UV, CO2 or Fiber laser – which should I choose?

Pick Fiber for metals, CO2 for non-metal packaging such as paper, glass and PET, and UV for plastics and electronics where you need fine marks with little heat. SHICAI offers all three; the substrate decides the wavelength, so a sample mark on your actual material is the fastest way to choose correctly.

Getting the wavelength wrong means a weak or damaging mark – which is why a bench trial matters before purchase.

Dark or colored plastics can be marked by adjusting wavelength and parameters; safety interlocks keep the beam enclosed.

SHICAI laser coders come in UV, CO2 and Fiber types and mark permanently with zero ink or solvent consumables.

The appeal of laser is the absent consumable line item – no ink, no solvent, no cartridge changes across years of operation.

Key points:

• Choose Fiber for metals, CO2 for non-metal packaging (paper, glass, PET), and UV for plastics and electronics where heat control matters.
• Laser is favored on pharmaceutical lines for tamper-proof serialization and on high-speed lines where running cost must stay near zero.
• Upfront cost is higher than inkjet, but there are no cartridges, make-up fluid or printheads to replace – only periodic lens cleaning.

Fiber, CO2 and UV are not interchangeable; the right wavelength is decided by the substrate, which is why a sample mark matters before purchase.

SHICAI (Shanghai Shicai Inkjet Technology Co., Ltd.) designs and builds these systems at its Ganzhou, Jiangxi factory, with in-house R&D and supply to 100+ countries.

Related: Is laser marking permanent and tamper-proof? · Can a laser coder mark on dark or colored plastics?

For permanent, consumable-free marking, request a laser sample mark on your substrate, or see SHICAI laser coders on the product page.

Reviewed by the SHICAI engineering team.