Stainless steel materials have excellent corrosion resistance, wear resistance, toughness, and processability, and are widely used in fields such as construction, automobiles, and anti-counterfeiting signs, becoming a symbol of fashion and innovation.
However, traditional methods such as chemical coloring and electrochemical coloring often suffer from high energy consumption, significant pollution, and difficulty in achieving precise coloring when preparing colored stainless steel.
So, is there a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution? The answer is - laser color marking! Laser color marking technology has quickly emerged and gained popularity in various industries due to its unique advantages of being green, efficient, flexible, and long-lasting. This article uses a 60W JPT MOPA laser for marking testing in all cases.
Principle and Application of MOPA Laser Stainless Steel Coloring
Under the action of laser heat, stainless steel material will generate colored oxides or a colorless transparent oxide film on its surface, presenting various colors due to the interference effect of light film. The color effect produced by stainless steel is mainly due to the interference effect of the thin film. Figure 1 shows the principle diagram of thin film interference.
A high-energy pulsed laser beam acts on the surface of stainless steel, generating a semi transparent oxide film on the metal surface. When the light enters the oxide film at a certain angle θ, a part of the light is reflected at the contact surface between the air and the oxide layer to form direct reflected light, and another part of the light is refracted into the semi transparent oxide layer and then refracted into the air to form refracted light, which interferes with the original reflected light. Due to this interference phenomenon of light, some wavelengths of light are enhanced while others are cancelled out, resulting in different colors of oxide films with different thicknesses.
The advantage of MOPA laser is its independently adjustable pulse width and frequency. By adjusting the parameters of the laser, such as power, frequency, pulse width, and scanning speed, can accurately control the color change of stainless steel surface, and obtain a series of different coloring effects. As shown in picture 2 .
At present, this technology can be applied to color pattern marking on metal materials such as stainless steel, chromium, and titanium. For the stainless steel products industry, color laser marking machines can not only add value to products, but also enhance their aesthetics and personalization, meeting consumers' needs for diversified and personalized products.
Principle and Application of ultra-fast laser for dazzling colors
1. what is ultra-fast laser?
Using high-energy, narrow pulse width ultra-fast laser to form nanoscale laser-induced periodic stripe micro-structures on metal surfaces, these stripe micro-structures have the characteristics and properties of reflective gratings, achieving dazzling effects.
The ultra fast laser dazzling technology not only creates rich and colorful visual effects on metal surfaces, but also achieves extremely high color resolution and clarity due to its nanometer level precision. In addition, due to the non-contact nature of laser processing, this technology causes minimal damage to the metal surface, and the processing process is environmentally friendly and efficient. The sample effect is shown in picture 3.
2. Ultra fast laser application areas
Ultra fast laser dazzling technology has a wide range of applicable scenarios in multiple fields. Here are some specific application areas:
1. 3C Industry: Can be used for surface decoration of electronic products such as mobile phone cases and laptops. By precisely controlling the laser beam, unique and attractive colorful textures can be formed on the surface of the product, increasing its visual appeal and market competitiveness.
2. Metal Mold Industry: This technology can form smooth and oxidation free wire grooves on the surface of metal molds. These wire grooves not only present a gradient effect with the naked eye, but also have a strong visual impact. At the same time, this versatile color and angle anisotropy also has strong anti-counterfeiting properties.
3. Jewelry industry: Jewelry products usually pursue uniqueness and personalization. Ultra fast laser dazzling technology can create rich and colorful dazzling effects on the surface of jewelry, giving each piece of jewelry a unique luster and charm, meeting consumers' demand for personalized customization.
4. Packaging and Printing Industry: Applying ultra fast laser dazzling technology on packaging materials can produce packaging products with unique visual effects. This dazzling effect not only enhances the attractiveness of the product, but also increases the anti-counterfeiting performance of the packaging, improving the safety and credibility of the product.
It should be noted that the application scenarios of ultrafast laser dazzling technology are not limited to the above-mentioned fields. With the continuous development and innovation of technology, there may be more new application areas emerging in the future. At the same time, the requirements for dazzling effects may vary in different fields, so technical adjustments and optimizations need to be made according to specific needs in practical applications.
