Hi Does anyone have any experience with engraving or marking a design on a macbook pro case? If so, what were your settings? I have a 5W atomstack v5 pro and would like to reliably etch designs onto cases.
You cannot etch plain aluminum with a diode laser. The aluminum is too heat conductive.
If you paint the case, except blue and maybe green, you can etch the paint off.
If the case is anodized, except blue and maybe green, you can remove the anodize color.
Thank you, Im thinking to use the marking coatings such as CeraMark.
What settings should I use?
This does not work either. You can’t use aluminum with a blue diode laser. Full stop. And using 5W, absolutely no chance.
I agree. I did some with a 10w diode, but it was at its limit and perfectly focused.
Aluminum oxidizes quickly, so painting without Zinc Chromate primer will likely lead to peeling. I do not know if you can anodize aluminum with a chemical solution at home.
My granddaughter has Crickut stickers, that her Mom makes, on her notebook . You might consider that. But trying to do aluminum with a diode laser is a Kobayash Maru.
Makes an aluminum specific spray coating. The manufacturer claims
- Metal Compatibility – Specifically developed for aluminum surfaces, this patented laser marking spray transforms metal marking with superior precision and performance.
- Laser Compatibility – Universally compatible with CO₂ (30W+), Fiber/YAG (20W), and Diode (40W) lasers, offering flexibility across a wide range of laser marking systems.
As far as I know this coating is black, so any visible light laser with enough power should be able to cause it to bind. You also need to rinse the remaining coating off, might be tricky with a portable computer.
5W is really limiting and is your biggest hurdle. I have to agree with @misken that it’s pretty hopeless using a 5W visible diode.
Good luck.
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