Application Guidance for GZTECH Ultraviolet Lasers

With the short wavelengths and high photon energy, ultraviolet(UV) lasers demonstrate unique advantages in the fields of precision machining and high-resolution analysis. Compared with other types of lasers, ultraviolet lasers offer superior focused beam quality, small heat-affected zones, higher resolution, and greater machining precision, all while maintaining low processing costs. These lasers perform well in a variety of applications. This article will provide a detailed introduction of the process applications and selection guidelines for ultraviolet lasers.

GZTECH Solid-state Ultraviolet Laser Series has a power range of 3~40W, combining high power output, long-term operational stability, and lightweight design. These lasers are widely applied in fields such as marking, cutting, paint removal, 3D printing, and glass internal engraving.

Product Features:

21. High power, with a maximum average power > 40W;
21. Excellent durability, maintaining stable nominal power output for over 6,000 hours;
21. Lightweight design, with the 5W Mini model weighing less than 4kg, representing a 65% reduction in volume compared with similarly-powered products on the market;
21. High quantum efficiency, small thermal effects, and high beam quality.

Application Analysis of GZTECH Ultraviolet Lasers

1. Laser Marking

(1)  Flying marking

The advantages of UV lasers in flying marking are primarily reflected in their high speed, high precision, and flexibility. Thanks to the high-speed laser switching on/off response and adjustable first pulse of the control system, GZTECH ultraviolet lasers ensure the integrity and clarity of marked content during high-speed flying marking, significantly enhancing production efficiency.

Different power ranges of ultraviolet lasers should be selected based on the materials and requirements. For instance, materials like packaging bags typically utilize a 5W ultraviolet laser paired with a long focal length field lens such as F254. This setup offers a large focused spot, ensuring clear high-speed marking without causing excessive carbonization of the material due to overly high energy density, which could result in an undesirable tactile feel. For applications involving flying marking, such as QR codes on bottle caps, 15W or 30W ultraviolet lasers are generally chosen, mostly equipped with F160 and F254 lenses, with a few cases using even larger field lenses. GZTECH Solid-state Ultraviolet Laser Series features high pulse stability, rapid laser switching on/off response, and adjustable first pulse, ensuring consistent processing effects in flying marking applications, with no missed points, high speed, and high contrast.

Flying marking of QR codes on bottle caps       Flying marking on packaging bags

Using a 30W ultraviolet laser to mark a 12*12 QR code can achieve a speed of 75 milliseconds per code.

(2)  Laser Marking in the 3C industry

Compared with infrared and green lasers, ultraviolet lasers have a shorter wavelength and a finer beam spot, enabling them to achieve extremely precise marking with line widths reaching the micrometer level. Meanwhile, ultraviolet laser marking is a non-contact processing method that does not impose mechanical stress or damage on the marked objects, making it particularly suitable for marking the fragile or precision objects. Our tests using 5W ultraviolet lasers on 3C materials have demonstrated high clarity, complete detail retention, and strong contrast.

Precision marking

(3)  Laser Marking on hard and brittle materials

Glass products are widely used in fields such as construction, daily necessities, medical care, chemistry, and home furnishings. Compared with MOPA lasers, ultraviolet lasers possess higher single-photon energy, resulting in more stable frosting effects. They enable personalized processing of graphics, text, logos, and other designs on the surface or interior layers of glass, achieving fine, clear, and aesthetically pleasing markings.

                            Glass Frosting                                            Ceramic Black Marking

Ceramic materials find extensive applications beyond decorative uses, spanning across various industries such as 3C, aerospace, and automotive. When marked with an ultraviolet laser for black marking, the results exhibit uniform color, moderate gloss, and long-lasting wear resistance.

2. Cutting

(1) PCB cutting

PCB boards feature complex and delicate structures, and laser processing technology can achieve precise cutting of such materials. When a 30W ultraviolet laser is selected for processing the 0.4mm PCB, the cutting results in no burrs and the cutting edges exhibit no carbonization. High-power ultraviolet lasers can significantly enhance the cutting efficiency of PCBs. For cutting PCBs that are 2mm or thicker, if higher efficiency is desired, a 60W green laser can also be chosen.

PCB Cutting

Cutting speed for different materials using a 30W ultraviolet laser

(2) Carbon fiber cutting

With their short wavelength and concentrated energy, ultraviolet lasers enable extremely precise cutting, characterized by narrow cut widths, smooth edges, and small heat-affected zones. This effectively prevents thermal damage and delamination in carbon fiber materials, ensuring higher strength even when the material is bent. Below is a video demonstrating the carbon fiber cutting effects using a 40W ultraviolet laser:

In cutting applications, solid-state ultraviolet lasers typically employ smaller focusing lenses to achieve sufficiently-small focused spots and sufficiently-high energy density. Different cutting methods are selected based on material thickness: single-line cutting is generally used for thinner materials, while multi-line cutting is employed for thicker materials (exceeding 1mm).

3. Paint Removal

((1) Paint removal for E-cigarettes

Laser paint removal operates on the principle of differing absorption rates between the topcoat and the substrate. The same laser beam reacts violently with the surface paint, while the substrate keeps unharmed due to insufficient energy density. GZTECH Solid-state Ultraviolet Laser Series features high peak power, enabling fast and efficient paint removal on e-cigarettes while ensuring no damage to the substrate. The following image illustrates the paint removal effect on an e-cigarette using a 15W ultraviolet laser, achieving this effect in just 8 seconds.

Paint removal for E-cigarettes

(2) Inductor paint removal

Inductor paint removal is achieved by leveraging the differing ablation thresholds between the insulating paint and the copper wire. The same laser beam induces intense vaporization of the surface paint, while the copper wire keeps undamaged due to insufficient energy density, enabling paint removal without harming the substrate. GZTECH Solid-state Ultraviolet 15W High-power Pulsed Laser can remove the insulating paint from both end faces of an I-shaped inductor within 0.3 seconds, with small thermal impact and no carbonization.

Inductor paint removal

4. 3D Printing

Solid-state ultraviolet lasers, characterized by their short wavelengths and excellent focusing capabilities, are well-suited for microfabrication. They are commonly employed in Stereolithography (SLA) and Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing technologies, enabling the realization of high-resolution details and smooth surface finishes.

GZTECH offers a range of laser products for SLA applications, including 3W air-cooled and 5W water-cooled lasers. These lasers feature compact sizes, ease of integration, excellent beam quality, and high power stability with an RMS value of less than 3%. They also boast a wide environmental adaptability range (5~35°C). In the medical field, these lasers can be utilized to manufacture high-precision dental restorations and orthopedic implants. In the 3C sector, they enable the production of electronic product casings with complex appearances and high-precision internal structures.

3D Printing

5. Glass Internal Engraving

Ultraviolet lasers are characterized by short wavelengths, small spot sizes, and high energy density, making them highly suitable for glass internal engraving. Ultraviolet laser internal engraving utilizes multiphoton absorption at the focal point to instantaneously break through and induce micro-explosions or structural changes within the glass, thereby creating engraved points. The laser acts solely on the interior, leaving the surface undamaged and enabling high-precision three-dimensional patterning. Below is a video demonstrating the glass internal engraving effects using a 5W ultraviolet laser:

GZTECH offers over ten different specifications of ultraviolet lasers, including air-cooled lasers ranging from 3W to 5W and water-cooled lasers from 5W to 40W. In addition to the aforementioned applications, these lasers are widely applicable in marking, cutting, cleaning, drilling, and other processes across medical, daily-use, aerospace, semiconductor, electronics, and other fields to meet diverse application requirements. We also provide customized solutions tailored to customer needs. Besides our headquarters in Wuhan, we have established branches in Shenzhen, Suzhou, and Jinan. We welcome everyone to visit us for discussions and sample testing!