What materials should not be work with CO2 laser marking machine?

CO2 laser marking machine is a carbon dioxide laser marking machine, it is a laser galvanometer marking machine that uses CO2 gas as the working medium. The CO2 laser uses CO2 gas as the medium, charges CO2 and other auxiliary gas into the discharge tube, and applies high voltage to the electrode. A glow discharge is generated in the discharge tube, causing the gas to emit a laser with a wavelength of 10.64um, and the laser energy is amplified and vibrated. After the mirror scanning is focused on the mirror surface, under the control of the computer and the laser marking control card, images, characters, numbers and straight lines can be marked on the workpiece according to the user's requirements. CO2 laser marking machine can work with several materials, but there are also some materials should not work with a CO2 laser marking machine, this article will discuss about it.

The following knowledge points are listed below:

The working principle of CO2 laser marking machine

Materials should not work with CO2 laser marking machine

Pay attention to adding "flame retardant"

Why are these materials unsuitable for engraving

CO2 laser marking machine applications

1. The working principle of CO2 laser marking machine

It is important to understand the main reaction of the carbon dioxide laser beam in contact with the material:

Evaporation: The material evaporates into a gas residue, which is released during cutting. This is the cleanest cutting / engraving process.

Foaming: The laser beam melts the surface of the plastic, creating bubbles, leaving visible traces.

Chemical degradation: The chemical degradation of plastic materials leads to the emission of carbon gas. The material burns and ash residue remains.

Laser engraving machines are produced around the world and are usually used for printing, laser welding, thermal branding and other technologies. There are various models, each with its own unique application in many different industries, such as packaging, decoration, medical industry, electronics, etc. A good CO2 laser marking machine should work with multiple materials:ceramics/plastic/Metal alloy/rubber/glass

2. Materials should not work with CO2 laser marking machine

There are some materials you should not engrave or cut with lasers because of their chemical composition. Handling these materials can generate dangerous gases or dust. These materials include:

Leather and chrome-containing artificial leather

Carbon fiber

PVC

Polyvinyl alcohol

Beryllium oxide

Any material containing halogen (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine), epoxy resin or phenolic resin.

Care should be taken with the following materials:

Manganese

Chromium

Nickel

Cobalt

Copper

Lead

3. Pay attention to adding "flame retardant"

Be particularly careful when handling "flame retardant" materials, as they often contain bromine. For flame retardant materials, it is best to ask the manufacturer for the exact composition.

4. Why are these materials unsuitable for engraving

If the above materials are laser engraved or laser cut, dust or gas may be generated, which may harm the functions of laser users or laser machines. For this reason, we do not recommend the use of these materials.

5. CO2 laser marking machine applications

Carbon dioxide laser marking is ideal for a wide range of non-metallic materials, including plastics, textiles, glass, acrylic, wood, and even stone. They are used for pharmaceutical and food packaging, as well as the identification of PVC pipes, building materials, mobile communication equipment, electrical appliances, integrated circuits and electronic components.

If you need to cut thicker materials, it is best to use a carbon dioxide laser. When cutting materials over 5 mm, the CO2 laser provides faster initial penetration time, faster straight-line cutting and smoother surface finish.

Unfortunately, carbon dioxide lasers consume more energy than fiber lasers, leading to higher operating costs. For example, a high-power CO2 laser and refrigerator will consume about 70 kilowatts of power when operating at maximum power. Fiber lasers of the same power consume about 18 kilowatts.

So after reading this article you may probably know what materials can work with a CO2 laser marking machine and what not.

We are professional UV laser marking machine manufacturer, our main product including Laser welding machines, CO2 laser marking machine.