Leadtech Printer-Leading Manufacturer in the Coding & Marking Industry since 2011.
Laser Traceability for Metal Parts Built to Last Decades
Metal Part & Component Coding & Marking
Substrates: Machined Metal Parts · Medical Metal Components · Electronic Parts · Bearings / Fasteners / Tools
√ Rechnology: Fiber Laser (for Direct Part Marking) · UV Laser (for Miniature Electronic Components) · Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) (for Secondary Packaging and Logistics, Not for Direct Part Marking)
√ Recommended LT Model: LT50F Fiber Laser · UV Series (5 W / 10 W) · LT30F Fiber Laser
√ The One Constraint: Post-processing (coating, plating, polishing, heat treatment) can alter or destroy an earlier mark — plan the marking sequence around it, or the code disappears.
Metal parts and components need direct, permanent identification across automotive, bearing, fastener, tool, electronics, and medical sectors. Traceability increasingly mandates DataMatrix or 2D codes for automated scanning and full-lifecycle tracking. One physical reality governs the process: post-processing can destroy an earlier mark, so marking sequence is a design decision, not an afterthought. Medical components must also stay traceable after repeated sterilization.
| Substrate | Key Property | Coding Implication |
| General Machined Metal Parts | Automotive, bearings, fasteners, tools | Fiber laser gives deep, permanent, high-contrast engraving that survives handling and wear |
| Medical Metal Components | Must stay sterilization-compatible | Permanent, regulation-traceable (UDI) marks that survive sterilization |
| Electronic Parts | Severe size limits | UV laser preferred for low thermal impact and high precision on miniaturized components |
| Stainless / Carbon Steel | Hard, durable | Fiber laser engraves deep, permanent, high-contrast marks |
Coding Challenges
- Coating, plating, polishing, or heat treatment happens after marking → the process alters or covers the earlier mark → the code becomes unreadable or vanishes. Plan the marking sequence around post-processing.
- Medical components are sterilized repeatedly → sterilization degrades a surface ink mark → the UDI/traceable code is lost. Use a permanent laser engraving that survives sterilization.
- Electronic parts are miniaturized with severe size limits → heat and marking area are both constrained → thermal damage or an illegible mark. UV laser gives low thermal impact and high precision.
- Automated traceability reads 2D codes at every station → an inconsistent or shallow mark → read failures that break the traceability chain. Deep, high-contrast fiber-laser DataMatrix ensures reliable scanning.
| Technology | Fit | Why / Why Not |
| Fiber Laser | ★ Recommended(Direct Part Marking) | Deep, permanent, high-contrast engraving on stainless/carbon steel that survives handling, wear, and sterilization |
| UV Laser | ★ Recommended(Microelectronics) | Low thermal impact and high precision on tiny, heat-sensitive electronic components |
| Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) | ○ Alternative (Secondary Packaging / Logistics) | Used for secondary packaging and logistics labeling — not primary direct-part marking |
| CO₂ Laser | - Not recommended (Bare Metal Parts) | The 10.6 μm CO₂ wavelength is for non-metals and does not engrave bare metal; fiber at 1064 nm is the metal-marking laser |
| PIJ / TTO | - Not recommended | Built for porous board and flexible film, not direct marking on hard metal parts |
Direct part marking → fiber laser: deep codes on stainless/carbon steel that survive handling, wear, and sterilization, and scan reliably. Tiny heat-sensitive electronics → UV laser, low thermal impact. CIJ is for secondary packaging and logistics, not direct-part marking. Do not use CO₂ on bare metal — wrong wavelength — nor PIJ/TTO.
Typical Code Content
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Recommended LT Solution
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