Laser engraving polypropelene

[Pat Philips]

Hi Guys

I have been asked to Laser Engrave a company logo on the attached boxes.
339130
https://www.nanuk.com/nanuk-935-2/

apparently they are made primarily from polypropelene but there are other substances in the plastics too, the manufacturer will not tell me what they are because he thinks I am going to steal his idea :-)

Just wandered if anyone has engraved anything similar and the risks involved with engraving unknown plastics, i have a good ventilation system btw.

Thanks in advance

Pat

[Gary Hair]

Ask for an MSDS sheet, that will give you all you need to know and won't compromise his secrecy.

[AL Ursich]

Someone will chime in on this... but it has been posted about a test where you heat a copper wire with a torch and melt some of the plastic then torch it and the color tells you if it is a laser hazard... You might find the post here with a search.

Edit:

Finished here and went over to the Engraving Etc Forum and on a Laser Foil post found this... It is the test I was thinking about.... If this would help..

"Vinyl is the shortened name, it stands for poly-vinyl-chloride, PVC.

You can test for chlorine in products. Using a small torch heat up a piece of uncoated, (not tinned), copper wire. Touch it to the product to get a little of the product on the wire. Then put it back into the flame. If you see some green in the flame it contains chlorine, if no green at all then it is safe to laser."

[Dave Sheldrake]

if no green at all then it is safe to laser.

Not so Al, there are a number of plastics that are unsafe to heat or laser process that don't contain any Chlorides. Such as Fluorides, Benzene's, Sulphur Dioxides etc to name just a few.

Pat, if the customer won't tell you what's in it or provide a full MSDS don't risk it.

[David Somers]

Dave,

Unless I am mistaken aren't manufacturers required to provide MSDS sheets on request in the US? And the UK as well?

[Pat Philips]

Thanks Boys

Thats a great help, I will request the MSDS sheet

Pat

[Dave Sheldrake]

Dave,

Unless I am mistaken aren't manufacturers required to provide MSDS sheets on request in the US? And the UK as well?

Yup,you would be surprised though by how many won't or don't

[AL Ursich]

Not so Al, there are a number of plastics that are unsafe to heat or laser process that don't contain any Chlorides. Such as Fluorides, Benzene's, Sulphur Dioxides etc to name just a few.

Pat, if the customer won't tell you what's in it or provide a full MSDS don't risk it.

Dave, Thank You, I stand corrected. Better SAFE then sorry...

AL

[David Somers]

Pffffffft. So much for my sense of idealism!

I am curious now who we turn to if a manufacturer refuses to provide one. Will see if I can find out and report back. May be a few days before I have a chance.

[Michael Hunter]

I'm pretty sure that polypropylene is one of those plastics that engraves very poorly - the stuff just melts (rather than vapourising) and sets again after the laser has passed.

The amount of filler or colouring material mixed into the base plastic can affect (often improve) the engraving properties, so it is still worth a try - but see if you can get a scrap case to experiment on.

[Bert Kemp]

What are my rights to an MSDS?

Consumers. As stated previously (http://www.ilpi.com/msds/faq/parta.html#whofor), many manufacturers (http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/manufacturer.html) or distributors are happy to give an MSDS to anyone who asks but they are under no OSHA (http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/osha.html) obligation to distribute these to consumers. See this OSHA interpretation letter (http://www.ilpi.com/msds/osha/I19900516A.html) and the downstream flow entry (http://www.ilpi.com/msds/faq/partb.html#downstream) above for more information about how MSDS's are supposed to be distributed.



Who are (M)SDS's for?
http://www.ilpi.com/msds/faq/partner/01100_sdsBox.jpg (http://www.safetyemporium.com/01100)
Many of our visitors use these weather-resistant SDS storage boxes like this one. We have 3 different sizes available at www.SafetyEmporium.com (http://www.safetyemporium.com/).

(M)SDS's are meant for:

Employees who may be occupationally exposed to a hazard (http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/hazardous.html) at work.
Employers who need to know the proper methods for storage, safe use etc.
Emergency responders such as fire fighters, hazardous material crews, emergency medical technicians, and emergency room personnel.

SDS's are not meant for consumers. An SDS reflects the hazards of working with the material in an occupational fashion. For example, an SDS for paint is not highly pertinent to someone who uses a can of paint once a year, but is extremely important to someone who uses that paint 40 hours a week. See the question "What are my rights to an (M)SDS? (http://www.ilpi.com/msds/faq/partb.html#myrights)" in the next section of

[David Somers]

Thanks Bert! Bummer, but thanks!!! I was thinking OSHA was tied to this but figured the MSDS would be available to anyone using the product. While someone using a bottle of bleach at home may not have a great deal of exposure, it becomes pretty important the moment they decide to mix two individually great cleaners, Bleach and Vinegar, in order to tackle that nasty stain in the toilet. You would think that asking for an MSDS sheet would be a no brainer. If it is important enough to make it necessary for employees to have access to it you would think the average consumer should also have access to it. Especially if they specifically ask.

Sigh. Can't say much makes sense to me in the wonderful world of regulations. I have a friend who is a Safety Officer for the National Parks where I used to work. He is now developing a full body tic after years of working with OSHA and a dozen other regulatory agencies through his office. I keep waiting for the maniacal laugh to begin too.

Thanks again Bert!

Dave