Cermark Ultra - leaving No marks - ideas?

[kmelgoza]

UPDATE POSTED HERE:

Cermark Ultra vs LBT Laserbond 100 on Aluminum

This is actually a test update to my original post about Cermark Ultra not sticking to aluminum - found here: Sooo… I think I found a setting / spray combination that I’m 90% confident about … errr, maybe 85% confident. I’ll explain why in a moment, but the spoiler is – Use the black iPhone HD Engrave setting – which I believe is 1000 / 100 / 450lpi. All of my fails from the previous post seem to be (mostly) due to using “Full” power. I had more success overall when I went to 100 power. I al…

Thanks!

Hoping someone can help (again - sorry). First time trying Cermark, and I have the Cermark Ultra that is suppose to mark a number of materials including metal. I started out with their recommendations, and went from there, but nothing left even the lightest mark (Images attached).

I tried:

• 1 light coat (that left a light gleam of metal through the coating)
• 2 coats (that seemed like better coverage)
• 200 s / 100 p / 450lpi
• 300 s / 100 p / 450lpi
• 450 s / full p / 675lpi
• 300 s / full p / 675lpi
  And numerous settings in between these all using either 100p or full p and or 450lpi or 675lpi. Not a single test left even a faint gray mark. I’m attaching images of the engrave (aluminum and brass), and a photo of the results (blank aluminum and brass).
  The metals were from flat sheet stock, so shouldn’t have a coating, and I cleaned it with alcohol.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Does anyone have experience with Cermark Ultra - any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Kristy

[dklgood]

I think your speed is too slow. I would try 500/full/270.

CerMark doesn’t work on laquered surfaces, but it doesn’t look like your blanks have a coating.

[deirdrebeth]

First I’d scrub thoroughly with alcohol to make sure there isn’t a coating - and then I found this video very helpful:

Engraving a photo on Coated Brass

What is the coating that comes on the brass? Are you using any other marking product along with it? There is “coated engraving brass” meant for rotary engravers and fiber lasers, that has a lacquer coating. A co2 laser won’t mark that as is. You would need to remove that coating for a marking spray to bond with the brass. There is also “black-coated brass for laser engraving” where you are essentially just lasering away a layer of paint to expose the brass in select areas. Here’s a video …

[Deleted]

yea, I have all kinds of ‘copper’ blank plates, one etched fine, the other just wiped right off, it looks like the prep is really important, people pre clean the metal with acetone / alcohol, etc before spraying the stuff on…

If you can do a small area on the backside as a test <?>

Jonathan

[linefeed]

What he said. Cermark has to be in contact with the metal when the laser hits it. If there’s a coating of any kind, it won’t work…

[linefeed]

Here’s an oversimplified explanation of how it works… The laser hits the metal, causing it to heat up. This causes the molecules so move more rapidly and expand. At the same time, the Cermark spray gets heated up and melts. With the metal molecules moving faster and expanded, the Cermark can get between the molecules. Then the laser moves on, and everything cools - leaving the Cermark trapped between the metal molecules. - Poof! Marks!

If there’s a coating on the metal, it’ll block the cermark from getting between the metal molecules. - No marks.

(At least that’s how it was explained to me - and it makes sense.)

[kmelgoza]

You were right on the speed! I got it to stick at 600 / full / 270 – but not in a very quality way. The metals I buy are not lacquered, it’s raw sheet that I buy from a jewelry supplier (for other uses), but I’m going to run a few more pieces after using acetone then alcohol – I was originally just using alcohol. So hopefully the acetone will help.

Thank you!

[kmelgoza]

Interesting!
I knew the metal needed to be uncoated/cleaned just from the source documentation, but I’m going back to see if “crazy cleaning” helps.
Thanks for the info!

[kmelgoza]

That’s what I’m trying next. Thanks!