Etching Aluminium

[LC1212iii]

Hi there, i would like to know if it is possible to do etching on Aluminium. Amada said it is not impossible but it may cause reflection and dammage the machine. In a forum it says that you can use a ceramic powder to do it.

 

[msandoval]

Etching on aluminum is a risky thing to do because of the reflection factor involved. Although etching is usually done with low power, there's still a risk of damaging the cutting lens.

In the past, we used a bit of paint (Dykem) just to lightly engrave a program to see if it would fit on the sheet and nothing more.

I would follow their advise

 

[JayMaechtlen]

Since Aluminum reflects so well, you need a high beam intensity to even touch it. You can try a high power and very low duty cycle, so that the individual 'dots' created by the beam are a bit separated. Use a low gas pressure to leave a smooth surface, or a bit more pressure to blow the melt laterally and make more of a mark.
The total power (CW * duty%) must be well below what would cut the material. Keep the total down, because much of that power will be reflected back into the lens and optics.
Cheers
Jay
(at Amada 82-02)

Jay Maechtlen

http://home.covad.net/~jmaechtlen/