Buying a “metal-capable” laser on price alone is the fastest way to burn money. These five specs decide whether you’ll own a profit center or an expensive paperweight.

1. 1064 nm Fiber (or MOPA-Fiber) Source—Not Just “Fiber Compatible”

Only 1064 nm wavelength is naturally absorbed by aluminum, steel, brass, copper and titanium. Diode or CO₂ machines need messy marking sprays and still give dull, shallow results.

• Entry-level: 20–30 W Raycus/JPT fiber for 0.05 mm line width and <1 s per 10 mm data-plate.
• Premium: MOPA fiber (tunable pulse 2–500 ns) for color on Ti/Stainless and black anneal on aluminum without overheating .

Mistake to avoid: “10 W diode + marking spray” packages—spray cost and re-work erase any savings.

2. Auto-Focus That Repeats to ±0.05 mm or Better

Metal marking happens in the Rayleigh length—±1 mm out of focus and contrast drops 40 %. Look for:

• Infrared distance sensor or tactile probe, not manual “red-dot guess.”
• One-click recall when you swap fixtures or rotary attachments.
• Z-travel ≥100 mm so you can mark the side of a 3″ stainless mug without risers .

3. Galvo Speed ≥7 000 mm/s with 0.001 mm Positioning

Gantry engravers top out at 1 500 mm/s—fine for wood, hopeless for 1 000-part knife batches. A 30 W galvo fiber hits 10 000 mm/s and keeps 0.001 mm repeatability, turning a 30-minute job into 3 minutes .
Check the driver card (Sino-Galvo or ScanLab) and encoder resolution, not just the headline “30 W.”

4. Material Library & Software That Talks to Your ERP

Pre-loaded parameters for 304 SS, 6061 Al, brass, copper save days of test coupons. Must-haves:

• Adjustable power 10–100 %, frequency 20–200 kHz, pulse width 2–500 ns (MOPA).
• Serial-number auto-increment, date-code, QR-code, and CSV batch import.
• File formats: DXF, AI, PLT, BMP; direct SHX/TTF font support for part numbers .

Bonus: API or SDK so you can tie the laser into a production line—skip the USB-stick shuffle.

5. Duty-Cycle Cooling & Warranty That Cover Industrial Shifts

Metal jobs run hours, not minutes. Air-cooled 20–30 W units are fine for 8 h shifts, but verify:

• Ambient rating ≥35 °C and fan redundancy.
• Laser source rated 100 000 h MTBF (JPT, Raycus, MAX).
• Two-year full warranty including galvo mirrors and source; US/EU service depot with <48 h turnaround .

Skip machines that exclude “high-use commercial environments” in the fine print.

Quick Checklist Before You Click “Buy”

☐ 1064 nm fiber or MOPA—never diode-only for bare metals
☐ Auto-focus repeatable to ±0.05 mm
☐ Galvo ≥7 000 mm/s, ≤0.001 mm backlash
☐ Software with metal parameter DB and CSV batch mode
☐ 100 k-hr source, 2-yr warranty, local service

Tick all five and you’ll mark everything from aluminum tags to hardened-steel molds—without surprise invoices or downtime.