About

Laser Engraving Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is as versatile as it is strong. Used in thousands of applications across the world, this useful metal is used in a wide range of industries from construction and catering to automotive and healthcare sectors.
Today, laser cutting and laser marking technology plays a critical part in the manufacturing of stainless steel applications.

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What can you engrave on stainless steel?

Stainless Steel is perfect for making robust, durable marking and engravings of a huge variety of things.

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QR Codes | Data Matrix Codes | Barcodes

Traceability and identification for parts requires robust, durable marking and engravings. They need to be as clear as possible – and the incredible accuracy and 0.01mm spot size of our fiber lasers makes this process fast and easy.

QR Code Engraving on Stainless Steel

Vivid, Indelible Colour Marking

Our fiber lasers offer the level of fine power control needed for consistent, bright colours. Enhance your logos, create stunning artwork, and embellish your products with the best colour marking a laser can offer.

Engineering, Military, and Aerospace

Fiber lasers make quick work of deep engraving – with ours offering up to 80w of engraving power. Etch stainless steel with faultless accuracy and at incredible speed – and with automation options to speed up the whole process.

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CREATE

Properties of Stainless Steel

Stainless steel has a thin layer of chromium oxide which protects it from corrosion, rust and oxidation. This resistance to corrosion is what makes stainless steel the first choice for a range of applications and is the reason why it’s so widely used in both big industries and smaller scale businesses across the world.

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What are some typical applications of laser engraved stainless steel?

Automotive & Aerospace Components

It’s critical that parts are identifiable in the manufacturing of automotive and aerospace stainless steel components, for both part identification and safety compliance purposes. These parts require permanent, legible marks that can withstand extreme conditions, including fluctuating temperatures from -55 ˚C to +125 ˚C.

Medical Devices

Laser engraving is an incredibly sterile way of marking, making it ideal for marking a range of instruments in the medical sector. Using a laser engraving machine to mark medical instruments results in a sterile, ultra-fine finish that is resistant to corrosion or wear.

For Personalisation

Personalisation with laser engraving machines is a cost-effective and economical way to enhance the value of products.  From custom laser engraved stainless steel water bottles to laser engraved stainless steel tags, personalisation can turn the everyday into something extraordinary and help your brand to stand out in over-saturated markets.

For Traceability

Laser engraved stainless steel components are used in a range of sectors from automotive to electronics. Quite often, for one product, there are many different parts manufactured by different supply chains. Having a clear traceability system is crucial for keeping tabs on these stainless steel components, it allows the manufacturer to trace back through the supply chain should any problems occur. Using a laser engraving machine to identify parts with serial numbers or QR codes ensures these components are easily identifiable under any condition.

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Examples

Fiber Laser Videos

Laser Colour Marking on Stainless Steel

COLOUR MARKING

These colours were created just by engraving stainless steel with the our fiber laser systems

3D Fiber Laser Engraving

TRUE 3D ENGRAVING

See how the Meta-C Fiber engraves 3D across a bottle, leaving a perfect finish even on a curve

Karpas Engineering and Lotus Laser

WORKING FOR BUSINESS

Hear from our customers about their investment in a commercial engraving machine

DIFFERENCE

Laser Marking Stainless Steel

When it comes to laser marking stainless steel, your options are truly infinite. From traceability marking to company branding and even personalised gifting options, the sky’s the limit. So what laser sources are suitable for this application?  

 

MOPA Fiber

Fiber laser marking is used to mark the surface of an object. When a fiber laser meets stainless steel it removes the surface material, essentially carving the surface by chemical and physical changes. These changes are caused by light energy (photons) reacting in the target area.

MOPA fiber lasers produce less heat than other laser sources. This makes it a particularly good choice of laser for marking stainless steel because it reduces the damage to the material and therefore increases its resistance to corrosion.

UV Laser

UV lasers create permanent and corrosion-resistant markings on stainless steel. With a spot size 3x smaller than a fiber laser, the UV marking process is extremely fine and controlled, making it ideal for delicate, accurate marking.

A UV laser source produces significantly less heat than other wavelengths such as CO2. It’s considered a form of ‘cold marking’, which means materials are less prone to damage or heat stress when marked by a UV laser.

This laser source is ideal for marking stainless steel surfaces for a range of sectors, including medical, because the surface texture is unchanged once it’s marked. This makes it an incredibly sterile way of marking surgical equipment. However, if you are looking to deeper engrave stainless steel, a MOPA Fiber laser would be more suitable.

Machine

Recommendations

Whether you’re an industrial manufacturer or a small business, we have the right laser machine to meet your needs for marking stainless steel. From traceability marking on production lines to personalised laser etching jewellery and branding, our laser machines are designed to do it all.

Meta-C 3D • UV Laser Marking Machine

The Meta-C UV laser engraver is the best laser for marking glass, plastics, and much more. It uses UV technology to create an amazing finish across glass surfaces without cracking or damaging the glass, and can mark plastics & silicone with pristine clarity. •  Ultra-high detail on any material •  World-leading glass marking that far surpasses CO2 etching •  Leaves surface marks with no damage or ablation

Power (W): 5, 10, 15
Ideal for: PCBs, Electronics, Components, Branding, and much more
Materials: Glass, Plastics, Wood - Almost Everything!

µMeta • MOPA Fiber Laser Marking Machine

•  Unmatched performance and functionality •  Compact powerhouse with 17 waveforms •  Ideal for colour marking and engraving tough materials

Power (W): 30, 60
Worktable (mm): 300 x 300
Materials: Most Metals, Stone, Some Plastics

Meta-C 3D • Fiber Laser Engraving Machine

The Meta-C Fiber Laser Engraver is the best solution for laser marking and engraving stainless steel, plastics, aluminium, and much more. It guarantees you accurate, durable and high-contrast markings on metals and plastics to a standard other machines just cannot do. •  Built for 24/7 industrial use over decades •  Perfect for traceability, QR codes, barcodes, and logos •  Ultra-precise engraving for incredible detail and accuracy

Power: 30w, 60w, 80w, 200w
Ideal for: Traceability, Serialisation, Part Marking, QR Codes, Logos
Materials: Steel, Aluminium, Titanium, Brass, ABS Plastic

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Versatile

Different Laser Marking Techniques

Annealing Marking

This method creates a colour change on the surface of the stainless steel through controlled heating, without removing any material. The result is a subtle, contrasting mark that retains the original finish of the metal.

Etching Marking

Etching involves removing a thin layer of the stainless steel surface to create a deep and precise mark. This technique is ideal for high-contrast, long-lasting marks, often used in serial numbers or barcodes.

Engraving Marking

Engraving involves vaporising the stainless steel surface, creating a deeper and more prominent mark compared to annealing. This technique is commonly used for decorative markings and branding purposes.

Laser marking stainless steel

FLEXIBILITY

Colour Marking Stainless Steel

In recent years technology has evolved to allow for colour changing of certain metals. Using a 1µm wavelength fiber laser, it’s possible to replicate colours with laser marking to produce an extremely impressive aesthetic on a range of applications. Stainless steel offers the widest range of controllable colour changes, allowing you to produce effects of gold, purple, brown, blue, green and red. Whilst not a fast result to achieve, this method of replicating colours with laser marking produces a clean, sleek and permanent finish, unlike the alternatives of print or paint processes.

LASER MARKING STAINLESS STEEL

FAQs

The best way to engrave stainless steel is with a Lotus Laser fiber laser engraver. With cutting-edge power delivery, this wavelength creates a clean, permanent mark on stainless steel with minimal heat distortion.

Unlike traditional marking methods such as dot peen and CIJ printing, laser marking is entirely permanent. Even under the harshest of environments, Lotus Lasers create a mark that won’t fade, distort or wear.

A MOPA fiber laser from Lotus Laser creates a clear engraving on stainless steel with incredible sharpness. Our Meta-C 3D fiber comes with 17 waveforms, with the typical industry equivalent offering only 2-10, plus it has a wide range of pulse width and frequency adjustments available.

Settings vary by machine and are dependent on whether you’re marking, engraving or colour marking on stainless steel. We have a team of experts who will be happy to help you find the right laser machine for your business.

Replicating colours with laser marking is possible with the right technology. By using a Lotus Laser 1µm fiber laser, it’s possible to replicate colours onto stainless steel to create a range of impressive applications. To help, we’ve created a tutorial on how to laser mark in colour to produce a crisp and clear Wimbledon logo.

There’s a wide range of stainless steel applications that can be marked with Lotus Lasers. From serial numbers and barcodes on production lines to custom gifts, personalised jewellery, and even medical device marking.

No. Laser marking is a non-contact form of marking, it can create a permanent mark whilst being non-invasive, meaning the structural property of the material will not be compromised.

Laser marking creates a colour change on the surface of the stainless steel through controlled heating, no material is removed during this process. This results in a subtle yet permanent mark.

Engraving creates a more prominent mark by removing a portion of the surface material, this results in a deeper finish that’s commonly used for decorative markings and for branding.

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