Product branding anodised aluminium is a widely used application across many industrial sectors. The anodised process is removed to expose the aluminium base material using laser engraving.
The process
The finished image is created, when the laser removes material from the surface in a raster scan motion. This is followed by the laser beam being used to trace around the image outline, providing a sharper edge.
The quality of the finish on the aluminium is greatly dependent on the material quality. With poor quality materials (high levels of alloys), the grain structures have a tendency to tear leaving rough surfaces and edges.
CO2 laser marking
Anodised Aluminium can also be processed using a CO2 lasers. With CO2 processing, the dye is removed without any surface disruption taking place. While this can provide certain advantages (corrosion protection), the quality of the mark is difficult to maintain. CO2 will heat the plate while attempting to remove the dye through a chemical reaction, and in doing so heat creep can occur. This shows up as blurred edges to the mark, and requires a very concise set up of the laser parameters.
If you would like further information on this laser marking application, or any other application, please request a call back or talk to one of our laser marking specialists on 01737 826902.
