try Keyence...

| Marking Professional Guide Vol. 5 - Marking Metal and
| Ceramic Surfaces
| http://www.keyence.com/enews/barcode/mlg/p_guide3.php?en=0804ja
|

For $10,000.00 your choices are a bit limited. If I were you, I'd be at eBay looking for a bargin here...

Good luck!!!

Check out the Vidoejet 3120 Laser marker. Its only a 10W CO2 so it probably wont give you a deep etch on stainless but it will be visible. Mark will be better in aluminum.

We got a demo unit to try for marking barcodes (linear & 2D) into a hardcoat enamel painted finish (ablation). The results were very impressive.

Depending on the number of units you're looking to buy you can probably get them for $10,000 to $16,000 USD.

Here is the link. (www.vidoejet.com)

https://my.videojet.com/portal/page?_pageid=93,1478433&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&PnBrandTechType=1&pcPageId=2.1.1&PnBrandId=1&PnPrinterTypeId=14&PnPrinterId=154&PcCrumbTrailLb1=14&PcCrumbTrailLb2=154&PcCrumbTrailURL=2.2.X.1

Versa Laser company offer a system for around $8000. We have around 4 of them and they work well for us.

http://www.engravingsys.com/versalaser.htm

Good Luck

Mike

You might also contact TJSlasers.com They may have a used system within your budget. I'd recommend a YAG laser, maybe 75 Watts. You didn't go into your application much other than stainless steel marking.