Engraving Alluminium
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Len-Tikular
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Engraving Alluminium
Can I laser engrave text on to Aluminum ?
Len-Tikular (A glider pilots dream cloud)
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Tex_Lawrence
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Re: Engraving Alluminium
Depends on your laser power. I’ve not had occasion to do bare aluminum, but I’ve done a bit of ceramic tile by painting it with bright white Rustoleum spray. The titanium oxide creates the burnt marks.
Tex — Crooked Wood Products
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Leo
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Re: Engraving Alluminium
Commonly in the hobby laser world we have CO2 laser machines. CO2 is good on organic materials - wood, paper, cloth, leather and other such organic materials. CO2 can also do "some" plastics, but great care must be taken about fumes.
Metals are best suited for a "fiber" laser.
There are techniques that can be used to engrave on metal surfaces like painting or using special coatings that help the laser to "engrave" the surface. If aluminum is anodised, which is a coating, is can be engraved.
Metals are best suited for a "fiber" laser.
There are techniques that can be used to engrave on metal surfaces like painting or using special coatings that help the laser to "engrave" the surface. If aluminum is anodised, which is a coating, is can be engraved.
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TReischl
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Re: Engraving Alluminium
Long before fiber lasers came along, literally thousands of sheet metal shops cut metal with CO2 day in and day out dating back to about 1985. I worked for one of the largest producers of laser cutting machines. We cut aluminum, steel, stainless steel. When I retired in 2002 they were cutting steel up to 1 inch thick. So much for the "hobby world".Leo wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 2:42 pmCommonly in the hobby laser world we have CO2 laser machines. CO2 is good on organic materials - wood, paper, cloth, leather and other such organic materials. CO2 can also do "some" plastics, but great care must be taken about fumes.
Metals are best suited for a "fiber" laser.
.....
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FabLab Wageningen
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Re: Engraving Alluminium
A late answer - sorry but I did not notice this thread earlier.
Yes, you can. You only need a little help in the form of a spray. You spray on the aluminium - or any shiny metal - let the spray dry and then laser over it. The laser will blacken the part where it comes, and all other parts you can wash off with warm water. Sounds miraculous but works really well. This is how pro's do it.
Spray comes in various brands / types. We use LMM6000 but there are alternatives. Just Google on this. Tutorials galore.
Mind you: you need a CO2 laser of minimal 40 to 60 watt (or expremely low speeds). Our 100 W works like a charm.
Marcel.
Yes, you can. You only need a little help in the form of a spray. You spray on the aluminium - or any shiny metal - let the spray dry and then laser over it. The laser will blacken the part where it comes, and all other parts you can wash off with warm water. Sounds miraculous but works really well. This is how pro's do it.
Spray comes in various brands / types. We use LMM6000 but there are alternatives. Just Google on this. Tutorials galore.
Mind you: you need a CO2 laser of minimal 40 to 60 watt (or expremely low speeds). Our 100 W works like a charm.
Marcel.