Which laser marking machine is suitable for plastic materials?

Nowadays, plastic has become the most commonly used packaging material. We often see corporate trademarks, barcodes, numbers and other identification marks on plastic products. These marks are usually made by printing, embossing, punching, engraving and other methods. Using a laser marking machine to mark the surface of plastic products is an advanced marking technology that has a fast processing speed, can maintain the inherent surface characteristics of plastic products, and make the text or pattern and the plastic a unified whole. So which laser marking machine is more suitable for marking on the surface of plastic products?

Different types of lasers emit different wavelengths of light and have different penetration capabilities. Therefore, marking machines equipped with different lasers have different marking quality and speed. Fiber laser marking machines, UV laser marking machines, and CO2 laser marking machines can all mark on plastics. However, their application scopes and effects are different. Here are their specific application scenarios:

Fiber laser marking machine

Suitable for marking some plastic materials with higher ignition points (such as PC, ABS). As we all know, fiber laser marking machines are mainly used to engrave and mark metal products. In fact, as long as the parameters are properly adjusted, fiber laser marking machines can also mark some plastic products. By selecting appropriate parameters, the laser will only evaporate a thin layer on the surface of the plastic without burning the plastic itself. However, even so, fiber laser marking machines are only suitable for marking some plastic products. If your workshop only marks non-metallic materials, it is recommended to choose a CO2 laser marking machine.

CO2 laser marking machine

Mainly suitable for acrylic and rubber. CO2 laser marking machine has good focusing ability like metal laser marking machine, so it is very suitable for fine marking of plastic products. Diode pumped solid laser has high beam quality, which makes the laser beam obtain a very small focusing diameter during the marking process. At present, CO2 laser marking machine also plays an irreplaceable role in plastics.

UV laser marking machine

Suitable for all plastic materials, mainly used in the high-end market of ultra-fine processing. Because the minimum line width of UV is 0.01mm, the marking accuracy of UV laser marking machine is better than other marking methods.

Advantages of laser marking plastics

When marking patterns on the surface of plastic products, laser marking machines have the advantages of low cost and high flexibility compared to traditional mechanical engraving, chemical corrosion, screen printing, ink printing and other methods. The laser marking machine can be controlled by a computer system, and it is very simple and convenient to permanently engrave the pattern to be marked on the surface of the material. The laser marking process does not require consumables, does not produce chemical pollution, and because it is non-contact marking, it will not damage the surface of the material, which is very safe and environmentally friendly.

The laser marking machine uses a laser beam to directly generate marks on the surface of the plastic, including marks, codes, text, numbers, patterns, lines, QR codes, etc., and the marking is formed in one time without the need for other processing steps. SAN laser marking machines can be used to permanently, quickly and with high quality mark many different types of commercial plastics, such as polycarbonate, ABS, polyamide, etc. Because the laser marking machine has a short installation time and is flexible and easy to use, small batch laser marking can be carried out in the most economical way.

Can the laser marking machine erase the mark on plastic?

The patterns and numbers after laser marking are permanent and cannot be erased unless the surface is scraped off. Therefore, using a laser marking machine to mark product tracking codes, QR codes, brand logos and other information can play a good anti-counterfeiting role.

The types of laser marking machines used for plastics of different materials and plastics of different purities of the same material will be different. In addition, each customer has different requirements for marking effects. Therefore, before you buy a laser marking machine, you can contact SAN LASER-laser marking machine manufacturer, mail your samples to them and ask them to take pictures of the marking process and marking effects. In this way, you can more accurately determine which laser marking machine is more suitable for your product marking needs.