Can someone please explain the correlation between speed and power. I am laser etching something on glass. My words are ok, but my image is terrible. I have spent all day adjusting and readjusting the power and speed just seeing the outcome. But seems like I can’s get a balance with the speed and power on my image.
The amount of burn at any given point is a function of power and time (speed).
You increase the amount of burn by increasing power or by decreasing speed. Decreasing speed works to burn more by allowing for a longer dwell time of the laser light on the material.
Conversely, you decrease the amount of burn by decreasing power or by increasing speed for the same reasons.
You can also tradeoff speed for power and vice versa. If you want comparable results of let’s say 100 mm/min at 50% but you want to go faster, you’d have to increase power to compensate.
If you haven’t already, try running a material test using Laser Tools->Material Test. Run at a range of power and speed levels.
That will give you an understanding of how your material behaves at various settings. Then you can pick the one that best fits what you’re looking for.
Image engraving is an art by itself.
Do a search for “image engraving” on this forum and you’ll get a lot of tips for how to optimize for that.
You picked one of the most difficult items to do with a laser. Besides @berainlb comment about speed/power, you must take into account interval and probably the dither.
Laser Everything is a great video on how to find the correct interval or dpi/lpi for a given task. This method works with any laser and any material. It’s done on a fiber, the the technique is the same for any other laser/material.
I like to think my beam size is around 0.15mm, but it’s more like 0.22mm. This limits the resolution you can expect. The material reacts by shattering.
This sometimes leaves shards of glass that can end up in someones finger. I use steel wool to give them a good work over to remove any debris that might come off.
Good luck
Does the steel wool not scratch the glass?
Thank you, I started keeping a record of what I was running today so I could compare them all. I will defiantly do a search for image engraving.
Glass is pretty hard… I do that to all the glassware I engrave… it’s next to impossible for a doctor to see a clear glass sliver in someones finger… I have it a good rubbing to ensure there are no lose pieces.
Have fun