Laser Marking: Tips for Improving Clarity of Text Smaller than 0.1 mm

Looking to print text smaller than 0.1 mm on metal, plastics, or other materials? This seminar will share techniques for setting core parameters such as laser power, speed, and frequency, and will analyze points of material compatibility, to help solve problems such as fuzzy text and jagged edges, thereby improving marking precision and yield.

Why is your fine print always so unclear?

Many people who are just starting to use laser marking will discover that when engraving text less than 0.1 millimeters in size, the text often appears blurry, broken, or fused.Most of the time, the problem isn't that the machines are defective, but that the parameters and operational details aren't set correctly.It's like cooking a stir-fry, if you don't get the heat right, even the best ingredients will be ruined.Now let's get down to the nitty gritty and look at the practical skills involved in making a good photograph.

Practical Guide to Core Parameter Adjustment.

More power is not necessarily better.

Many people think that the effect is more obvious when the power is turned up all the way, but in fact when you are carving fine text, too much power will burn the edges of the material.For example, when marking stainless steel, it is suggested that you start with 30 % power and increase by 5 % each time to observe the line changes, until you find the point at which the mark is just visible but there is no burr.

The golden ratio of speed and frequency.

If it moves too fast, it won't have enough energy to burn. If it moves too slowly, it will burn too much.In the case of a 0.08mm line width, for example, it is recommended that the marking speed be controlled at 800-1200mm / s, and the frequency be kept between 30-50kHz.Different brands of equipment may have different effects, and so it's best to try a 3x3 grid of small text, with each group having a 5 % contrast effect.

The hidden technique of focusing the light.

The field lens, with a 20-micron focal length, is much better for fine cutting than the regular lens.When using the microscope, remember to first calibrate the autofocus, and then manually fine-tune by ± 0.2 mm.When photographing highly reflective materials (such as anodized aluminum), it can be useful to attach a layer of transparent tape to help with focusing.

Materials determine success or failure.

Metallic materials need to be "cooled down.

For stainless steel and aluminum alloy materials, the cooling mode is recommended, and the pulse interval parameters should be adjusted accordingly.For instance, when marking aluminum alloy, if the pulse interval is adjusted to over 200 μs, this can effectively reduce the diffusion of the edge caused by thermal effects.

The secret of preventing carbonization.

For carbonizable materials like ABS and acrylic, remember to increase the marking speed when reducing the power.There is a little trick to it: Spray a small amount of alcohol around the area to be labeled. The evaporation of the alcohol will lower the local temperature, and tests have demonstrated that this can reduce the incidence of scorching by 80 %.

Daily maintenance, which is often overlooked.

No matter how good the parameters are, they can't withstand dirty lenses or aging lasers.The optical lenses must be cleaned with alcohol at least once a week, and the output energy of the laser tested every three months.If the lines appear to be too thick under the same conditions, don't rush to adjust the parameters; try changing the nozzle. Many people get stuck at this point.

A quick, down-to-earth way to test parameters.

After using different parameters to mark the paper, they would observe it under a microscope.Recording the actual width of each parameter, one can quickly build up a database of parameters.This method is especially suited to small processing plants that need to switch materials frequently.