Can You Laser Engrave Stainless Steel?

 

Stainless steel has turned out to be an extremely important material for large-scale industries. It is one of the most important metals and is highly appreciated for its wonderful qualities. Though there are so many materials out there in the market so industries do have a choice to choose between what perfectly fits their operations. Machine plates online make some of the best stainless steel nameplates using stainless steel as the name suggests.

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Stainless could be described as an alloy that is highly resistant to rust and corrosion. They are extremely light but are very tough in terms of durability and strength which makes them one of the best metals in the market. The metal could be used for laser engraving but using the right technique for laser engraving remains critical.

Can You Laser Engrave Stainless Steel?

As we briefly discussed earlier, yes we can engrave stainless steel. There have been misconceptions surrounding engraving is not suitable for stainless steel. But it depends on the environment, applications, and tools used which when combined rightly will give you the desired results.

The process of engraving involves the use of laser beams which are used on the surface of the metal and which in turn create the engraving according to what you wish to design. Deep engraving is another popular method that is quite similar to the latter but involves engraving at a slow pace and the process has to be repeated multiple times. The property of stainless steel which involves being corrosion-free and great durability is the driving factor behind its use at a high level. Laser engraving is used by the companies to mark the serial numbers, create barcodes, and generate id codes, part numbers, or engraving the company logos.  

What Is The Best Method To Mark Stainless Steel?

Laser engraving the steel also has several methods and people could choose a particular method according to the requirement. C02 laser engraving is one method that requires a pre-treatment whereas methods like fiber laser could also be used to engrave the steel. One of the most commonly used methods is deep laser engraving which ends up giving the user a pretty clear design. Another method is annealing which is pretty similar to laser marking but is termed as less intrusive.

What Kind Of Laser Do You Need To Engrave Stainless Steel?

There are prominently 2 types of laser used to engrave the steel are prominently known as CO2 laser and fiber laser. Co2 laser used either a helium-neon gas or carbon dioxide and is also known as a gas laser.  Fiber laser has come into prominence more recently and is much more efficient than the latter.

How Much Does It Cost To Laser Engrave Stainless Steel?

The cost of laser engraving the stainless steel mainly depends on the design one wish to engrave and the size of the design. The prices are often time-based and start somewhere around $250 an hour.

Will Engraved Stainless Steel Rust?

A very common concern has always been that the process of engraving might cause rusting on steel but using the corrosion-resistant laser engraving technique would surely help to avoid any such concern. Machine Plate Online is well known for CO2 laser engraving as well as fiber engraving so one can easily contact our team and get ready for the best services.

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