Why It’s Time to Upgrade Your Marking System From YAG Lasers to Fiber Lasers

At triumphlaser, we offer a wide variety of laser marking equipment for companies, and throughout the years, that has included YAG lasers.

And while you may be initially searching for a YAG laser now, what you’ll find is that you really need a fiber laser system instead. With the advances in the industry, YAG technology has become outdated, and the best way to improve your facility’s marking capabilities is by investing in fiber lasers.

What are the Differences Between YAG Lasers and Fiber Lasers?

To learn why fiber lasers are a better option for your company, it’s best to first understand the differences between these technologies:

YAG Lasers

These lasers are also known as flash lamp or lamp-pumped lasers, as they utilize a lamp (bulb) as a pumping mechanism and a YAG crystal as the gain medium. Both reside in an optical resonator, typically a gold-plated cavity, which provides reflection of the light and helps with the process of creating the laser light.

Though customers still utilize YAG lasers in manufacturing, this laser design is becoming obsolete because the bulbs have a short life and require frequent replacement. They are inefficient and create a large amount of heat, therefore requiring water cooling measures. These problems make the flash lamp/YAG laser very maintenance intensive.

Fiber Lasers

Fiber lasers utilize semiconductor diodes as the pumping mechanism and a doped fiber optic cable as the gain medium. In a fiber laser, the doped fiber optic serves as the resonator. Fiber lasers are the most reliable laser technology available today for material processing applications, offering the best combination of reliability and marking capability.

The many pros of a fiber laser include:

Highest beam quality
Air cooled with high ambient air temperature operating capabilities
Very efficient with low power consumption
Longest diode life (Up to 100,000 hours)
Extended warranties over other technologies (2 years warranty)
MOPA design of triumphlaser fibers allows for maximum application flexibility
High peak power and long pulse durations are good for high-speed aggressive marking and deep engraving applications
Easy to integrate and service

Fiber lasers are typically available in two different configurations in the laser marking industry: Q-Switched or MOPA. Q-Switched fiber lasers are reliable and powerful, but have limited flexibility compared to MOPA laser engines. triumphlaser offers MOPA-based fiber lasers in all of its standard products.