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Post by williamos90 on Apr 29, 2019 12:04:22 GMT
I've heard that the jtech lasers will mark anodized aluminum. Is it true? Has anyone been successful in doing it? I manufacture trailers and want to use anodized aluminum for the VIN plates on my trailers.
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rowiac
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Location: California
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Post by rowiac on Apr 29, 2019 15:36:03 GMT
Although I don't have a laser (yet), this is something I am interested in as well. It looks like marking of anodized aluminum parts is indeed possible: jtechphotonics.com/?p=2687 |
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Post by Derek the Admin on May 1, 2019 5:27:04 GMT
Yes you can. It won't affect the underlying aluminum, but it will burn away the anodized finish.
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Post by williamos90 on May 3, 2019 10:33:16 GMT
That is great to hear! Would you happen to know of an online source for anodized sheets? I have purchased a couple of different pieces that said they were anodized but they seemed to be colored instead. They did not have a coating that would be burned away. I'm wanting to do some business cards and some engine build plates and possibly VIN plates for trailers.
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rowiac
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Location: California
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Post by rowiac on May 3, 2019 16:23:54 GMT
Are you sure those pieces weren't anodized? Regular anodize isn't really a coating, but an oxidation process on the surface of aluminum that is typically dyed to get the black, blue, red, etc. color. It doesn't add much thickness at all to the piece, whereas a true coating or a "hard" anodize will add measurable thickness. According to Machinery's Handbook, MIL-A-8625F: Conventional Types I, IB, IC and IIB anodic coatings have thicknesses of 0.00002" to 0.0007".
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Post by ttabbal on May 3, 2019 16:27:35 GMT
Anodizing is usually colored in some way. It's generally a dye of some sort. You could also test with paint. Anodizing is generally the last thing done to a part, as you need to have a nice surface to apply it. So unless they are specifically making anodized sheet, I'm not sure how you would get that. You could clean up some sheet and anodize it or send it somewhere.
Another option if you can't get the laser to burn the coating off.. Get some masking material applied and cut that. Then etch or sandblast the parts. Another option is to use a diamond drag bit. Just tossing some ideas out.
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Post by billb0169 on May 10, 2019 20:44:01 GMT
If you're interested in a deeper etch, I've been experimenting with painting the metal part with 1 coat of paint then using the laser to burn off the design that I want to etch. I then submerge the metal in ferric chloride to etch the exposed metal. The paint acts as a resist and the ferric chloride won't affect the painted areas. It works quite well.
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Post by Derek the Admin on May 11, 2019 13:15:36 GMT
If you're interested in a deeper etch, I've been experimenting with painting the metal part with 1 coat of paint then using the laser to burn off the design that I want to etch. I then submerge the metal in ferric chloride to etch the exposed metal. The paint acts as a resist and the ferric chloride won't affect the painted areas. It works quite well. Does ferric chloride etch anything but copper? I used to use it for making PCBs, but wasn't aware it etched other metals. |
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Post by billb0169 on May 11, 2019 17:40:31 GMT
Yup, sure does. I've been using it on brass and read that it can be used on aluminum and even some steel. I mix mine with a solution of water and Citric acid for better etching (called EDINBURGH ETCH). I'll be trying Muriatic etching this weekend which is supposed to be faster.
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Post by williamos90 on May 28, 2019 12:10:37 GMT
Really? Is there a specific type of paint you are using or just any type of paint work? That would be a cool idea. The diamond drag bit would be a good idea too. Does anyone have a link to a good quality bit to use?
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rowiac
Full Member
Posts: 230
Location: California
Machine: M3
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Post by rowiac on May 28, 2019 16:02:21 GMT
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Post by asumasensei on May 30, 2019 2:03:13 GMT
A buddy of mine used to make money selling anodized knives on social media. I watched him dip parts of blades into electrified Muriatic acid and they would change color based on the voltage mixed with the length of seconds it was in there for.
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Post by billb0169 on May 31, 2019 8:22:13 GMT
Really? Is there a specific type of paint you are using or just any type of paint work? That would be a cool idea. The diamond drag bit would be a good idea too. Does anyone have a link to a good quality bit to use? I just use cheap black spray paint and it works really well. |
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Post by williamos90 on May 31, 2019 9:10:54 GMT
Thanks! I’ll try that!
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Post by tgattis on Jun 25, 2019 23:00:39 GMT
Anodizing is usually colored in some way. It's generally a dye of some sort. You could also test with paint. Anodizing is generally the last thing done to a part, as you need to have a nice surface to apply it. So unless they are specifically making anodized sheet, I'm not sure how you would get that. You could clean up some sheet and anodize it or send it somewhere. Another option if you can't get the laser to burn the coating off.. Get some masking material applied and cut that. Then etch or sandblast the parts. Another option is to use a diamond drag bit. Just tossing some ideas out. Almost all commercially sourced aluminum has some amount of anodizing on it, Only parts that have been dyed have color, the dye is added after the anodizing just for looks...I weld aluminum and we have to either grind/sand or burn the coating off to get clean welds. |
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