Application Of 15W UV Laser---Advanced Ceramic Surface Laser Marking

Ceramic materials are divided into traditional ceramics and advanced ceramics, which have different shapes, properties, and uses.

The microstructure of traditional ceramic surfaces has multiple phases and pores.The microstructure of advanced ceramics such as silicon carbide ceramics exhibits different grain sizes and pore distributions under different preparation conditions.

Advanced ceramics are inorganic non-metallic materials that are solid materials made from artificially synthesized high-purity ultrafine powder compounds (AI₂ O₃, ZrO₂, SiC, Si₃ N ₄, BN) through high-temperature processing. For example, the commonly used alumina ceramics have an AI₂ O₃ content between 75% and 99.9%.

Advanced ceramic materials are mainly composed of ionic and covalent bonds, as well as composite bonds between them. The characteristics of ionic and covalent bonds are:

1. Strong bonding enables ceramic materials to withstand high temperatures, wear, corrosion, and high strength.

2. The complex crystal structure results in poor plasticity and toughness of the material, making it difficult to process. According to statistics, the processing cost of ceramic materials accounts for about one-third to one-half of the total cost. Therefore, processing is a key issue that restricts the application of ceramic materials.

3. The tensile strength of ceramic materials is much lower than their compressive strength

Therefore, advanced ceramics with excellent properties such as high hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and lightweight are increasingly widely used in modern industries, national defense, aerospace, and other fields.

However, the traditional mechanical processing methods currently used in advanced ceramics have prominent problems such as high processing costs, low efficiency, and unsatisfactory processing quality, which limits the application and development of ceramic materials.

With the development of laser technology, we have found that advanced ceramics have a high absorption rate for lasers, especially oxide ceramics. The highest absorption rate for lasers can reach over 80%, and the temperature can be as high as tens of thousands of degrees Celsius, which can cause local melting and evaporation of ceramic materials in an instant.

Therefore, lasers are highly suitable for processing ceramic materials, providing efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for the large-scale application of advanced ceramics.

The main principle of laser processing of advanced ceramics is to utilize the high-density energy generated by the laser beam. Gasification or melting of materials while being blown away by high-pressure gas causes material separation. On the other hand, the high temperature generated by laser is used to control the cracking of ceramic materials, leading to block like peeling of brittle materials.

Laser is a non-contact processing technology with advantages such as easy automation, and ceramic laser processing technology is increasingly valued both domestically and internationally.

So, how to use laser marking technology reasonably to maximize the industrial value of advanced ceramics? This article takes the marking of advanced ceramics as an example to demonstrate the advantages of laser marking in advanced ceramic marking.

Traditional ceramic marking techniques mainly rely on mechanical engraving or chemical etching. These methods not only have problems such as low accuracy, low efficiency, and easy damage to materials, but also require a large amount of consumables and environmental pollution, which do not conform to the concept of modern green manufacturing.

Laser processing technology, especially solid-state UV laser technology, has become an ideal choice for ceramic blackening process due to its advantages of non-contact, no consumables, clear marking, high temperature resistance, non fading, and strong processing flexibility. The high energy density and short pulse width of solid-state UV lasers enable precise control of the machining process, achieving fine blackening of ceramic surfaces while maintaining the original physical properties of the material.

In advanced ceramic laser marking technology, we found that a 15W UV laser can achieve the best marking effect. The high-energy density laser beam of a 15W UV laser can quickly and accurately act on the ceramic surface, forming clear and durable black marks. By adjusting the parameters of the laser, it is possible to achieve blackening of ceramics of different materials. At the same time, the 15W UV laser also has the characteristics of easy operation and good stability, providing strong support for the widespread application of ceramic blackening technology.

However, when using a 15W UV laser for ceramic marking, it is also necessary to pay attention to the control of single pulse energy. Low single pulse energy may result in unsatisfactory blackening effect, while high single pulse energy may damage the ceramic surface. Therefore, in practical applications, adjustments and optimizations need to be made according to specific situations.                                 

White advanced ceramics mainly include alumina, zirconia, etc. Due to their different doping contents, the laser marking effect may also vary. Taking alumina ceramics as an example, the processing speed comparison of different power lasers under the same effect is as follows:

Under the same efficiency, lasers of different powers have different effects on ceramic blackening. The actual test marking effect is as follows:

From the above content, it can be seen that the power of the laser has a significant impact on processing efficiency and effectiveness. With the increase of laser power, the processing speed shows a significant improvement trend under the same effect. Due to its low power, the 5W laser has relatively limited marking blackness, but it can still meet the requirements in certain specific scenarios; The 10W and 15W ultraviolet lasers have higher power and faster processing speed, which can achieve higher quality marking effects while ensuring processing speed, becoming the mainstream choice in ceramic blackening technology. In practical applications, it is necessary to choose the appropriate laser model and parameters according to specific needs.