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Sean Coyne
05-20-2014, 4:19 PM
Hey all,

I have spent my morning playing with our fiber laser (Trotec fiber 30w) trying to achieve a colored etch on stainless steel. I think we have all seen many examples of this over the years...

http://www.eddystonedesigns.com/about-design-your-own/
http://www.spilasers.com/applications/redenergy/colour_marking_with_a_fiber_laser.aspx

I have tried dozens of combinations of power/speed/frequency/focus and am no closer to figuring it out. I have also searched these forums and haven't been able to find much info for the settings. I have heard that its a difficult and inconsistent etch that relies on heat more than anything else.

Can anyone tell me more about this process? I know settings dont transfer from machine to machine as well as we would like but I would be open to hearing about the broad strokes of the method. Should I be using a high-wave length or low? Multiple runs? High power? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Bruce Boone
05-21-2014, 9:24 AM
Sean,
Something else to try is your same settings in a matrix, but defocused by an exact amount like 3mm or whatever. That might be what it takes to get there. A search for laser coloring stainless found this: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00339-013-7932-8/fulltext.html#Sec3

Sean Coyne
05-21-2014, 2:16 PM
Thanks Bruce,

I read the whole thing and from what I understood... its done with magic.

All joking aside it seems like a really involved process but also very rewarding. I will spend most of today playing with our fiber and if I come up with any positive results I will post them here.

matthew knott
05-21-2014, 4:38 PM
Hi Sean, color etching is still not something that is commercially used because it such a pain to get any consistency. Its still used as a cool demo all the time. You will also find most of the examples are done on Titanium and not stainless as its much easier to get a color change. Also you would have a much easier time with a galvo machine as it normally requires you build up the mark in multiple passes in different directions (i like 45 degrees) Also you are looking to anneal the metal so you definitely want to be out of focus, no sparking, and use a high frequency 70khz + and then you need to adjust the speed and powers and record your results. It not a service we offer as unless you have full control of the product its a nightmare, also atmospheric conditions (temp,humidity etc) have a effect and inert gasses can be used to get a good result. I had a little play for minutes and got this :
289807

Far from perfect but its a start, and its as far as I'm going with it as color marking is just for fun !
Also heres a little video i found on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnwSorwGQM4

Good luck !!

Sean Coyne
05-21-2014, 7:57 PM
Thanks for the info Matt.

I have learned tons about this process today. Overall I seriously doubt I'll do this as an everyday thing.

What I have learned so far, for those that are interested in the process...

1. Out of focus ( by at least .06 in.)(which is also a hindrance to repeating the process, given that fibers are touchy with focus to begin with.)
2. High power (might just be applicable to our 30w fiber)
3. Low speed (10-20%)
4. Several passes

Still lots of testing to be had!