[Stefan] of CNC Kitchen has an informative video describing his experiences with trying to cleanly laser-mark 3D printed plastics using different methods, and it also happens to be a fantastic tour of all the different laser options available to hobbyists and workshops these days.
Laser marking is a fast and effective way to put things like product names, serial numbers, and other information on plastics. [Stefan] wondered whether laser options would be capable of creating clean and professional marks on 3D-printed items, and approached things with his usual attention to detail.
How does a laser mark plastic? When the laser hits the material, its energy is dumped into it and can cause pigment bleaching, microfoaming, charring, melting, or ablation (vaporizing) of the surface. The goal is to have a combination of laser and material that delivers a crisp, high-contrast result.
There are several kinds of laser technologies easily available today, and of course a variety of filament types. [Stefan] printed a whole bunch of different PLA, PETG, ASA, TPU, and polycarbonate samples in different colors and tested them with different laser machines, including:
- UV laser (355 nm wavelength)
- Blue diode laser (450 nm wavelength)
- MOPA fiber laser (1,064 nm wavelength)
- CO2 laser (10,600 nm wavelength)
So is it possible? Yes, but it’s still a bit of a fussy process. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for marking plastic, because results depend a lot on the the right combination of laser type, settings, and target material. That being said, [Stefan] was able to obtain some really great results.
Overall the UV laser was the most suited to marking 3D-printed plastics. [Stefan] says it produced the cleanest results on the widest range of materials with the least fiddling. The MOPA fiber laser also worked, but is clearly more of a metal-marking tool. We’ve seen them etch super-fine PCB traces and while great results are possible it isn’t quite in its element with plastics. Other lasers could get good results under just the right circumstances, but are overall best suited to cutting tasks rather than marking thermoplastics.
Check out the video below for the full details, including some really fantastic closeups.
Really informative video. If you’re seeing these comments, Stefan, ignore the haters, some people just can’t ever be pleased by any reasonable actions, nor do they deserve to be pandered to.
Any information gleaned from an ad needs to be taken with quite the grain of salt. So it probably shouldn’t heat be called “informative”.
How is it reasonable to move to uploading more ads than regular videos? Without inside knowledge it just looks like a creator cashing out their built credibility.
I agree the sponsored video is not ideal, specially for a blog which encourage open source and tinkering (…) but I also appreciate the video once it creates a biased and still usefull to present options to mark 3D prints. Thank you.
Gee, if a company is willing to give you free tools for content. You sort of have to include mentioning it, to continue getting free tools. Not just that one company, since the views and likes also brings in other sponsors, who give free stuff. It’s a job, and pays in tools and materials. We all work, dream of having some of those tools someday. He still needs to learn to use the tools. Video production has it’s challenges as well. He’s actually putting in a lot of time, and effort. He gets paid to do what he enjoys. One of the lucky ones. Most people work jobs that take up to much time and energy, we’d rather be using it for other interests. But, we need the paycheck, to afford to do what we want.
I just started laser engraving last December, still so many things to try. Just started on acrylic. I can cut and etch, but haven’t marked yet. Clear is special, but ready to try, soon as I can find a black backing material. Was looking for cardstock, but guess that’s more during Halloween. Kind of think whatever I use will be consumable. Marking colored plastics would be a good skill to add. My 3D printing ended with a bad spool a nozzle clogging filament. Never really got strong durable prints anyway. Always kind of brittle. Just never got into cleaning up the mess a second time. Figured I’ll try again sometime. Newer machines address some of the hassles, like bed leveling.
Why did all the posts get deleted? This is ridiculous.
Because they were unhelpful complaints? One of them linked to the Stockton Rush Wikipedia article with a reference to his wife, whatever insult they were trying for went over my head. Personally, I found it to be a good article and useful video. But, I’m not usually insulted by sponsored content. Maybe articles based on YouTube videos should be tagged as such and provide a way to filter out specific tags. I don’t need such functionality, but clearly some viewers do.
Knock it off; they were legitimate criticism.
Is this a discussion for hacking or is this a place for drooling platitudes? There weren’t any insults; just frustration over very obvious product placement.
How can this place resemble journalism if it rejects criticism?
Perhaps there was legitimate criticism, but I didn’t see those, I only saw the rude ones. Based on what I did see, and see here often, I believe some commenters need to practice their constructive criticism skills.
Oh come on now.
I remember the trans lady building her own dumbphone and the absolute vitrol she got and yet none of those comments were removed.
You should be ashamed of yourself; this site should be ashamed of itself.
The only thing the deletion of those posts proved that this /was/ a product placement ad.
I’ll agree that we disagree, completely. Good morning to you [rand].
They were deleted because they were dumb.
I don’t believe it’s helpful for all the comments pointing out this video is an ad to be deleted.
Anyone looking for information or insight should be properly warned of it.
Cool ad guys, but you lost respect from me because you framed an ad as normal content, then deleted comments to hide that it was an ad, and didn’t add a note that it was a sponsored video in the article despite the community making it VERY CLEAR that they considered the note necessary. What the hell are you thinking? When YOUR ENTIRE TARGET AUDIENCE is vocal about a necessary note, you don’t delete the community’s voice AND ignore it. That’s gross behavior, and intelligent platforms actually do better. Think about it.