Both go to the part; the difference is what holds the head. On the portable machine the head sits on a height-adjustable column that swings, tilts and locks, so the machine carries it and the operator’s hands are free – which gives a steady, repeatable mark across a batch of heavy parts. On a handheld machine the operator holds the head on a cable, which reaches into and around installed equipment more easily but means placement depends on the hand. Portable suits large parts marked in batches; handheld suits reaching awkward positions.

The field limits the size of the mark, not the size of the part – a two-tonne casting is fine, as long as the mark itself fits inside 100 x 100 mm. For part numbers, serial and heat numbers, data-matrix codes and identification blocks, that is usually more than enough. Measure your longest mark laid out as it will actually appear, and remember that content which looks too wide on one line often fits comfortably when stacked over two or three. Send us your mark content and we will lay it out against the field before you order.

It means repositioning the head and marking in a second pass, and two passes rarely align perfectly – there is usually a visible join. For that reason it is worth designing the mark to fit the field rather than planning around multi-pass marking. Stacking content over more lines, shortening a code, or moving to a smaller font are all normal ways of getting there. If your marks genuinely cannot be brought inside 100 mm, tell us at the inquiry stage and we will go through the options in our marking range with you.

It depends on what the mark has to survive. 20 W covers surface marking on metals and plastics – part numbers, serial numbers and QR codes read as they are. 50 W is for deep engraving to measurable depth, hardened steel, and marks that must stay legible after shot blasting, rough handling, weathering or a coat of paint. 30 W sits between them. Because large fabricated and cast parts are so often finished after marking, this configuration makes a stronger case for depth than bench work does.

Yes – that is what the swing and tilt on the head are for. The head is squared up to the face being marked and then locked in that position, so the beam meets the surface at the correct angle and the focus stays correct across the mark. Strongly curved surfaces still have a practical limit, because the focal distance changes across a tight radius, so send us a drawing or photograph of the surface if it is unusual and we will confirm it before you order.

Mild and carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium including anodised finishes, brass, copper and titanium, plus dark or filled engineering plastics. Metals are where fiber laser marking is strongest. Cast and forged surfaces mark well but behave differently from machined faces, so parameters are developed against your actual surfaces. On stainless steel used in food, pharmaceutical or washdown environments, ask for annealing – it produces a dark mark without removing material, leaving the surface smooth and sealed.

Enough floor beside the part for the base to stand stably, plus clearance for the operator and the controlled area around the marking position. The more important question is the route: the base rolls, but it needs a floor it can roll across, so check door widths, thresholds, cable runs, drainage channels and swarf between where the machine is stored and where it will be used. A wheeled stand is only as portable as the floor allows.

More thought than a bench machine, because there is no enclosure around a part standing on the floor. The beam is invisible at 1064 nm and reflects off bright metal, so wavelength-rated eye protection is required for everyone in the area rather than the operator alone – and since the machine moves, that controlled area has to be re-established at each new position instead of being a permanent part of the layout. Ventilation or extraction is needed where coated, painted or plastic surfaces are marked. Confirm the base is stable and the column locked before firing, and never bypass the interlocks.

The consumable to budget for is the lens – cleaned regularly and replaced when it degrades, and it needs cleaning more often on a shop floor than it would on a bench. There is no assist gas, no nozzle and no ink, so beyond the lens the running cost is essentially electricity. The items specific to this configuration are the column, lock and tilt mechanism, which should be checked regularly because a lock that slips lets the head drift, and the base, castors and cable, which take knocks a bench machine never sees.

Price depends mainly on the power tier – a 20 W machine and a 50 W machine sit at different points in the range – along with any options specified with the order. We quote against a confirmed specification rather than publishing a fixed figure, because the right power depends on your surfaces and on what the mark has to survive. Send your material, mark content and size, and what happens to the part after marking, for a detailed quotation.

A 1-year warranty covering manufacturing defects in the laser source and delivery system, control electronics and the marking head, handled directly by Sigma Mechotronics Pvt. Ltd. rather than through an agent or overseas supplier. Installation and commissioning at your premises, parameter development for the surfaces you actually mark, and operator training on positioning, locking and safe working are part of the supply. Lenses and other spares are held in India, and every purchase comes with a GST tax invoice under your GSTIN.

Yes, and for this machine bring a sample of the real surface – a cast face, a blasted one, a painted assembly – rather than clean bench steel, because those surfaces behave very differently. Bring the mark content too, so we can lay it out against the 100 x 100 mm field and show you exactly how it will sit. If the code has to be machine-readable, bring your scanner. Facility visits to our Ahmedabad plant are welcome by appointment.