Cleaning metal surfaces with marking laser ...

[VDX]

Hi All,

... after some marking and engraving, I've tested stripping black paint (development for cleaning metal surfaces):

https://vimeo.com/210773147


The result: - on the left a black tile -- on the right the black painted aluminum sheet (Dibond):

Viktor

[Micr0]

Can you give more details about the laser you are using? I have wanted a fiber laser for a long time to mark Stainless parts I make. However commercial fiber lasers are all too expensive to justify the cost. Did you build the one you are using?

[VDX]

... this was made with an old IPG YLM-60 type - an 60 Watts CW-fiberlaser with some problem to shut down completely when deactivated (the single spot visible between the jobs).

The previous videos were made with a 120W-type with only 3 of the 4 power-banks running, so 85 Watts maximal:
https://vimeo.com/207474893
https://vimeo.com/207440970

Will modify the prototype for a pulsed fiber-laser with 16 Watts averaged (maybe 100 Kilowatts peak power), what should give a better engraving result.

This are old "outsourced" units, I've got in exchange for other parts or service -- but we want to order a modern pulsed 20Watt-type soon, so should be running in common mode mid to end of April ...

Viktor

[VDX]

... I've actually assembled the "serious" marking laser with a 20Watt (averaged) pulse-fiber-laser and did some testing on different materials.

Here are some videos of the housing and engraving on metal:

https://vimeo.com/214409447

https://vimeo.com/214745770

https://vimeo.com/215431737

... and here some of the results:

... the last image is something "historical" - I've found an old test sample of bitmap-engraving with my first CNC-mill and a self-written CAD/CAM-program on an Atari-ST from 1987 ... and used the back side for a laser-test -- so it's showing exactly 30 years difference in the "state of technology"

[VDX]

... this will be one of the "give-aways" on next exhibition in Juny

[avogra]

Cool I'm surprised, you are able to focus a high power laser so fine. no idea if this is something special Anyway the results just look great!

[VDX]

... this is a common setup designed for a spot diameter of 30 microns, so not really special

In past I've got 30 microns too with a 60 Watt NdYAG and 20 microns with a diode-pumped 20 Watt-disk-laser.

If I'll want a finer spot, this is possible with a beam-expander - have some with 2:1 or 4:1 ratio, so smallest possible spot diameters of 10 microns would be possible too.

Even finer details are possible with an Excimer-laser (did some laser-worx with sub-micron accuracy) ... but this type of laser is much too big for my basement

Viktor

[VDX]

... here's a video showing the engraving+cutting of some smaller tags - https://vimeo.com/216584306

- and the reslults:

[Micr0]

Are these machines you or your company sell or plan to sell?

[VDX]

... the last machine with the 20Watt-pulse-fiberlaser in the "white-blueish" housing is the prototype, I've developed for my company, which is planned to be selled in this size or slightly smaller, with some minor changes/updates.

I'll present it on the next exhibition(s), and then it's again at home as my "personal work-horse" and for testing "difficult" materials

The previously posted images and videos were made with some CW-fiberlasers, which I've got/collected in the last 5 years in exchange for some of my old "gear" or private developments ...

Viktor