stainless steel

[pat bogarin]

Hi everyone! i need help. a customer wants us to laser engrave a sheet of 4x8 stainless steel. our problem is that our laser is only 60 watt and it will not mark on the steel. is there something out there that i can use or put on the steel so that an image can be seen on it? the customer will then cut out around the edges of the etching. basically im to make a pattern.
any help will be highly appreciated!

thank you,
Pat Bogarin

[Eric Allen]

Chances are, your laser would mark it. You'd just have to run at 100% power, 3-5 speed, and vector. I started to recommend Cermark, but since it's really only there as a temporary pattern I'd just spray the whole thing with spray paint, etch out the pattern, let 'em cut it, then take the paint off with carb cleaner or something.

[Ed Peters]

the surface is, I'm thinking that you need to watch out for reflection. We coat our polished SS with milk of magnesia prior to cutting to prevent this.

Ed

[Mike Null]

It depends on the type of stainless as to whether you can mark it. Given that it's a 4x8 sheet I'm inclined to think you can mark it if you're careful about the focus and use a slow speed.

I can mark stainless with my 45 watt machine.

[Stephen Beckham]

Use regular laser mask tape - vector it at low power/high speed - peel off the un-needed pieces. They can peel off the rest when done...?

[Gary Hair]

Hi everyone! i need help. a customer wants us to laser engrave a sheet of 4x8 stainless steel. our problem is that our laser is only 60 watt and it will not mark on the steel. is there something out there that i can use or put on the steel so that an image can be seen on it? the customer will then cut out around the edges of the etching. basically im to make a pattern.
any help will be highly appreciated!

thank you,
Pat Bogarin

Mask the approximate pattern with 2" masking tape and mark it - you don't even have to cut all the way through it. With your power you could probably laser at 100% speed and 5% power, or less, and leave a perfect mark on the tape.

An alternative would be to find someone who can cut the ss instead of marking then cutting - may be cheaper in the long run.

Gary

[Joe Pelonio]

I don't know what they are using to cut it, but it seems like the faint etch is going to be hard to follow. This sounds like an application for calendered (less expensive) black plotter cut vinyl. If you have to do it by laser then do as Stephen suggested but use the blue masking tape so it's darker.