Laser Engraving Steel Sheet Metal on a 60W Laser Cutter

Settings for Raster Engraving Sheet Metal on a 60W Laser Cutter

Settings for Raster Engraving Sheet Metal on a 60W Laser Cutter: 100% Power/20% Speed/1000 PPI

Successful Raster Engraving on Sheet Metal

Failed Raster Engraving on Sheet Metal

Mike did some tests last week to laser engrave sheet metal (steel). Our Universal X-660 laser cutter can engrave ferrous metals without any special coating, so we decided to give it a go.

The results are interesting, especially for raster engravings. As you can see, the successful raster engraving looks great; the unsuccessful one, not so much. The intriguing thing is that both engravings were done using the same settings. We’re guessing that there may be some sort of oil coating on the sheet to prevent rust, which also inhibits laser engraving. We tried cleaning the steel with isopropyl alcohol, which didn’t really seem to affect the engraving quality.

Does anyone know of a cleaner or degreaser for steel that won’t cause it to rust?

-Chris