Ideal Substrates for CO2 Marking and Engraving
These materials can be marked, but not cut, with CO2 laser that has energy below 200 watts.
Numerous materials can be marked or engraved with CO2 laser energy below 200 watts because there is enough laser energy for noticeable surface interaction but not enough energy to penetrate all the way through a material for cutting. Generally, if a material is inorganic and heat resistant (doesn’t melt or has a high melting point), it cannot be laser cut with a CO2 laser rated under 200 watts.
The following materials are suitable for CO2 laser marking and, in some cases, shallow engraving:
- Glass
- Ceramic
- Stone
- Steel and titanium (surface marking)
This information originally appears in a Universal Laser Systems blog post.
