Optimizing the Cost of Laser Marking PCBs

The company offers a laser marking solution for small- and medium-sized electronics manufacturers, and through careful selection of equipment and parameter adjustment, it reduces the costs of equipment investment.The article covers key points such as laser power selection, software compatibility, and maintenance costs, and is suitable for reference by businesses with limited budgets that are seeking stable production.

How to choose the right laser marking equipment

The choice of laser marking machine directly affects cost and production efficiency.Many businesses that are new to the field fall into the "the higher the better" trap, but there is no need for them to pursue high-end configurations if they are only looking for a standard PCB marking system.

Choosing the right type of laser.

Fiber lasers are the best choice in most cases.Although CO2 lasers have better performance in certain special materials, they cost 30 % more to buy and maintain.If you're just marking FR4 substrates or printing characters, a 20W fiber laser is sufficient.

More power is not necessarily better.

I've seen a lot of manufacturers buy 50-watt equipment, but end up only using 30 % of the capacity.The higher the power, the higher the cost of the power supply and cooling system.If a 20-watt machine can do the job, don't buy a 30-watt one.

These are costs that are often overlooked.

The cost of equipment is just the tip of the iceberg. The real money is spent in the subsequent stages of use.

The compatibility trap.

Some brands use a closed software system, and require extra fees to upgrade.They should also be able to interface with the company's MES system.

Costs of maintenance and consumables.

Don't just look at the equipment price list. Ask clearly about the prices of lenses, laser tubes, and other easily damaged parts.One of my colleagues bought a machine that was very cheap, but the lenses cost NT $ 8,000 a piece. These hidden costs are the worst.

Recommended Practical Configuration.

Based on our tests of over ten different brands of equipment, we offer the following three-level configuration recommendations:

Budget under NT $ 50,000.

20W fiber laser + open software + manual focusing.It is suitable for small-volume production, and can mark to a depth of 0.1mm. The average production is about 200 pieces per day.

The Advanced Plan (US $ 8000-12,000).

The medium-power equipment has autofocus and visual location.The precision is ± 0.05mm, and it can save 30 % in setup time when changing lines, making it suitable for factories with many different orders.

Long-term stability.

It is suggested that 15 % of the budget be reserved for dust filters and voltage stabilizers.This is especially true in southern Taiwan, where the air is very humid.

Saving money with parameter settings.

The same equipment, with parameters set well, can save a lot of electricity and materials.

Balancing speed and power.

When the speed is raised to 800mm / s, the same effect can be achieved by opening the power to only 60 %.This saves at least three kilowatt-hours per day, which over the course of a year is enough to buy a new computer.

A little trick for mass production.

Before marking, CAM software is used to automatically optimize the path, reducing the distance the machine has to travel.After adjusting for a client, the processing time was directly shortened by 18 %, which was like getting the capacity for free.