FIBER LASERS COMPARISON RULES - Read below
We are only comparing apples with apples.
To stay truthful we obide by the following considerations :
- 20 W is enough to mark any known materials stationary, don't
believe anybody that try to sell you a higher power (more costly)
machine.
- Some companies will tell you that a MOPA laser is superior to
the other laser, it is true but only if you want to make coloured
marking of Titanium or Stainless Steel. If you don't there are
no reason to consider a more expensive MOPA laser. A classic fiber
laser (Q-switched) will do exactly the same thing.
- All laser marking station compared below are 20W fiber laser
marker, fully enclosed, safe to use in a factory environment,
that will mark any metals and most plastics, with a scanning area
of 100 x 100 mm approximately.
- We looked at loading / unloading of the part in the enclosure,
the user experience with the software, and companies offering
knowledge of the applicationsand support of the machine.
FOR CO2 LASERS COMPARISON FOLLOW THIS LINK
"We base our honest judjments on 25 years of laser marking experience,having worked with several laser companies at senior levels, globally. Trust us : we know what works and what doesn't."
WHAT WE ADVISE YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A LASER MARKER
Design and build quality
A laser marking station is an industrial piece of kit, that you will rely on for years to come to finish your product. If the station is not easy to use for the operator and will last for a long time, it will cause you headhaches and will cost you money.
The software
You should only buy the simpliest software for your application. If you don't it will create difficulties, marking mistakes and frustrations from the operator and the management. The software program should also save the marking files in a transferrable format to other machines (if you have any or if you plan to acquire further lasers in the future).
Space
Does your longest part fit in the enclosure and the marking area is reachable by the laser. If not, you could consider by passing the safety temporarely providing operating the laser in Class4 (door open) is safe and practical in your production environment (evryone needs laser glasses, or you need an enclosed area, etc)
Laser maintenance
It does not matter how many technicians your supplier has, what matter is if they are knowledgeable about lasers or not. Very often the company has different product to sell (inkjets, vision systems, big cutting lasers) and the technicians are specialised in those fields ... not laser marking which is a speciality subject !
Spares
Besides the filters of the fume extractor if you have one fitted, there are no consummables associated with fiber laser markers. However you need to pay attention to the cost of spares, should an electronic card or an electical part fails for exemple. Some suppliers use proprietay cards, that only them use and source : these are expensive and the leadtime is longer. You should only buy a laser marker that uses non-proprietary parts (PCBs especially) so they can be source from different sources and you don't run the risk of the part being obsolete quickly. You could loose a fortune with these if you are not careful.
Environmentally friendly products
We all know how it is important to be reasonable with the environment for future generations. Fiber lasers are the best for that : they are super reliable, have no consummables and should last around 100,000 Hrs MTBF. All sources today are reliable, including the Chinese brands that the majority of suppliers uses today.
Top 6 fiber laser marking stations for smaller parts in the UK in 2024
All products and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Their usage on this website does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
| Needham | Macsa | Lotus | Foba | Tykma Electrox | HPC | |
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| Model | N-LASE desktop | iLaserBox 600 | uMeta | M1000 | BOQX | LSE110 |
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| Location | Whitchurch | Shefford | Basildon | Bromsgrove | Huddersfield | Halifax |
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| Tech support | Not good | Good | Not sure | Good | Not good | Not sure |
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| U-shape door | |
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| User friendly software |
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| Software | EZcad | Own software | EZcad | Own software | EZcad | EZcad |
| Maximum length of part | 550 mm | 550 mm | 350 mm | 450 mm | 254 mm | 330 mm |
| Door Mechanism | Manual door | Electrical door | Pneumatic, compressed air required | Manual door | Manual door | Manual swivel door |
| Warranty | 3 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 1.5 years | 1 year |
| Bad point(s) | Technical support and knowledge | Price, software complexity | Need compressed air, narrow enclosure | Price, software complexity | Little tech support, narrow enclosure | Machine legality in the UK is questionable, difficult door, narrow enclosure |
| Good point (s) | Experience | Expertise, solid German engineering |
All models come with a range of options : Fume Extraction, Rotary Device, Class 4 Overide, Camera, etc.
