Engraving Apple MacBooks

[bill harmon]

Has anyone had success engraving the covers of the white plastic Apple Mac Book Computers? I would really like to share experiences. I'm using an Epilog Legend 24EX.

[Frank Corker]

Bill have a look at the Epilog website here
http://www.epiloglaser.com/sc_lionfish_laptop.htm

[Peck Sidara]

Bill,

This Apple MacBook http://www.epiloglaser.com/sc_macbook.htm was done on our Ytterbium Fiber laser system, FiberMark. The plastic is some sort of polycarbonate w/ an additive (I don't beleive it's laser specific) that allows it to turn black when marked using the FiberMark wavelength of light.

Using a C02 (Legend 24EX) on this particular type of plastic results in an ugly mark, yellowish, brownish burning mark, I've tried....

Basically what it boils down to is the type of material the laptop cover is made of that determines which laser marks it best. For some plastics/anodized aluminum and painted metals, the C02 will work just fine (Frank's weblink to our lion fish)

For other plastics, only the Fiber/YAG wavelength will work.

I often get the question; I want to laser etch on laptops, notebooks, iPods and such, what laser system do I need? The answer is both a C02 and a Fiber/YAG.

[Mike Null]

Here's one I did today. It appeared to be anodized rather than plastic.

[Scott Shepherd]

Mike, was that the aluminum version of the Macbook? Just got a call wanting something engraved on the aluminum version of the Macbook Pro.

If so, any suggestions on where to start with power/speed for a 45 watt?

[Mike Null]

Steve

As I recall it was and it seems like I used standard anodized settings.

I thought it was terrible art but the customer was thrilled.

My power was 50% and speed 90 inches per second at 500dpi. Machine is 45 watts.

[David Fairfield]

Do you guys burn a test on scrap, and show the customer, before you put the laptop in the laser and hit go?

Dave

[Mike Null]

In this case I used a piece of transfer paper for positioning only.

[James Mooney]

I did a couple a few months back. It works ok if you keep the power REALLY LOW and just aim to matt the surface as opposed to deep etch. If you go too strong you will end up with a yellowing of the plastic.

[Scott Shepherd]

I was talking with someone last week and I mentioned engraving the name on the laptop and the guy said he just got back from an orientation at a college with one of his kids and during that, the guy from IT stood up and told the room not to have your laptops engraved.

He said it damages them and they have the proof, the proof being a pile of failed computers and without question, the engraved ones made up a much larger percentage. He said they had stacks and stacks of engraved laptops that wouldn't work.

We're also talking about a college that's got 30,000 students, so I'd imagine he's got a fairly large sample to get data from.

I can't see how it could damage it. Well, I take that back. The ULS uses a magnet under the table to sense when the cutting table is installed. I'm sure that's not a good thing. The focus gauge for the Epilog has magnets on it. Maybe that's what's causing it.

I'm going to try and get in touch with them over the next few weeks and see if I can get some info from him which I will post.

[Dave Johnson29]

Scott,

I really can't see how engraving or magnets could affect the laptops. The magnets you are talking about would have a flux field of maybe an inch at most. The metal shielding inside the case to comply with the FCC Class B regs would nullify that in a heartbeat. I mean I would not toss it into an MRI tunnel but for general use magnets I really see no way they could affect the laptop.

I have two laptops an Acer and a Toshiba and both are engraved and both are still working fine. If there are a pile of engraved dead'ns I am sure it had nothing to do with the engraving.

I have been wrong before on stuff, but on this issue I don't believe I am. :)

[Scott Shepherd]

Dave, I argued the same point, but these people are responsible for such a large number of computers and he said they were very clear on it. In no uncertain terms should you have your laptop engraved.

The magnets was my guess, only because I know no other reason it would harm them.

[Dave Johnson29]

I argued the same point

Scott,

I would need to see some valid documentation on how the laser could possibly damage the laptop regardless of the weight of numbers. I mean what sort of damage are we talking about. I did over 100 ipods a few months back and no one has mentioned any dead'ns after engraving.

They use lasers to mark electronic components like ICs and transistors etc. after they are made.

I am not challenging you, but this IT guy sounds like an urban myth maker to me. Did he say what kind of failures?

I'm still standing on 100% safe to engrave.

[Scott Shepherd]

Dave, you're not challenging me, I'm just the messenger. I have the exact same questions you do.

It would be an excellent study to actually do. There could always be the tie in that the majority of people that have them engraved want to show off the engraving and are less likely to keep them protected or treat them like a sensitive electronic device.

I have no idea. But I will try and get in touch with them. 30,000 kids flock their this week to start school, so I'll let that pass and contact them when things slow down.

[Dave Johnson29]

Scott,

I will stay tuned. :)

I even lasered the screen on one guy's Toshiba. He wanted "Never assume, if in doubt ask" in quite large outline letters in the top right corner of the screen. He would not give me background on that story but I am guessing it must have been pretty embarrassing as that is a favorite term used in Engineering. :D

That was a sweaty palms job. I sneaked up on it at almost no power and high speed. Just kept hitting "Repeat" until it looked OK.

[Dan Hintz]

Steve,

That IT guy has fallen to a logical fallacy... twisting the data to fit your views (even if unintentional). Years back I got into an online argument (not discussion, argument) with a "certified" car stereo installer... essentially a glorified sheet metal jockey. Among his many insane ideas, he said CD-Rs made CD players fail faster, and he had proof.

This proof consisted of some pretty on-the-surface damning statistics. It was a large shop he worked for, so they had quite a few people trucking through, which meant a lot of stereos installed and/or repaired (i.e., lots of data). His "proof" was something along the lines of "Over 75% of the radios we replace after having failed contained CD-Rs." Sounds like an air-tight case, right? Until I suggested that over 90% of his shop's clientele had an age range of 16-30 (a ricer shop, in street parlance). Because this particular group of "kids" quite often ripped their own CDs for listening in the car (iPods weren't quite on the market yet), it stood to reason that the vast majority of CDs in the player at time of failure was going to be a CD-R.

Of course, he refuted my thinking and insisted he would get a proper response directly from the manufacturers that supported his theory... needless to say, none of the manufacturers gave him the time of day. To his was of thinking, gas causes vehicles to fail... well, any time a vehicle dies it has gas in it, doesn't it?

The field in an airport X-ray machine is significantly higher than anything the lasers bed could carry, and laptops are sent through those things every minute of every day all over the world.

Sounds like IT guy should stick with what he's good at, network management (assuming he's any good at that).

I hope the gas analogy helps in your fight...