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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Engraving glass co2 laser

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Apr 12, 2014
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Hello,

How powerfull co2 laser do i need to engrave clear glass?
Are the CO2 lasers from eBay any good?
Already got the cooling system so if i got this right i only need a co2 laser tube and a psu to drive it? And glasses ofc :)

-Victor
 





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Hopefully someone who knows more will comment but I know this would have to be done just right to work if it can work at all. I know that a CO2 laser can break clear glass because of super heating a small area while the rest of the glass is at room temperature and can even cause the glass to shatter violently, so be careful with your first tests.

Alan
 
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Jan 7, 2007
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PiR is correct. CO2 usually shatters glass but
can burn holes in light bulbs. It may depend
on the type of glass. If the glass is warm (Hot)??
and you pulse the beam, it might work.
Be careful of the HV ........ Keep us informed.
HMike
Many of the CO2 power supplies on the 'Bay'
have TTL input control.
OH -- Focusing is done with ZnSe Lenses.
 
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Yep, you've got to heat the glass to prevent thermal cracking. My 15W CO2 laser can easily engrave glass with a 100mm ZnSe focusing lens. The trick is operating the laser on a scorching hot piece of glass!
 
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Yep, you've got to heat the glass to prevent thermal cracking. My 15W CO2 laser can easily engrave glass with a 100mm ZnSe focusing lens. The trick is operating the laser on a scorching hot piece of glass!

How high temperature Does the glass need to be?

-Victor
 
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That would be determined with experiment.
Soda-Lime, Pyrex, Uranium ????
I was going to recommend 10 to 20 Watts but
a TTL control can make it happen. The pulses may
make it better !!!
HMike
 
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i've had very good success engraving glass with my 60W co2 laser.



xle-glass-01.jpg
 
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It makes sense that the higher the peak pulse power the lower the thermal load on the workpiece would be (as long as pulse width and pulse rate are adjusted accordingly).
 
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Amazing -- I'm impressed ! The old soap scum protected it !!!LOL
We would all like to know more about Max power
and pulse width. +1 or something rep.
Thanks -- HMike
Question: When looking at the edge of the glass, is it green?
 
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Joined
Aug 21, 2009
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i was for sure not running at max power. maybe 30-40% power.

i didn't do anything fancy. it just worked.

Amazing -- I'm impressed ! The old soap scum protected it !!!LOL
We would all like to know more about Max power
and pulse width. +1 or something.
Thanks -- HMike
 
Joined
Nov 2, 2012
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I would imagine it would be ideal to heat the glass to near its annealing temperature, assuming the piece could be safely/feasibly worked at that point.

Borosilicate glass might be the least prone to breakage due to its low coefficient of expansion but I suspect the temperature gradients involved in a laser engraving might be too much even for that. I.e. it would probably need to be heated, although perhaps not as much. All this assuming that boro is opaque to 10.6µm anyway, but it probably is.

I read a thread here where a member tried to etch glass with a CO2. I forget what it was called, or what forum it was posted in. IIRC, for a while nothing happened, it just made a hot spot on the glass. Then the whole piece exploded. Good thing his 10.6µm safety glasses kept the shards out! He posted pictures, and it did make quite a mess.
 
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