Westernyman said:Does anyone have any experience with laser engraving on stainless steel? I am looking to engrave a couple of stainless steel bottles with my children's name on them. Thanks for your input.
Instead of engraving, Westernyman, you'll be "marking" the stainless. A product you can use to accomplish this is Cermark. Basically, you spray to coat the markable area on the item you want to mark and then run your graphic file through your engraver. The laser and the coating interact, creating a (mostly) scratch-proof scoring that adheres for what I would call a "very close to permanent mark."
A picture of a flask treated with Sear Mark and run through a laser engraver. http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/19274_308064449643_161319629643_3248072_5453525_n.jpg
RavingNoah is absolutely correct. The product is also very good for aluminum as well.
http://www.ferro.com/Our+Products/ColorGlassPM/Glass/Products+and+Markets/CerMark/
One method for marking stainless steel is Cermark but there are other options. First off, what kind of laser do you have access to?
A Fiber laser will actually remove metal on stainless steel
A CO2 laser needs a marking compound (like Cermark)
Next, what do the bottles look like? If they are stainless steel that have been coated with paint or other coating, you can etch through the coating. The result is what you would expect with the names being stainless steel and the rest of the coating undamaged.
Cermark is expensive if you only want to do a few things. You might consider taping the bottles with electrical tape, etching away the names, and sand blasting the stainless steel for a very durable finish. Of course, you need access to a sand blaster.
Along those same lines, you could try to powder coat the names. Follow the same procedure as the sandblasting (wrap bottle in tape and etch away the names) spray the powder coat, remove tape, and bake according to the instructions.
If you don't have access to powder coating equipment, you may try spray paint. I know it sounds cheap, but spray paint will last a reasonable amount of time on stainless steel, provided you don't abrade it too much. Another thought; how about vinyl? You can buy automotive vinyl adhesive sheet, apply it to the bottles, cut out the names and remove the excess. The vinyl is pretty durable and easy to cut (people with the Cricut cutters do it all the time)
Let us know what you decide to do
AlanReeves said:You might consider taping the bottles with electrical tape, etching away the names, and sand blasting the stainless steel for a very durable finish. Of course, you need access to a sand blaster.
A process I have used numerous times when having to deal with lacquered-coated brass where Cermark won't help. A few extra steps, but when combined with a Brass Oxide OXB, which permanently blackens engraved surfaces, looks sharp!
One possible vendor: http://www.abilityplastics.com/
laser marking machineis used forlaser marking system and automation systems and laser engraving is the practice of using lasers for laser marking.