Galvo Driven Laser Marking Systems

Galvo Driven Laser Marking Systems VS Flat Bed (Flying Optic) Laser Marking Systems

When looking into purchasing a Laser Marking System, it is very important to recognize that there are two very distinctly different types of Laser Marking Systems being offered in the market place today, namely; Ultra High Speed/High Precision Glavo Driven Systems and Flat Bed (Flying Optic) Systems. Galvo Driven Systems (GDS) are many times faster and more precise than Flying Optics and considerably more reliable. In addition, GDS also demonstrates superior control over marking depth.

GDS is extremely fast with precise motors directing a beam of light with incredible precision and repeatability. These incredible motors have been used by Fonon Technologies for more than a decade and have proven to be incredibly consistent and reliable. It is not uncommon to see systems nearly 20 years old that have never had a Galvo Motor replaced.

GDS can work using Vector or Raster based images where Flying Optics utilize only Raster based artwork. GDS actually draw characters or images much as someone would create the same image by hand using a pen and paper.

You have the control to speed the laser up or down and/or adjust power & frequency of the laser giving you complete control over the accuracy and penetration of the laser into the metal work surface. In contrast the Flat Bed (Flying Optic) style systems have a head that physically travels back and forth on an assembly of belts, pulley’s and guides dropping pulses of energy as it passes each time eventually creating an image. It is a very similar concept to the older plotters and Dot Matrix Printers only it drops pulses of light energy in place of ink. You do not have near the control or the precision that you can get using a Galvo Driven system design.

The one design feature that is typically viewed as being a benefit with the Flat Bed (Flying Optic) system is the fact that they come with a fairly large bed area. Customers may initially feel it would be beneficial to have an operator load up a large number of parts at one time and
let the machine run, however when you look at the overall cycle time to complete the process, you could have marked potentially several
times as many pieces in that same period using a Galvo Driven System. There is no question that if you have a high volume of parts and you are looking to optimize throughput, Galvo Driven Technology is the superior choice.
Marking Depth is also an important consideration especially with metals. Achieving high-quality marking depth is a function of several things. You need to have enough power from your laser, the right spot size and a combination of the right speed and frequency settings to optimize the marking such that the material is either vaporized or blown out of the cavity to give the required marking depth. It is just not possible to control these parameters with a Flying Optic System. In fact, there is a variation in beam size as the laser beam is never perfectly parallel and actually diverges slightly as it leaves the laser. Without the ability to control this divergence, there will naturally be variations
in the cutting performance between different parts on the table due to changes in the raw beam size during operation.

TPicture3hese limitations materially affect the size, depth and quality of workmanship especially on metals.

 

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In summary, Galvo Driven Systems have clearly emerged as the technology of choice demonstrating faster marking speeds, larger through-put rates, superior control & accuracy of marking depths and consistent quality of workmanship when compared against Flat Bed (Flying Optic) systems.

Fiber Laser Facts

  • Superior reliability and beam quality
  • Greater output powers
  • High electrical efficiency
  • Lower maintenance
  • Smaller footprint and size

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