In the lead up to the release of the latest Star Wars episode, we felt it was about time that those faceless storm troopers should be given some form of identity, a name to the helmet so to speak.
Setting out on this venture, seemed like a fairly simple task. As in real life that is not always the case. The plastic used on the helmets would seem to be one of those plastics that sit between two different laser wavelengths. CO2 would provide a very nice engraved mark but with no contrast, leaving us with the same issue as before, no clear identification. The material seemed to be semi translucent to the wavelength of both Fibre and Nd:YAG, which are both fairly close to each other.
Using the Fibre laser, we used a high power low frequency combination in an attempt to create a surface change, and in turn cause an absorption barrier to the plastic. Then turning the power down, and providing multiple passes in an attempt to build up the contrast levels. Mixed results and a very light build-up of contrast occurred. While this would not provide a commercially acceptable result, it proves that we cannot mark everything.
If you would like further information on this laser application, or any other application, please request a call back or talk to one of our laser marking specialists on 01737 826902.
