A Hybrid laser marker is a combination of a fibre laser and a YVO4 laser. Fibre lasers are known for their high average power, which is especially important for deep engraving or tight cycle times, while maintaining a long service life. YVO4 laser markers are known for their high beam quality, peak power, and versatility when it comes to marking a wide range of materials. The KEYENCE Hybrid laser has been designed to capitalise on the strengths of both of these laser markers. The built-in oscillator (S-MOPA) provides the advantages of both technologies giving the hybrid a high average power and longer service life, while also giving it the high beam quality, peak power, and overall versatility that the YVO4 laser provides. This makes the hybrid laser marker the most versatile and well rounded laser on the market.

If an error occurs in the laser, the laser must be manually turned back on. The manual control prevents the laser from turning on when an error is not resolved. ISO 13849-1 Compliance KEYENCE laser markers can be made ISO 13849-1 compliant and achieve PLe, the highest performance level rating.

Always put a warning sign at the entrance of the laser area. The sign will alert all traffic to adhere to laser safety standards. Additionally, ensure there is a local ventilation system if gas is emitted from your laser engraver.

Figure 4: The ellipticity and orientation of the polarization ellipse provides information about the phase shift (δ ) between the Ex and Ey components of the electric field. The ellipses shown above result when the peak amplitudes of both components are the same. The direction of the E vector's rotation is indicated by the direction of the arrow on the polarization ellipse. Click the image to see ellipticity and orientation angles for each case.

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To determine the specific characteristics of the polarization ellipse corresponding to a polarization state, the phase delay between the Ex  and Ey  components must also be considered. Key characteristics of the ellipse providing polarization state information are the rotation of the major axis with respect to the Ex axis and the relative lengths of the minor and major axes.

The 3-axis control is a function of the MD-F fibre laser machine which allows for variable changing of the laser's focal point throughout the marking field. Most fibre laser machines have fixed focal points, which leads to distorted processing because the beam cannot mark across the target uniformly. However, the adjustable fibre laser beam spot can effortlessly mark throughout the marking field with no distortion. It even marks 3-dimensional shapes such as cylinders, slopes, spheres, etc., without the need for external motion of parts.

The main difference between the hybrid and the fibre lasers are their peak powers and their pulse widths. Peak power is the intensity of the light and pulse width is the duration of light. Hybrid lasers have the characteristic of easily creating light with a high peak and short pulse, which they get from the YVO4 technology. Fibre lasers have the characteristic of easily creating light with a low peak and long pulse. When subjecting materials to a laser, the processing results vary greatly depending on the pulse differences.

KEYENCE supports customers from the selection process to line operations with on-site operating instructions and after-sales support.

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Covers the advantages of conventional YVO4 laser markers and fibre laser markers (compared to the conventional KEYENCE model)

Figure 3: If an observer looks into the beam propagating from the origin in Figure 2, the tip of the rotating electric field vector traces out an ellipse. The ellipse can be described in terms of angles Ψ and χ. The equations in this figure use () to represent ( /λ - ωt ), where λ is the material-dependent wavelength, ω is frequency, and t is time.

The MD-F fibre laser markers optimise their scanner movement, providing better marks in less time for nearly every application.

The angle (ψ ) between the major axis of the ellipse and the Ex axis is known by many names, including orientation angle, angle of inclination, rotation, tilt, and azimuth. It varies between -90° and 90°, and it is ±45° when Eox and Eoy have equal magnitudes.

The tip of the electric field vector may rotate in a right-hand (clockwise) or left-hand (counterclockwise) direction as it propagates. This is known as the handedness or helicity of light, in which right-hand polarized light has positive helicity and left-hand polarized light has negative helicity. The direction can be determined using values of the E vector at time equal to zero (Et=0 ) and at a time one quarter of a period (T ) later (Et=T/4 ). If the cross product (Et=0 x Et=T/4 ) points in the direction of beam propagation, the rotation is counterclockwise (left handed). If not, the rotation of the E-field vector is clockwise (right handed).

Components of LightThe electric field vector () can be described by its orthogonal components, Ex and Ey . Figure 1 illustrates a case of elliptically polarized light, in which the polarization is not linear or circular. The Ex and Ey components have different amplitudes, and the phase difference (δ ) between the Ex and Ey  components is not an integer multiple of /2. The Ex and Ey components' values increase and decrease periodically, but they vary out of sync with one another and span different ranges.

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Always wear protective clothing and eye protection goggles that cover as much skin as possible when operating a fibre laser. Make sure the protective goggles are specifically made for fibre lasers.

Polarization EllipseAn observer looking into the beam will describe a different polarization ellipse than an observer facing the opposite direction. Due to this, it is necessary to specify the direction the observer faces. Here, the observer is assumed to be looking into the beam.

If you have a small production size and parts, you may choose a table-top fibre laser engraver or a desktop laser. These laser systems are not integrated into a process line and require manual changeover, often referred to as "offline" marking. Alternatively, if you’re involved in mass production or engraving large parts, choose an automated fibre laser engraving machine. Automated laser engravers are integrated into the process line and perform repetitive tasks, often referred to as "inline" marking.

The KEYENCE S-MOPA (Solid-state Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) is a next-generation laser oscillation that combines the high quality and high intensity of YVO4 lasers with the long service life and excellent radiation characteristics of fibre lasers. One unique characteristic of the S-MOPA is its two-stage construction in which a YVO4 laser oscillator (master oscillator) is used to generate the pulse, which is then amplified by a YVO4 amplifier. This makes it possible to amplify the pulse generated by the master oscillator while maintaining the high peak power and high quality of the pulse. Also, single-emitter pumping laser diodes - an advantage of fibre lasers - are used. This provides lower heat density than the multi-emitter laser diodes (laser diodes that have multiple light emitting surfaces in a single semiconductor chip) of solid state lasers. This enables the KEYENCE S-MOPA to have a long service life even while being a solid state laser.

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Many fibre lasers come with integrated safety measures for preventing harm. KEYENCE’s fibre laser includes a key control, radiation emission warning, a laser shutter, an emergency stop input terminal, a manual reset option , along with redundant safety through a contactor that is ISO 13849-1 compliant.

As a laser beam propagates, the tip of its electric field vector moves along a three dimensional path determined by the polarization state. If an observer looking into the beam could see the electric field advancing in real time, the vector's tip would appear to cycle around the propagation axis while following a two-dimensional, elliptical track.

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Figure 1: The electric field () can be expressed as the sum of two orthogonal components (Ex and Ey ), with a phase shift (δ ) between them.

Fibre lasers are classified as Class 4/Class IV lasers by the FDA and IEC. Class 4 means that skin exposure and indirect/direct viewing of a fibre laser are potentially dangerous.

The type of designs you need your laser to engrave will determine the type of software and beam you require. For those creating custom or elaborate designs, you will need a fibre laser engraving machine with high-quality software that can imitate these designs. Additionally, if you plan to mark on a curved surface or surface that has any change in depth, you will benefit from a laser beam that engraves on 3-axes.

The high peak and short pulse allow the light to have a better reaction with the material with very limited heat effect. This leads to the ability to mark a wider range of materials, especially heat sensitive metals and plastics, with high contrast and much less heat effect. The low peak and long pulse leads to a lot more heat effect on the marked materials, making it much more difficult to mark plastics or heat sensitive material without burning or charring. On the other hand, the low peak and long pulse allows for deep engraving or digging into harder materials with faster cycle times than its counterpart.

Choosing your fibre laser engraving machine depends on your production size, intricacy of designs, and type of engraving. Let’s take a deeper look at each.

The combination of fibre technology and YVO4 technology makes the hybrid laser one of the most, if not the most, versatile lasers on the market. With S-MOPA, high peak power, short pulse duration, and high beam quality the hybrid laser can mark almost every material. Below shows the comparison of how well UV, Green, Hybrid, Fibre, and CO2 lasers mark a variety of materials.

*The evaluations for the symbols given in the table vary depending on the state and additives of the target as well as on the set conditions. Use this information as typical examples

Before setting up your laser, appoint a laser safety officer. Your laser safety officer should have prior knowledge and experience with a fibre laser marking machine and related safety. A Laser Safety Officer is responsible for the following:

A fibre laser engraves by heating the material until a point of vaporisation, leaving an engraved marking behind. Fibre lasers have a much higher output power than conventional laser markers. As a result, they're able to perform most applications at a much faster pace. Choose a fibre laser marker when you need a fast mark or a deep engrave on metal.

UV lasers and fibre lasers use different methods for processing; therefore, these lasers are not interchangeable. While the fibre laser uses an infrared laser with a wavelength of 1090 nm for heating materials, UV lasers use a 355 nm UV laser. Additionally, instead of travelling through a fibre, UV lasers travel through two crystals to reach the final beam point. Because these lasers use different methods, they process completely different materials. Since the 355 nm wavelength of a UV laser is so readily absorbed, it processes material through photolytic degradation or “cold marking.” This allows for high-contrast marking with little to no thermal impact on the product being marked. Because of the lack of heat stress, UV lasers are commonly used on sensitive materials like paper, plastic, resin, and cardboard. They are commonly used for marketing metals in specific industries where surface finish, depth, and material properties of products cannot be compromised.

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If you’re in the market for a laser marker that can engrave deeply or engrave on hard materials, you’ll need a low peak and long pulse laser. On the other hand, if you need higher quality and precision or engraving on sensitive materials, you should opt for a high peak and short pulse.

The ellipticity of the polarization ellipse is the ratio (ε ) between the lengths of the minor and major axes. Since the orientation is typically stated as an angle, it can be convenient to also express ellipticity as an angle ( χ ). The ellipticity has a range of values from zero ( χ = 0°) for linearly polarized light, which is the case for δ = 0, to one ( χ = 45°) for circularly polarized light, which is the case for δ = /2.

If the orthogonal components were added together as vectors, the total field vector would rotate around the propagation axis as it traveled (Figure 2), and its length would vary with the rotation angle. Looking into the beam, perpendicular to the Ex - Ey plane, the tip of the vector would trace out the curve of the polarization ellipse (Figure 3).

The MD-X laser marker comes standard-equipped with a built-in distance sensor that enables automatic focal corrections. Eliminate manual height adjustments due to part variations in a few simple steps.

The MD-F fibre laser engravers are sealed off from the environment (IP64 rated) and boast a fan-less marking head, making them robust enough to perform in dirty, dusty, wet and oily environments.

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Figure 2: As the electric field () propagates, the tip of the vector follows a helical path. In this case, propagation is along the z-axis, and the helicity of the path followed by the  vector is positive (clockwise rotation).

The beam quality of a laser marker is extremely important because it can determine the energy concentration and overall effectiveness of the laser. The quality of a beam is measured with a M2 value, the closer this value is to 1 the higher the quality of the beam. This is also one of the differences between hybrid and fibre laser markers. The YVO4 oscillator in the hybrid laser generates a beam with an M2 value less than 1.3, which is significantly better than the fibre standard around 2. The reason that this is important is the better the beam quality the more consistent the mark and the greater the depth of focus. Depth of focus is an important factor for basic performance in order to achieve and maintain marking quality. When used in combination with the Z tracking function, this also results in a very high tolerance to height deviation, one of the most common concerns or issues with laser marking in general.

The MD-X uses predictive maintenance to eliminate problems before they occur. In the unlikely event of a marking defect, the laser marker features a wide range of diagnostic tools to identify the root cause and deploy countermeasures.

The polarization ellipse is bound by a rectangle whose sides are equal to twice the amplitudes, Eox and Eoy , of the Ex and Ey components, respectively. This rectangle provides information about the fraction of the light contained in each orthogonal component.

Fibre laser markers have a 1090 nm wavelength, making them IR (infrared) lasers. Fibre lasers can mark a wide range of materials, though they are optimised for metal marking applications. Their high output power makes them perfect for deep engraving applications as well as any marking or processing application with tight cycle time requirements. Fibre laser markers are actually based on the same technology used for long-distance communication (optical fibres). A laser is efficiently amplified when it travels through an optical fibre, making it possible to produce a high-output fibre laser.

The MD-X Series contains a camera inside the laser marking head which can automatically identify a target’s shape. The laser marker can then adjust for X, Y, and theta offsets to ensure the marking position is always correct. The marking system is even able to distinguish between parts and mark each part accordingly.

Fibre lasers are solid-state lasers known for their high output power, speed, and ability to deep engrave. Due to this high output power, fibre lasers specialise in engraving, marking, or etching metals at high speeds. However, fibre lasers are known for their heat affect, which can be detrimental when marking plastics or needing precision marks on metals. This is where hybrid laser markers excel, with a combination of fibre and YVO4 technology, hybrid lasers can generate high output powers for metals and high peak power for plastics.

CO2 lasers and fibre lasers both use infrared range light. However, they process differently. Fibre lasers use a wavelength of 1090 nm, while CO2 lasers use 10x that—a 10600 nm wavelength. Because of the drastic difference in wavelengths, fibre and CO2 lasers are generally purposed for very different applications. The high heat of CO2 lasers makes them optimal for processing transparent targets that don’t absorb fibre laser light. Likewise, fibre lasers process metals that do not absorb CO2 laser light. However, these lasers are both excellent for laser cutting. Both a CO2 and fibre laser machine will excel at cutting because of their high output power.

The shape of this track is the polarization ellipse, which becomes a line for linearly polarized light and a circle for circularly polarized light.