Things To Consider When Buying A Metal Laser Engraver For Beginners
Metal is the most popular material used to engrave, etch and mark all the time, whether for DIY and personalization with hobbyists or commercial use with industrial manufacturers for custom businesses.
The tools used for engraving have been continuously upgraded, from the initial manual engravers to automatic CNC routers, as well as today's laser engraving machines, the speed is constantly accelerating, the quality and precision are improving step by step. Whether it is due to the consideration of features, cost comparison, or the needs for environmental protection, laser metal engravers are ideal choices.
In this article, we will explain in details on how to pick the best laser metal engraving machines.
Table of Contents
What Metals Can Lasers Engrave?
Laser engraving machines handle metals with ease for softer metals including highly reflective metals such as copper, brass, aluminum, and precious metals such as gold and silver, as well as harder stainless steel, tungsten steel, carbon steel, titanium, zinc, magnesium and alloys.
What Are Laser Metal Engravers Used For?
Laser machines are capable of engraving any text, patterns and graphics on the surfaces of the metals. Whether it is for the pursuit of artistry or the need for traceability, this is unique and irreplaceable.
Laser metal engravers are used to create personalized signs, badges, crafts, gifts, awards, keepsakes, jewelry, rings, bracelets, mugs, business cards and stamps, as well as custom auto parts, tools, molds, electronic components, bearings, knives and medical devices.
What Is The Best Laser Engraver For Metal?
There are a variety of precision laser machines used to engrave metals, which one is ideal for you? UV or optical fiber? Which make and model is the best for your needs and budget? STYLECNC Laser has picked out the most popular and affordable metal laser engravers of 2023 on the market for you to compare and purchase.
Fiber Laser Engravers For Metal
Fiber laser engraver is a professional marking tool used to etch arbitrary graphics, patterns and text on all types of metals. With higher laser powers of 50W or more, it can create deep engraving; with MOPA laser source, it can engrave colors on stainless steel and titanium; with a rotary attachment, it can mark on rings and cylinders; with a 3D laser head, it can etch on curved, sloped, and irregular metal surfaces. An entry-level fiber laser metal engraver starts around $3,600, while some high power and professional types can be as expensive as $18,000.
| Model | STJ-30FM |
| Power | 30W |
| Features | Color Engraving on Stainless Steel and Titanium |
| Price Range | $3,200 to $5,800 |
| Model | STJ-50F-CCD |
| Power | 50W |
| Features | CCD Visual Positioning System, Marking On The Fly, Deep Metal Etching, Metal Relief Engraving |
| Price Range | $6,000 to $9,600 |
| Model | STJ-100F-3D |
| Power | 100W |
| Features | 3D Metal Engraving, Metal Deep Engraving and Relief Engraving |
| Price Range | $10,000 to $18,000 |
UV Laser Engravers For Metal
UV laser marking machine is an ultra-fine engraving tool to create clear and smooth marks on metals. It uses 355nm short-wavelength ultraviolet laser to do cold engraving for high-end precision marking business. However, it is relatively expensive. UV laser metal engravers can cost anywhere from $4,500 to $20,000 with laser powers of 3W, 5W, 10W and 15W.
| Model | STJ-3U |
| Power | 3W |
| Features | Cold Engraving, Fine Metal Engraving |
| Price Range | $4,500 to $6,500 |
| Model | STJ-5U |
| Power | 5W |
| Features | Dustproof and Fireproof Protective Cover |
| Price Range | $5,800 to $8,300 |
How Lasers Engrave Metal?
Deep Engraving
Laser deep engraving machine adopts advanced optical fiber resonance technology to effectively improve the power density and beam quality of the laser, so that the laser can quickly sublimate the metal material into a gas in a short time and reduce the heat-affected range. The frame or outline is more vertical, and the burrs are effectively reduced, and the texture of the bottom surface is clear and beautiful. Typically the laser engraves the metal in multiple layers in shifts to achieve the desired depth.
Laser deep metal engraver is used to make molds, wheels, automobiles, reliefs, seals, badges, logos, jewelry with carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, zinc, nickel, and high-strength steel.
Black Engraving
When laser engraving metals, oxides of contrasting colors are formed due to the interaction of the molten substrate with oxygen in the air. Most very rough surfaces absorb a lot of light so the markings usually appear black or, depending on the material, dark gray (aluminum) or dark brown (steel, brass, copper).
White Engraving
For white engravings, the surface should be structured so that the material melts only slightly. This results in a smooth, highly reflective surface - which would appear as a white mark in the case of materials such as galvanized steel. Due to the low immersion depth, the coating remains intact and corrosion-resistant. Especially with dark metals such as hardened steel, high-contrast white engravings have proven their advantages. The combination of black and white engravings is especially suitable for the application of two-dimensional codes. This increases contrast and improves QR code quality and readability.
Color Engraving
Color laser metal engraving machine is a marking tool that uses MOPA fiber laser generator to print color patterns on stainless steel and titanium surfaces. The key to realizing the colorization of the metal surface is to strictly control the pulse energy and pulse width of the laser. Lasers with high frequency and low pulse energy are more suitable for this application, and fiber lasers are the most suitable choice due to their adjustable pulse parameters and good beam quality. By strictly controlling the injection of heat, different degrees of oxide films are formed on the metal surface, and light interference occurs when light is reflected, resulting in different colors. The color engraving on the metal surface changes in the following color order: orange-red-purple-blue-green-blue-blue-green-green-yellow-green-yellow-orange-red.
3D Engraving
3D laser metal engraver is a fiber laser marking machine that uses high-precision three-dimensional positioning and marking system, high-speed digital three-axis dynamic focusing and scanning system to realize three-dimensional multi-curved surface and large-format marking. The 3D laser metal engraving machine can perform various 3D marking modes such as inclined planes, step differences, cylinders, cones, spherical surfaces, and stretched curved surfaces.
Compared with traditional 2D engraving, 3D engraving has greatly reduced the surface flatness requirements of the processing object, and the processing effect is more colorful, and more creative processing technology came into being.
3D fiber laser metal engraver usually used in mobile phone manufacturing, precision molds, three-dimensional circuits, molds, 3C electronics, auto parts, electronic communications and other industries. Refined surface marking provides a professional solution for today's metal surface treatment.
Rotary Engraving
Rotary laser engraver is an automatic engraving tool with a rotating attachment added to the ordinary laser marking machine to engrave on the arc-shaped parts. It uses synchronous tracking for rotary engraving. With the control of the computer, one axis of the motor inside the vibrating mirror rotates, and the other axis remains stationary, and cooperates with the rotation of the motor to complete the engravings of arc-shaped, ring-shaped and cylindrical metal parts.
Rotary laser metal engraving machine is used to personalize YETI mugs, cups, tumblers, ramblers, cans, rings, bracelets, necklaces, pens, gun barrels and cylinders.
How To Buy The Best Laser Engraving Machine For Metal?
Now, are you looking forward to getting a laser metal engraving machine to start a business or grow your existing business? In fact, here are a few easy-to-follow steps that will make it easy for you to get your own laser.
Step 1. Plan a budget you can afford.
Step 2. Learn laser basics and research laser machines.
Step 3. Search from the most poplar brands and models.
Step 4. Compare features and costs in your selection.
Step 5. Find the right one to match your needs and budget.
Step 5. Request sample making and inspect the results on video or live.
Step 6. Negotiate the details such as machine configuration, warranty, after-sales service and sign the contract.
Step 7. Make the payment and wait for delivery.
Step 8. Receive, assemble, test and finalize purchase.
Pros and Cons
• Laser engraving is a non-contact process without any pre/post processing.
• Thanks to the flexible choice of pulse frequency and pulse duration, each laser-engraved pattern can be individually adjusted to any material and to any desired quality.
• High speed, high contrast, high quality, high precision, and environmental protection without consumables.
• Laser-engraved marks are permanent and highly traceable.
• Laser engraving features with a high repetition rate and therefore short cycle times, so laser engraving is a faster process than temper marking despite the greater depth into the material.
• Thanks to the grooves formed in the material during laser engraving, the markings are extra robust against external influences.
• Due to the targeted control of the laser power, engraving results are always precisely repeatable.
• The metal surface is barely affected by the marking process and remains smooth even after marking.
• The laser beam emitted by the laser machine has almost no radiation hazard, but there will be ionizing radiation and stimulated radiation during the engraving process, it is best to stay away from the beam. This induced radiation is damaging to the eyes. Protective measures such as wearing laser safety glasses should be taken as far as possible for close-range operations.
So far, you should have understood all the things to consider when you learn, buy and use a laser engraver for metal. If you still have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us to continue a more in-depth discussion.