This fiber laser technology is finding its way into more and more applications, and there is reason to believe that the further we go, the more we will hear about it: originated primarily for laser marking in the medical e home appliance – cooking division-now spreading widely for all those manufacturers who require marking with high quality standards for which budget takes a back seat.
In the case of medical device manufacturers, The picosecond laser ensures reflection-free black marking and resistance to citric and nitric passivation cycles (a conventional fiber laser would fail the second test). In the case of Cooking components, picosecond laser marking withstands chemical and abrasion tests perfectly.
But what are the advantages that make it superior to other lasers?
Let’s start right away by saying that not all manufacturers of laser markers have already adopted this technology, of which LASIT is certainly one of the first experimenters. The main advantages we found on the components we tested it on are:
- An intangible black marking
- A very high contrast
- No oxidation problem
- A speed 3 times faster than a traditional fiber laser
- A high finish even in deep engravings
The ultra-short pulse duration enables picosecond marking on materials where conventional nanosecond infrared lasers fail, such as micromachining on glass.
Its near-cool ablation also makes it suitable for a wide variety of materials and applications , allowing virtually zero heat input to the workpiece. Just think of all those processes where thermal alteration of the material does not allow laser machining, e.g., aerospace.
The technical features behind the high performance of the Picosecond laser
In addition to the quality that is immediately perceived, another advantage of the Picosecond laser is its longevity: in fact, we are talking about an average life of 100,000 hours of operation (not power-on) in which there is almost no need for maintenance.
As for the technical features that enable it to achieve such high performance, however, these are:
| Ultra-short pulse duration (2ps), enabling a peak power of as much as 10 MW! | Possibilities for processing unthinkable with a traditional infrared laser such as high-contrast black marking and micromachining on various materials. |
| Wide frequency range (from 50kHz to 2000kHz while we usually work with frequencies between 500 and 1000kHz) | Increased speed of execution. |
| Wavelength of 1030nm, slightly lower than the traditional 1064nm | Increased compatibility with materials |
| High beam quality (M2 = 1.2); | Smaller spot and thus higher energy density |
| Water cooling with chiller. | Maximum system stability over time |
