Is the Ultra Short Pulse (USP) Laser Always the Best Choice for Marking Stainless Steel?

In a nutshell: no, not always.

The longer answer: it depends largely on what your requirements and priorities are when it comes to marking your stainless steel products. Whether a nanosecond laser or an ultra short pulse (USP) laser is the better choice for you requires an overall consideration of several aspects.

So what are the possible advantages and disadvantages of a USP laser over a nanosecond laser for stainless steel marking?

To list a few...

Possible advantages:

• (Deep) black marking regardless of viewing angle (note: the achieved degree of blackness may differ significantly between USP lasers from different vendors).
• Lower risk of corrosion (note: when using adequate laser parameters)
• Higher throughput due to shorter marking time (factor ~2-5)
• Higher focus tolerance

Possible disadvantages:

• Larger dimensions and higher weight of the USP laser head.
• More restrictions on mounting orientation of the USP laser head
• Higher purchase price
• Higher operating costs in absolute terms

The word "possible" is deliberately prefixed to the advantages and disadvantages because, of course, only you can evaluate the relevance of these factors for your specific project in the end.

For example, many end customers, possibly including yours, regard the dark to very dark annealing marking that you can apply to stainless steel with the right nanosecond laser as good. At least good enough that they would not be willing to pay more for the marked product for an even blacker marking.

So don't let it drive you crazy if you should read or hear that the USP laser is the best choice for stainless steel marking.

Undeniably, the USP laser opens up great possibilities for you and can certainly be a very good choice, but in many cases, so can the nanosecond laser. If you are considering both options, it certainly won't be a bad idea to talk to laser suppliers who can offer you both a USP and suitable nanosecond laser. What is ultimately the best choice for you is then best decided for yourself based on your criteria and their relevance.

Do you have any further questions, or would you like to discuss your laser project with us? Then feel free to contact me directly. I will be happy to help you.

See you soon!