Marking Anodized Steel

[Eddie Castaneda]

Im trying to Mark a couple random pieces of Anodized Steel anything piece I have to do to make the marking stand out?

[Scott Shepherd]

No such thing as anodized steel, that I am aware of Eddie. Anodizing is a process for aluminum. Which laser are you using? The CO2 works wonders with it. On your machine, fast speed, light power (maybe start with the default setting in your job control), and it should give a nice, whitish mark.

[Chuck Stone]

if you anodize aluminum, you get an aluminum oxide layer on the surface.
If you do that to steel, you get an iron oxide layer on the surface. We call it rust.

But there are companies out there selling pots and pans with an exterior coating
that they're calling anodized steel. Sometimes it is a magnetite coating or maybe
zinc oxide. Some will clad the steel in anodized aluminum. But it isn't really anodized
steel, but steel covered with a layer of anodized-something-else.

There are also chemicals you can use to blacken steel. Caswell makes a
black oxide dip that works well and makes it look like anodized metal.

[Gary Hair]

No such thing as anodized steel, that I am aware of Eddie. Anodizing is a process for aluminum.

Do a quick google search and you'll find out there IS such a thing as anodized steel...

[Scott Shepherd]

That's interesting, google says that you can't anodize steel, the process causes steel to rust and it eats it away. Care to share a link that says something different?

This is what I'm seeing :


"Steel and stainless steel can’t be anodized; the process baths used to anodize aluminum will attack and dissolve steel parts. Your parts need to be completely stripped of any steel otherwise the steel will be damaged during the process."

[Scott Shepherd]

I see some people are calling a few processing anodized steel, but when you look at how they are done, they aren't anodized, or either they have been clad in something that accepts anodizing.

What is it that you have that you are trying Eddie?

[Mike Null]

I have recently had occasion to engrave a couple of finishes on steel which could be mistaken for anodized simply because they blacken the surface. One was powder coat epoxy such as is used on some KA-BAR knives, another is titanium with another material and there are others including black oxide. I have not had satisfactory results with any of them though I can make a mark. The mark is dark gray offering little contrast.

I was able to use a diamond to make a mark but it is somewhat limiting from a graphics standpoint.

[Eddie Castaneda]

Alright Guys I was just enlightened by one of my Co-Workers. I dunno why I called it Anodized I meant Black Oxide. Gents I am sorry for my Misinformation

[Scott Shepherd]

Black Oxided, try 100% speed, 80% power to start. Engraves a grayish color. That's with the CO2. I've played around a little with the settings (we just finished 2500 piece black oxided job) and you could probably bring the power way back from that, but it worked, so I didn't tinker with it any more.

[Eddie Castaneda]

Thanks for the help Mr. Shepard!

[Dan Hintz]

Eddie,

I think this might be a good opportunity for your fiber... few of us here have access to one so we mostly look at the CO2 laser as the hammer with everything being a nail. With the fiber, you may get a brighter mark than with the CO2, but I'd suggest trying both.

[matthew knott]

Or (as you have the flex) set a high speed and low power and use the fiber option and you should get a nice silver mark!