Possible Causes of Poor Marking Quality

The clarity of the mark depends on the settings, the state of the equipment, and the characteristics of the material.During maintenance, the power, speed, and frequency settings should be adjusted to find the best combination. The lenses should be cleaned regularly, and the light path should be checked to make sure that it is properly aligned.Different metals require different approaches. For highly reflective metals, it is best to pre-process the surface. Thin sheets of metal need to have their temperature carefully controlled to prevent deformation.Mastery of these practical skills can significantly improve the clarity of the markings.

Improper parameter settings are a common problem.

If the laser marking effect is fuzzy, in most cases it is because the parameters have not been adjusted correctly.For instance, if the power is too low, the laser won't have enough energy and the depth of the engraving will be insufficient. If the speed is too fast, the laser's dwell time will be too short and the engraving will be blurry.The sensitivity of different materials to the parameters varies widely, so it is necessary to run many tests to fine-tune the machine.

The parameters that are most closely watched.

Power, speed and frequency are the three key parameters.I suggest starting with the recommended settings for the machine, with the power set at around 60 %, speed at 800 mm / s or less, and the frequency adjusted according to the reflectivity of the material.

Lack of maintenance has affected the accuracy of the equipment.

It is easy to overlook problems such as dirty lenses or misalignment of the optical path.If the lens becomes dirty or oily, the laser beam will be scattered, and the edges of the markings will be blurred.Wiping the lenses with special cleaning swabs every week and checking the alignment of the light path every three months can effectively prevent such problems.

It's the little details that are often overlooked.

If the humidity in the workshop exceeds 70 %, moisture may condense on the lens. In northern Taiwan in winter, static electricity attracts dust and this needs to be paid special attention to.A deviation of more than 2 ° in the levelness of a processing table can cause focusing errors. A simple way to check this is with the level app on a smartphone.

Material characteristics determine the upper limit of the effect.

Aluminum oxide and chrome plating are both metals, but the difficulty of surface treatment for the two is worlds apart.For high-gloss materials, it is suggested that you first treat them with a matte finish, or use the software to turn on the anti-reflective mode.If the metal has a coating, it may be necessary to first use a low-power laser to remove the coating, then do the fine carving.

Special materials require special techniques.

Thin metal plates are prone to heat distortion, which can cause the image to become out of focus. This can be avoided by using heat-conducting silicon pads to absorb the heat.For curved workpieces, it is best to use a dynamic focusing system or to reduce the marking area and process the piece in sections. Never try to process the entire curved surface in one go.