Are you familiar with laser marking spray? CO2 lasers are specially designed for non-metals, but in some cases, there’s be need to mark metals such as aluminum, brass, stainless steel, and more.
In such cases, these coating sprays play a crucial role in enabling machines to mark metals or brittle materials like glass. You can label materials by marking, engraving, or etching.
Be ready to dive into this interesting topic to explore the hidden secrets of these coatings. We will also discuss its various types and available brands. Let’s get started.
What is Laser Marking Spray?
It is a coating spray for materials to protect their surfaces from the laser beams. If high-power beams directly fall on such materials, marking would be not possible.
As some metals are highly reflective surfaces. To mark these metals such as aluminum, we would need to create a coating layer before the lasering operation.
Similarly, in brittle materials, high-power laser beams can damage the surface of the material. If the surface is coating with a special spray, It will bear it. And it will easily mark the brittle material such as glass.
How Does Laser Marking Spray Work?
It works in three steps.
- By using tape, mask the unwanted areas on the material surface to prevent it from spraying.
- Apply laser marking spray to the material’s surface to establish a chemical bond between them.
- Then mark the surface by using a laser marking machine. These machines heat the sprays to bond with the material, creating a permanent mark.
Available Marking Spray Brands for Laser Machines
Below are the famous brands related to marking sprays.
- Brilliance laser inks
- Enduramark
- Cermark
- Omtechlaser marking spray for metals
Brilliance Laser Inks:
It is a famous brand dealing sprays for laser machines. It deals with sprays for metals and plastic materials.
Metals Sprays:
The brilliance laser inks for metals come in 3 variants.
1) Aerosol
These are specially designed for marking stainless steel, mild steel, or tool steel materials. It works by just shaking and spraying.
In the end, just wash the material. It comes in two sizes, 2-oz, and 12-oz with colors red(copper) and black.
The machine settings for aerosol marking sprays are For CO2 Lasers: 30W with 10% speed and 100W with 30 %. For Fiber Lasers: 10W with 50% speed
2) Powdered
Black Metal Concentrated Laser Marking Powder is best to mark stainless steel, tool steel, mild steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and other high-conducting metals.
To apply these powdered materials you just need to weigh, mix, and apply to the surface.
These powdered come in black. It comes in 50 g, 250 g, 500 g, and 1000 g.
3) Liquid Ready
It is preval ready sprays and comes in 120 ml size. These sprays come in copper tone color and black color. These are best for marking stainless steel, copper, brass, mild steel, and many other materials.
Plastics:
Brilliance laser inks for plastics are best to use for Transparent, or black Polycarbonate (PC) Molded Parts. These sprays come in 1 KG size and are best for fiber laser machines.
Enduramark:
These marking sprays are best for metals and glass.
Glass:
CHARCOAL endurmark is specially designed for glass and ceramics materials. It is a non-clumping spray, weather/chemical proof, durable, and easy to use.
Metals:
For metal markings, it comes in 3 variants.
Black Edurmarks, Silver enduramarks, and diamond dust.
These all are best for engraving aluminum, copper, steel, and other metals.
Cermark:
The cermark sprays are designed for marking glass, ceramics, and metals. These give permanent marking solutions.
It comes in CerMark Ultra Aerosol, paste, and black ultra sprays. These are cost-effective solutions for creating permanent and high-quality marks on various materials.
The benefits of using Cermark paint include its permanent nature, high contrast, and resistance resistance to abrasion, heat, and chemicals.
Omtechlaser Marking Spray For Metals:
It is specially designed for omtech CO2 laser machines to mark metals. It comes in 13OZ AEROSOL CAN in black color. Its net weight is 14.8 oz.
This innovative black laser spray enables your CO2 engravers to mark aluminum, stainless steel, brass, nickel plating, and more. It is fast-drying spray that can be dri in 5 minutes or 2 minutes with an air blower.
Omtech marking spray contains Ethanol, Butane, Molybdenum Trioxide, Propane, Mica, Zinc Phosphate, 2-Methyl-2, 4-Pentanediol, Poly Dimethyl Siloxane.
How to Use Laser Marking Sprays on Glass, Ceramics, and Metal Materials for Marking, Engraving, or Etching?
Marking metals, glass, or ceramics using specially designed sprays is a straightforward process that involves a few simple steps:
- Clean the material surface to be marked to remove any dirt, dust, or oils.
- Shake the can of sprays well before use.
- Spray a thin, even coat of laser marking spray onto the material, taking care not to apply too much.
- Allow the spray to dry completely before proceeding.
- Load the material into the laser machine, then adjust the settings according to the material’s properties.
- Start the lasering process, and the spray will bond with the material, creating a permanent mark.
- Finally, clean the product by washing it, then use a soft towel to dry it.
Tips to Get the Best Marking Results from Sprays
Below are a few tips that can assist you in achieving the best outcomes:
Surface Preparation:
Proper surface preparation is crucial to achieving optimal results. The material surface should be free from oil, grease, rust, and other contaminants that may interfere with the marking process.
Shake Well:
Before using the can, shake it well to mix the contents thoroughly. If it is in liquid form, then shake well to dilute well.
Apply Evenly:
Hold the can 6-8 inches away from the surface and apply the spray evenly with a sweeping motion. Avoid over-spraying or creating puddles.
Allow to Dry:
Allow the spray to dry for at least 5 minutes before laser marking. The drying time may vary depending on the material surface and environmental conditions.
Laser Settings:
It would depend on the marker machine, spray variant, and the material surface. For better results, we highly recommend performing a test mark before proceeding to the main project marking.
Clean After Use:
In the end, clean the marked surface with a soft cloth or brush. It is necessary to remove any excess spray residue to make marks for long life.
Store Properly:
Place the can in a dry and cool place for its longer life. Also, please keep it away from children, sunlight, and other heat sources.
Safety Measurements
- Use spray in a well-ventilated area
- Use a face mask to avoid inhaling the fumes
- Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes
- Avoid skin contact with the spray. (If it comes into contact with your skin, don’t worry. Wash it off immediately with soap and water)
- Place the spray can in a safe place.
- Do not apply too much to the material, as it can result in a poor-quality mark.
What Can You Create with Marking Sprays?
You can mark, engrave, or etch jewelry, custom design tumblers, metal parts, and much more by using brilliance laser inks, cermarks, ometch, or edurmarks marking sprays.
Imagine the Possibility:
You can mark what you can imagine. It enables you to label custom designs such as barcodes, logos, images, texts, etc. on water tumblers, mobile phone back covers, and other daily life gadgets.
Without these sprays, your machines are limited to specific material markings. So, by using these sprays with your CO2 laser marker, xtool d1 Pro, or another machine, you can mark what can be imagined.
Quality Marks:
Everyone wants to mark materials with high quality and long-lasting marks. These marking tools enhance the marking capabilities to stay for longer.
Non-destructive Marking:
As laser marking is work by beams to label material surfaces, it is a non-contact process. It is a non-destructive marking process to mark even brittle materials like glass.
If you go with traditional marking methods, it would be difficult to attain high-quality marks with keep the surface safe from damage.
Final Words
I hope that this article helps you a lot to understand the importance of laser marking spray. It comes in various brands with numerous variants.
According to custom requirements W.R.T. marker machine and material, we can choose these brand products to mark high-quality labels.
Before using it, the operator must be familiar with its precautions and working process.
FAQs
1. Is laser marking spray permanent?
Ans: Yes, laser marking spray results in a permanent mark. The heat generated by the laser bonds the solution to the metal, creating a lasting black, silver, or sparkle-type mark when used with a CO2 laser machine. This process ensures that the mark remains permanent over time.
2. What is CerMark made of?
Ans: CerMark is composed of inert materials, specifically finely pulverized glass and metal particles. This composition ensures that CerMark does not include any heavy metals, making it cadmium-free.
3. What do you spray on metal to laser engrave?
Ans: You spray a marking solution, such as CerMark, Enduramark, or LaserBond, on the metal to prepare it for laser engraving. This solution is then allowed to dry, and once dried, you can perform the engraving using a CO2 laser machine.
The heat generated by the laser marker machine causes the solution to bond with the metal surface. As a result, It is a permanent mark that can be black, silver, or have a sparkle-type appearance.
4. What is laser dark spray?
Ans: Laser Dark™ is a semi-transparent colored spray. It is designed to enhance the laser-engraved area appearance on various types of wood.
It is easy to use. And it requires the surface to be masked with masking film or a tape, before undergoing the laser engraving process.
This innovative product adds visual appeal to wood projects that involve laser engraving, allowing for precise and detailed designs.
5. What is masking in laser engraving?
Ans: Masking in laser engraving refers to the process of applying a low-tack masking material. Before cutting, marking, and engraving, people often apply it as a protective layer or transfer tape.
This masking material serves the purpose of preventing burn marks and damage to the surface during the laser labeling process. By using masking, particularly on materials like wood, glass, cast acrylic, and extruded engraving materials, the laser energy is effectively controlled to avoid leaving a tacky residue or causing harm to the surface.
This technique ensures clean and precise laser marking results on various materials without compromising their quality.