absorption rate. It is widely used for engraving and marking large-format wood, acrylic, paper, leather, and various non-metallic materials.
3. Typical Application Fields
Laser marking has deeply penetrated various industrial and consumer sectors:
Consumer Electronics: Used for micron-level fine identification of chip packaging QR codes, FPC micro-characters, camera module markings, and battery casing batch numbers in smartphones and wearable devices.
Automotive Manufacturing: Meets the strict traceability requirements of the automotive industry for VIN codes, engine component batch numbers, and sensor QR codes, ensuring durability under high-temperature and high-vibration environments.
Medical Devices: Performs deep etching and wear-resistant marking (such as UDI codes) on surgical instruments, orthopedic implants, and disposable consumables without chemical residues or altering biocompatibility.
Semiconductor & Precision Manufacturing: Utilizes the "cold processing" characteristics of UV or ultrafast lasers to achieve sub-millimeter lossless fine engraving on wafers, ceramic substrates, and micro-components.
Food & Packaging Printing: Performs non-contact marking of production dates and batch numbers on PET bottles, aluminum foil tubes, and paper packaging, ensuring food safety and adapting to high-speed production lines.
4. Latest Industry Trends
Evolution from Static to "Flying Laser Marking": To meet the urgent demand for high efficiency and flexibility in modern manufacturing, online flying laser marking technology is experiencing explosive growth. Through dynamic visual positioning and synchronous control systems, this technology allows products to be accurately marked without stopping on high-speed assembly lines, significantly boosting production cycles.
Equipment Intelligence and Digital Integration: Laser marking is evolving from a simple identification tool into a core digital capability in the manufacturing process. Modern equipment not only possesses extremely high repeat positioning accuracy but also seamlessly integrates with CNC systems, machine vision, and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems). This enables real-time monitoring and optimization of process parameters, driving manufacturing toward being "traceable, quantifiable, and guaranteed."
