Universal Laser Systems ULS-25PS, Operation Manual

Page: 69 / 100

BRASS - COATED
TYPE MACHINE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH
RASTER 25 WATT 30 100 1000 1 .002”
ENGRAVING 50 WATT 15 100 1000 1 .002”
COMMENTS:
Engrave unmasked. Use a light setting to engrave through the coating.
Using 1000 PPI seems to have a cleaner removal of the coating. Some thicker coated
brass will require more power. Too much power looses resolution and washes out finer
detail.
TYPE MACHINE POWER SPEED PPI PASS DEPTH
VECTOR 25 WATT 15 4.0 1000 1 .002”
ENGRAVING 50 WATT 8 4.0 1000 1 .002”
COMMENTS:
Engrave unmasked. Use enough power to expose the brass. Too much
power will cause thicker engraving lines.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The manufacturing processes for coated brass varies from one vendor to another.
Some of the manufacturers do not polish the brass before coating it. Since CO
2
lasers
at this power level do not engrave into metals when the coating is removed, the
tarnished brass underneath will have a dull appearance that will need to be polished
with a brass polishing compound. This type of brass is designed for mechanical
engravers that actually remove the metal when engraving which gives the brass a shine
without polishing. Brass that is produced for the laser engraving industry is polished,
then clear coated, and finally coated with paint. When laser engraving this type of
material, adjust the power so that the laser beam removes the painted coating but not
the clear coating. This will expose the polished, clear coated brass without penetrating
all the way down to the metal. Since the brass is already clear coated and polished, it
will not require any cleanup after engraving nor will it ever oxidize. If too much laser
power is used, the brass the clear coat will be removed and the brass underneath will
be exposed to the heat of the laser beam causing instant tarnish. The same goes for
enamel coated pens, some are polished and clear coated underneath, and others are
tarnished which will require polishing after engraving. If polishing the brass, use a soft,
non-abrasive cloth or tissue and good quality brass polish. Be careful not to rub too
hard as this will scratch the painted coating. Do not use paper towels either because
they will scratch also. Clear coated brass can also be engraved and the engraved area
turned black with an oxidizer giving exceptional results. Test clear coated brass from
different vendors as not all of them will work properly. Apply the same parameters and
engraving techniques when using coated aluminum.
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