Investigation of the influence of the scanning speed and step in laser marking and engraving of aluminum

Abstract

Abstract Marking and engraving of aluminum was carried out by a CuBr (copper bromide) laser operating at the wavelength of 511 nm with a pulse duration of 30 ns. The reflection was investigated of the laser-ablated aluminum surface depending on the laser beam scanning speed and the distance between the laser lines. The changes of the aluminum surface were observed before and after laser processing by an optical microscope and visually. The laser marking quality was estimated by measuring the reflection of the irradiated aluminum surface by an optical spectrometer. The dependence was analyzed of the contrast on the speed for different steps in laser marking of areas of the surface of aluminum samples. Marking by a CuBr laser shows a potential for good quality marking of barcodes and QR codes on aluminum products.