Laser Engraved Ceramic

[Jeff @ Mutt Calls]

Has anyone attempted to have a ceramic friction surface laser engraved?  If so, and done correctly, is the engraving legible and dark? Or if not, is the engraving light in color and not as legible?  Also, if you don't mind sharing, what other surfaces can be laser engraved?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Wade@WEBFoot]

Ive never lasered ceramic  - but my understanding is that lasers typically "disintegrate" (for lack of a better word) the material...  usually its intense and fast enough that it doesnt really burn the material unless the speed of the laser is slow enough and the power is high enough AND the material is combustible.  In the case of glass (which I have done - beer glasses) it doesnt so much evaporate the material as the extreme temperature change at the surface - it fractures the surface, leaving more of an etched look than an actual cut into the glass.  This may depend more on the power of the laser - and a deeper etch or cut may be possible.

I would suspect that ceramic will laser like glass...  it will be light and more of an etch, not exceptionally deep unless its a powerful laser (I am only familiar with a 30watt CO2 laser as that is what the wife has - so Im theorizing here), but also I dont expect it would "burn" and be dark.  I do know that with 100% power and a very slow speed that its just an etch, and not enough that would could really do color fill either.  But the surface is rough enough - that you might be able to darken it with a paint or something - but I would expect it would look a lot like when a call is lasered - but not deep enough to hold the paint and its more like a color tint than fill.

Hopefully someone has actual experience and can give you better and more specific information.

Wade