Laser Marking of Nonmetallic Materials

The book also includes a section on laser marking of nonmetallic materials, including detailed discussions of the processing characteristics of wood, plastics, and glass, and of techniques for adjusting key parameters such as power, speed, and focal length.The software provides recommended parameters and tips for different materials, helping users select the best marking strategy for each material. This improves the legibility of the marks and increases production efficiency.

Which non-metallic materials are most suitable for CO2 laser marking?

Let's start by talking about some of the most common materials.Wood, plastic and acrylic are all especially suited to laser marking.For example, when engraving patterns on wooden boxes, the lines are fine and sharp, and the edges are clean. After engraving plastic, the contrast between the two colors is high, and the surface is smooth to the touch.But for hard materials like glass and ceramics, the laser parameters must be adjusted to prevent cracking.

How do the key parameters affect the final outcome?

The balance point between power and speed.

If the power is set too high, it is easy to scorch the surface of the material, and if the speed is too fast, it will not be possible to engrave deeply enough.For example, when marking leather, use low to medium power (40-60 watts) and medium speed, so as to keep the markings clear and not singe the edges.

The relation between focal length and thickness of material.

The thicker the material, the more precise the focus needs to be.For example, when carving a 3-mm acrylic plate, a 1-mm deviation in focus will cause the edges to blur. At this point it is recommended to use the auto-focus function or to manually adjust the focus repeatedly.

Examples of practical applications of different materials.

In the garment industry, for example, polyester can be marked with CO2 lasers to create permanent markings that do not damage the fiber structure.When carving bamboo, it is appropriate to lower the power (to 30-50 watts) and use a water cooling system, which can effectively avoid the problem of blackening.One customer, who does gift-wrapping, reported that when he was printing on corrugated cardboard, he was able to increase the precision of the pattern by 20 % by adjusting the frequency to around 5,000 Hz.

How to choose the most suitable plan.

First, it is important to understand the heat resistance of a material. For example, it is best to avoid using PVC, which releases harmful gases when heated.When it comes to mass production, the focus is on the stability of the equipment, for example on whether the power will diminish after continuous operation for eight hours.I thought we could first use scrap material to conduct a series of tests, and then record the results of various parameter combinations. This way we could save material and quickly find the optimum solution.