Laser marking on plastic can be obtained with a CO2 or fiber laser source. The choice of laser will depend on the application requirements. Generally, the fiber laser generates a white mark on any plastic base color. The CO2 laser is most often used to engrave or engrave on plastic.
Everything you need to know about laser cutting and marking PMMA, PC, polyethylene, ABS efficiently. With the laser machine you can process a variety of plastics such as PMMA: acrylic, polycarbonate, ABS, polypropylene, Delrin, polyamide, POM, polyester or polyethylene. With laser cutting, you can manufacture components without contact and therefore wear-free. No need to rework acrylic due to the crystal clear edge of laser cutting.
In the case of polyester or polycarbonate, the laser beam creates a molten burr and a fringeless edge. With laser marking, you can laser mark plastics such as ABS, PC or polyamide permanently, quickly and with the highest quality. By eliminating set-up time and the possibility of variable content marking, you can even mark individual parts or small batches cheaply. Yes, a diode laser can be used to cut plastics.
Although low-power diode lasers are better suited for engraving plastic materials, they can also be used to cut very thin sheets of non-transparent plastics in multiple passes. Reducing the number of pulses per inch shots, especially when engraving text or larger objects, will help keep the material cooler. Setting the PPI to 500 for photographic engraving helps minimize the “banding effect” that could be experienced with this manufacturing process. These acrylic engraving sheets have perfect light transmission and high resistance to external agents, are UV and weather resistant.
This image is a photograph of a newspaper photograph that was photocopied and then recorded in FiberGrave. This is true whether the laser system is used as a laser cutter, laser engraver or laser marker. When recording solid images, such as photographs or very large text, you may want to “blow bubbles” or “warp” while recording. By reverse engraving the back and color filling or backlighting the engraved areas, you can create an elegant finish.
Once again, the use of the “upward” engraving method will minimize the redistribution of color residues to white. Wavelength: The 10.6 micron wavelength is well absorbed by almost all plastics and is the best choice for most plastic laser cutting, engraving and marking. It offers a 40 W CO2 laser with a water cooling system that allows continuous use for a long period of time without overheating problems. It is the same term that is used when marking anodized aluminum, since the heat of the laser literally whitens the color of the anodized coating.
With laser processing, you can change color pigments to achieve anything from a subtle whitening effect to dark brown tones, depending on the paper and laser settings. A CO2 laser with a power rating of 30W or higher is generally recommended for cutting or engraving plastics. A high-power CO2 laser with a wavelength of 10.6 µm and low cutting speed is recommended for best results with acrylics. You see that term a lot in the specification list for various etching plastics and it means that the base product is acrylic, but it has other chemicals added to make it work as desired.
It has the tendency to easily absorb laser energy, which makes it prone to catching fire during laser processing.
