CO2 or fiber lasers can be used to etch metals with barcodes, serial numbers, and logos. Fiber lasers are excellent for marking industrial products because of their low maintenance requirements and long operating lives. These lasers are still capable of generating crisp marks, even if the integrity of the part is compromised.
Before CO2 laser engraving, it is necessary to spray (or paste) a protective coating on the metal. Marking agents are applied temporarily to the metal using CO2 lasers. Other materials such as wood, acrylic, stone, and acrylic can also be etched by CO2 lasers.
Epilog Laser systems are also compatible with virtually any Windows program.
There are many types of lasers
There are several considerations to take into account because of the different types of lasers and materials.
It is also possible to mark metals with CO2 lasers, but a coating or pre-treatment is required. The marking agents need to adhere to metal quickly as well as be low-pressure and fast-acting. The best option for pieces that can be cleaned after lasering is to increase the power.
The CO2 laser also maintains tolerance and strength without removing any material. Pre-treatment is not necessary for anodized and painted aluminum and brass.
The best way to engrave metal is with fiber lasers. Aluminum, nickel-plated metals, and stainless steel can all be marked by laser fibers.
A laser beam coming from the device can mark certain materials, however. The transparent material can be used to inscribe an engraving table. Fiber laser systems may not be the best choice for processing organic materials like wood, clear glass, and leather.
Types of marks
Fiber laser marking on metal options can be determined by the type of metal to be marked. Lasers vaporize the metal surface to produce engraving. Marks are often shaped like cones because beams are often shaped like cones. In order to achieve deep engravings, repeated operations must be carried out.
A material’s top layer is usually abraded away to reveal its lower layer. Metal powders or anodized metals can be ablated.
The surfaces of objects can be marked by heating them. Oxide is formed on the metals during the annealing process, resulting in high contrast. Raised surfaces are caused by trapped gas bubbles in a material during cooling. When melted materials melt, they produce foam. You can quickly change the color of a metal surface by polishing it. The metal surface will look mirror-like. A variety of metals, such as steel alloys, iron, titanium, and other metals, can be anodized. Steel can also be marked with foam, although plastic is more commonly used. The best way to polish matte finishes is to polish them.
Taking into account the following materials
The laser can also be used to alter laser data, such as speed, power, frequency, and focus, in addition to annealing, etching, and polishing stainless steel. When fiber lasers are used on anodized aluminum, their brightness is usually greater than that of CO2 lasers. As opposed to black lasers, fiber lasers engrave aluminum with gray shades. Adding color or oxidizing aluminum before deep etching is also an option.
Lasers mark titanium with different colors as they operate. However, there are ways to adjust them for different colors.
Marks in three colors on anodized aluminum
The removal of certain materials and colors from aluminum can result in different marking effects. Lasers can be used to remove anodized layers partially or completely.
Aluminum is scratch-resistant by applying a coating of ceramic (5-30 mm thick). Decorative effects can be achieved with colored porous layers. Using different laser wavelengths can produce different results depending on the techniques and materials used.
