Laser Engraving Tips And Tricks
Laser Engraving has modified dramatically over the previous decade or so. Once I began working in this business, if you wished to have a laser at your factory or shop it's a must to have THREE THINGS: Highly Trained Personnel, Persistence and really DEEP pockets.
Up to now 10-years or so, computing power, stable-state lasers and deployment of systems has introduced the costs down significantly, the required skill set to own and operate a system could be very low and system maintenance has develop into significantly simplified.
So, let's get to the meat of this Article.
Laser MARKING: TIPS and TRICKS
1. First and Foremost, have the proper Wavelength!
The Wavelength of the laser is critical to part marking.
ORGANICS:
For example, As an example your main business is custom firearms. Most people start with a easy CO2 laser having a Wavelength of 10,600nM. These are low-cost, low-barrier systems meant for engraving and marking the ORGANICS. Wood, Paper, Glass and Stone to name a few. A CO2 is a GREAT alternative for engraving and marking the Wood Butt Stocks and Polymer Grips, however isn't going to do a lot in the way of engraving the metal portions of the firearm.
METALS:
With the intention to successfully mark and engrave with any depth in metals, we need to change wavelength. Right here, the appropriate wavelength for MOST common metals is about 1uM. Why do I say about? Simply put, there's a number of variations for the 1uM laser, commonly clumped collectively because the ubiquitous "YAG". In fact, the YAG is the Nd:YAG with a central emission of 1,064nM. But then there may be the Nd:YVO4, the Nd:YLF and the mainstream FIBER laser with it's proprietary glass-doped gain medium. Every of those lasers are 1uM lasers, but have slightly totally different wavelengths from 1,064nM, 1,057nM, 1,070nM and such. Additionally, each has totally different pulse traits and that can play a significant function in the proper selection.
2: Why does Lens Choice matter?
You would be stunned at what number of occasions I have to explain optics to people. It is a primary and required step in choosing the right instrument for the job and there's a very core part everybody should understand. SPOT SIZE!
SPOT SIZE vs FOCAL LENGTH:
The Spot measurement of a laser is critical. Let me just repeat that. The Spot measurement of a laser is critical! Simply put, you need a certain quantity of energy to do work. Keep in mind as kids when a few of us would take a magnifying glass outside and burn things? Keep in mind how as we found focus, the wood would just start to smolder, and as the spot grew to become smaller and smaller close to the focus the wood would really start to char and burn? And as we went too shut, the spot would develop once more and the burning stopped? That could be a GREAT demonstration of fluence. Fluence is a time period which equates in the simplest understanding of Energy for a given Area.
In our example above, the Sun's energy was fixed (unless a cloud passed by). We adjusted the Energy/Unit of Area by focusing the lens to it's tightest focus. If you happen to think about a pizza. For those who get a Large versus a Small pie, the diameter could double. To illustrate a Massive is 20" diameter and a Small is 10". However you do not get twice as much, you truly get quite a bit more because if the diameter doubles, the AREA goes up by a factor of 4!! This is identical for the laser. If we HALF the spot-size we INCREASE the energy density not by twice, however by a factor of 4!!
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Up to now 10-years or so, computing power, stable-state lasers and deployment of systems has introduced the costs down significantly, the required skill set to own and operate a system could be very low and system maintenance has develop into significantly simplified.
So, let's get to the meat of this Article.
Laser MARKING: TIPS and TRICKS
1. First and Foremost, have the proper Wavelength!
The Wavelength of the laser is critical to part marking.
ORGANICS:
For example, As an example your main business is custom firearms. Most people start with a easy CO2 laser having a Wavelength of 10,600nM. These are low-cost, low-barrier systems meant for engraving and marking the ORGANICS. Wood, Paper, Glass and Stone to name a few. A CO2 is a GREAT alternative for engraving and marking the Wood Butt Stocks and Polymer Grips, however isn't going to do a lot in the way of engraving the metal portions of the firearm.
METALS:
With the intention to successfully mark and engrave with any depth in metals, we need to change wavelength. Right here, the appropriate wavelength for MOST common metals is about 1uM. Why do I say about? Simply put, there's a number of variations for the 1uM laser, commonly clumped collectively because the ubiquitous "YAG". In fact, the YAG is the Nd:YAG with a central emission of 1,064nM. But then there may be the Nd:YVO4, the Nd:YLF and the mainstream FIBER laser with it's proprietary glass-doped gain medium. Every of those lasers are 1uM lasers, but have slightly totally different wavelengths from 1,064nM, 1,057nM, 1,070nM and such. Additionally, each has totally different pulse traits and that can play a significant function in the proper selection.
2: Why does Lens Choice matter?
You would be stunned at what number of occasions I have to explain optics to people. It is a primary and required step in choosing the right instrument for the job and there's a very core part everybody should understand. SPOT SIZE!
SPOT SIZE vs FOCAL LENGTH:
The Spot measurement of a laser is critical. Let me just repeat that. The Spot measurement of a laser is critical! Simply put, you need a certain quantity of energy to do work. Keep in mind as kids when a few of us would take a magnifying glass outside and burn things? Keep in mind how as we found focus, the wood would just start to smolder, and as the spot grew to become smaller and smaller close to the focus the wood would really start to char and burn? And as we went too shut, the spot would develop once more and the burning stopped? That could be a GREAT demonstration of fluence. Fluence is a time period which equates in the simplest understanding of Energy for a given Area.
In our example above, the Sun's energy was fixed (unless a cloud passed by). We adjusted the Energy/Unit of Area by focusing the lens to it's tightest focus. If you happen to think about a pizza. For those who get a Large versus a Small pie, the diameter could double. To illustrate a Massive is 20" diameter and a Small is 10". However you do not get twice as much, you truly get quite a bit more because if the diameter doubles, the AREA goes up by a factor of 4!! This is identical for the laser. If we HALF the spot-size we INCREASE the energy density not by twice, however by a factor of 4!!
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