Which metal to use for your applications?
When talking about engraving metals, aluminium is the most commonly preferred material. Aluminium is one of the most popular materials in the sign industry, and there are good reasons for that:
- Aluminium is one of the strongest materials in the sign industry
- It gives a very professional, high-end look
- It is perfectly suited for outdoor exposure due to its chemical composition
However, different kinds of aluminium vary in characteristics. We will give you an overview which metal sheet is the perfect choice for your application.
You want to create high-quality applications like interior and exterior signs, name badges, promotional items, personalized gifts or photo engravings?
We recommend Trotec's Anodized Aluminum Premium Line for these applications. By removing the coloured coating you can create a detailed, white engraved image and almost photographic-type quality can be achieved. Therefore, we also recommend the Premium Line for high-quality engravings like photo engravings. The Premium Line also fits perfectly for indoor and outdoor signs, or name badges, in different colours.
| Colour of the Engraving | Which laser is necessary? |
|---|---|
| White | A CO2 laser produces great contrast and a clear, bright engraving. The darker and stronger the colour of your anodized aluminium sheet, the better the contrast. A fiber laser is a highly effective way to mark anodized aluminum. |
Trotec's Anodized Aluminum Premium Line features an anodized coating of up to 22 microns, which is best in its class in terms of product durability and withstanding external factors. This anodized layer on top protects the aluminum from chemical and physical influence and remains intact during laser processing. Trotec's Anodized Aluminum Premium Line is suitable for both engraving with a laser and mechanical engraving devices. It allows for fine detail engraving on a product strong enough to withstand most external factors. This material is very easy to handle as it is simple to find the right parameters to achieve a good result.
This is the specialist for all outdoor and heavy duty applications. DuraBlack® benefits from an urethane protective top coat. Being resistant to sunlight (UV-radiation), abrasion, high-temperatures and chemical exposure, it conforms to various industry and military standards. DuraBlack® is available in 0.51 mm thickness and can be attached to curved or flat surfaces with adhesive, rivets or screws. Engraved, it produces a high resolution, white contrast suited to bar coding and graphics.
| Colour of the Engraving | Which laser is necessary? |
|---|---|
| White | CO2 - yes; Fiber laser - creates a grey but due to time reasons we recommend CO2 |
Different to other aluminium products, AlumaMark® creates a black engraving when lasered. Use this feature for special products that are supposed to stand out from standard white aluminium engravings.
Also, AlumaMark® enables half tone impressions, and is therefore highly suited for photographic reproductions.
As this material is a specialised aluminium designed to be laser marked using lower power settings, it is ideal for production of indoor plaques, awards, signs and nameplates. Settings have to be adjusted more accurately than for other types of aluminium.
| Colour of the Engraving | Which laser is necessary? |
|---|---|
| Black | CO2 - yes; Fiber laser - no |
Fiber lasers are mainly used for laser marking metals. They are suited for direct marking of many different types of metal. Another possibility is to add a ceramic coating like MarkSolid spray or paste to an uncoated metal, like stainless steel (for example), which can then be engraved with a CO2 laser. The ceramic coating can then be applied in different ways: as a spray, paste, tape or even by air brush. It is an easy and clean solution for creating permanent, high contrast, high resolution marks with a CO2 laser on a wide variety of surfaces, including most metals.
| Colour of the Engraving | Which laser is necessary? |
|---|---|
| Black |
Ceramic coating helps CO2 laser machines to engrave uncoated metals. With a fiber laser, metals can be marked without this additive. |
If only the appearance of metal, not actually the material, is required, acrylic based materials in a metallic look can be used. This can be an interesting and economical alternative for producing signs, badges, trophy plates and promotional items. There is no need to colour fill the engraved parts and this material can also be processed with a laser. TroLase Metallic Plus is well suited for outdoor use.
| Colour of the Engraving | Which laser is necessary? |
|---|---|
| Depends on the core layer |
CO2 laser machines are the perfect choice for engraving this material. |
Our Trotec plastic sheets are perfect for laser engraving and laser cutting. Benefiting from a thin top layer, TroLase Metallic Plus enables detailed engraving at high production speeds. This material requires very little post production cleaning.