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Removing Material with Laser Technology

A highly focused and collimated (in parallel rays) beam can remove material very efficiently.

A laser beam can be adjusted to deliver energy to the surface in a way that converts the light energy into heat energy. Such a highly focused and collimated (in parallel rays) beam can remove material very efficiently. In most non-reflective materials like plastics, wood, and enamel surfaces, the conversion of light to heat is more than {x%} efficient {example reference needed}. This efficiency causes the laser equipment to heat up rather quickly, necessitating the use of sophisticated cooling systems. The laser beam may also be pulsed to decrease the amount of heating.

The controller can be programmed to trace many different patterns. Tracing is carefully calculated to ensure a specific depth for the removal of material. Crisscrossing is avoided to ensure that each part of the surface is exposed to the laser only once and that a consistent amount of material is removed. The speed at which the beam moves across the surface is also important. The slower the speed, the more material is removed. The speed, intensity, or spread of the beam can all be changed in flexible ways to create the desired pattern. By changing the length of time, or “duty-cycle,” of the laser pulse, the power delivered to the surface can be controlled properly for the type of material being engraved as well.

Since the controller knows the exact position of the laser beam, no barriers are needed to prevent the laser from deviating from its course. Unlike older engraving methods, no resistive mask is needed.

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