I have been trying to engrave yeti mugs but can’t quite perfect it. My goal is to just remove the powder coat layer to expose a shiny stainless steel layer.
Changed workspeed to 320, 240, then 160. Got progressively darker. Must have been burning the stainless steel.
17
500-600-700
20%
10mm
Used Cermark spray. Hit 500, 600, 700mm/min.
18
1500-750
16%
10mm
Started @ 1500. Changed to 750mm halfway thru. 1500 was too fast, still some red
19
375
16%
10mm
Still very gray
20
500
16%
8mm
Changed to 250mm speed 1/2 way thru. Changed laser power to 25% at very end.
I am getting close but not quite there. I have been using a focal distance of 10mm since that is what is recommended by Snapmaker but maybe the laser is not in focus? I can’t tell if I should change laser power, workspeed, or focal distance.
Hi Bijan, I’ve actually had some luck with stainless steel knives. First attempt at Stainless Steel Knives Then again, I wasn’t trying to remove a powder coat. Not a clue on that one (yet… I do have a mugs I’ll eventually practice with)
Here are some others I’ve since done. The trick seems to be in the laser spray paint.
Just did a quick search for a 10 watt diode laser removing powder coat. I didn’t find a single hit on the web. In the new world of AI, that says a lot. Lots of fiber, some CO2 and Endurance has a passing mention but the only thing I found with 10 watt diode is adding powder coat rather than removing it. While I’m not even sure if what you are trying will work, I’m thinking focus would be where I experiment first.
The burning always leaves a residue. The trick is finding the balance where it removes the residue but doesn’t permanently mark or darken the metal. Different colors will often need different settings since they absorb the laser power differently
Have you tried using a mr. clean magic eraser and/or acetone to remove the residue (do a test in an inconspicuous area to make sure you aren’t removing the coating also). Super fine (0000) steel wool can also help, but might affect the yeti’s finish.
You shouldn’t be using marking spray (or dry moly) unless you’re trying to darken the metal.
Dot filled and infill settings affect image quailty. Dwell time, speed and for the most part, laser strength all depend on the type and thickness of the material covering the cup. You will have to experiment with what works best for you. I started with the defaults and adjusted the laser power until I got the results I wanted. If I had hit 100% and still did not have what I was looking for, I would have adjusted the speed next as speed and dwell time affect the over all time it takes to print, I would adjust those last.
My point was, no matter what, you are going to have to buff out the cup to remove the residue.
I used the rotary module, set laser height with the THIN .1 calibration card after having gone through all the other calibration steps outlined in the user guide. Everything else was left at default.
Keep it simple and only adjust what you need. Adjust one setting at a time until you get the desired results
