Etching Steel Using a 2.5 watt Diode Laser

OK, got one on the way. Shall I muck up your thread with my build?
 
Me Too!! But this a very good answer to another thread I posted.
 
Don't forget to purchase the proper laser safety glasses for the wavelength of the laser you purchase. Eyes are hard to replace.
 
Adam Haile of Maniacal Labs posted a nice portable engraver design that is shielded and completely open source:

forum.makerforums.info

New Open Source Laser Engraver Design

No question, just showing off Been working for most of the year on a new laser engraver that I designed in collaboration with a friend who’s a woodworker. Unlike most of the diode engravers it’s designed to be small, lightweight, and portable so that it can be brought to the work piece...
forum.makerforums.info forum.makerforums.info
 
Looks like they now have a 7watt laser available. At what energy would you be able to engrave the steel directly?
Robert
Edit:
To be scientifically correct- at what power would you be able to engrave directly?
R
 
rwm said:
Looks like they now have a 7watt laser available. At what energy would you be able to engrave the steel directly?
Robert
Edit:
To be scientifically correct- at what power would you be able to engrave directly?
R
Click to expand...
A great question. My guess is that 7 watts isn't nearly enough. I focused my laser to the smallest possible point to maximize the power density. On 1 oz. copper pc board, it has no effect. Of course, a lot depends on the wavelength of the laser as well. From tidbits that I have seen, it is looking like around 50 - 100 watts, usually a fiber laser, to do the job. I have also seen unconfirmed statements of 20 -30 watt lasers being used though.

The limiting factor is the rate of heat dispersal from the impact point. It is possible to calculate that for any metal based on the thermal conductivity of that metal. Conductive heat transfer is proportional to temperature and in order to engrave, the laser has to be dumping energy into the impact point faster than heat is leaving. The resultant temperature increase will have to excceed the auto-oxidation temperature of the steel at a minimum which is around 1500ºC in air.
 
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I recently got a 60W CO2 and can't do much to metal directly. What I've read is that the fiber lasers can do it at about 30W, but CO2 needs in the 100W range. Either way, you're into it a good 3k for Chinese units.

The diodes and CO2 work great for burning the dye off anodized parts, paint and powder coats.
 
That 7 watt laser on Ali is claiming that it can etch stainless. I wonder how/why?
Robert
 
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