Pretty impressive for a visible light laser… Even many fiber lasers have difficulty with this…
With competitive price and timely delivery, KLS sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
I notice the advertisement didn’t say anything about metal, but the video shows them doing a rather large object with color variations…
I know if you change the metal type, thickness and lens you will have different values since the heat is removed very fast by metal…
I would think you should be able to duplicate their stuff… might be worth asking … doubt they will help you but it’s worth a try…
I have a 60W JPT MOPA that is difficult to control doing this… Wish I had some good words of wisdom, but you already surprised me…
Left is varying only the speed and power… On the right is a chunk of steel… colors work best on stainless and titanium.
The company is the world’s best how to color stainless steel supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Good luck… I’m watching…
That makes this part easier…
Those squares are very localized heat. The laser remains in that small area for a finite amount of time. Stainless is not very heat conductive, so it will discolor in spots. A propane or MAP gas torch will show this effect. Imagine heating a spot next to the one you just heated. Because SS is a poor conductor, the first spot will continue to heat as you heat the second. If you want to heat a large area of SS, it is best done in am oven, with very strict temperature control. Trying to colorize it with a laser spot is a real challenge. One that is way beyond my patience.
Coloring of stainless steel is not a new concept. Any color can be obtained but only the surface color is changed – the base metal is inherently silver. Coatings and surface chemical treatments are the most common coloring methods. These methods can achieve grey and black colors but there are also other options, which will be addressed separately. The underlying finish affects both electrochemical and Physically Vapor Deposited (PVD) color, so both finishing steps must be carefully specified.
Alloy specification should be conservative. Superficial corrosion staining, which can often be removed from uncolored mechanical finishes without causing permanent damage, destroys PVD and electrochemical color and requires panel replacement. If the location has salt (coastal or deicing) or higher pollution exposure, the minimum specification should be Type 316/316L or alloys with equivalent or higher corrosion resistance. One illustration of this is a colored residential roof application described in the article Stainless Steel for Severe Coastal Environments.
Abrasion also removes surface color, so it is important to determine if wind-blown abrasives will be present (e.g. sand storms) and whether accidental or deliberate scratching is likely, before selecting a colored finish. An appropriate cleaning regime should be obtained from the finish supplier.
Some types of fabrication must be done before coloring. For example, welding melts the stainless steel and destroys color. Fabrication plans should be discussed with the finish supplier during design.
Electrochemical Color
Any color is achievable. The color is translucent, so the substrate finish affects color, and appearance will vary with the lighting and angle at which the installation is observed. There are spectacular early projects where the original appearance of colored stainless steel has remained unchanged for decades – like Tokyo’s Reiyukai Shakaden Temple (completed ).
It is possible to achieve coloring by applying chemicals until the desired color change is achieved without an electrochemical bath, in an older and less expensive process. Electrochemical coloring was developed to create a more stable, durable and abrasion-resistant finish and should be preferred for longer-term projects over simply applying chemicals.
Opaque and Translucent Paints & Enameling
Paint and enamel are the oldest coloring methods for stainless steel, with the first large curtain wall installations appearing in the early ’s. Standard coating systems developed for metal are used on stainless steel.
To avoid delamination, stainless steel’s protective passive film must be removed immediately before applying the coating. This is done with chemicals, abrasives or by using an etchant primer. Unlike other metals, stainless steel lasts 100 years or more. The alloy itself should therefore be corrosion resistant enough for the environment should the owner choose to revert to bare metal after the coating system fails. In a location with salt or higher pollution levels, Type 316 or a similar stainless steel should be used.
For more information, please visit clad metals.