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Thread: RTIC Mug Lasering

  1. #1

    RTIC Mug Lasering

    Hello,

    I am using my rotary attachment to laser a RTIC 30oz mug, using Ceramark LMM6000.

    I keep getting parts of the logo that show laser lines.

    Can someone tell me is this due to not using enough Ceramark spray, or does this sound more like the rotary attachment? ...my file looks ok.

    Thanks,
    Dan

  2. #2
    what kind of laser?
    It might relate to how much rotation there is per mm of Y axis...
    Best wishes,
    Ian



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  3. #3
    We can advise you better if you post a picture. What kind of machine do you have?
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  4. #4
    I am using a QX-60-9060 Laser Engraving/Cutting Machine.




  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    590
    I see very minimal (if any) "laser lines" engraving RTIC's with Cermark. And I've done a few hundred of that brand in the last month with a couple different designs.

    Also, I would say it takes VERY LITTLE Cermark to get a pretty solid black with proper laser setup; as long as the entire surface you're lasering is coated. In fact, a couple times I misaligned and ran over the edge to the overspray and it still marked perfectly dark.

    My suggestions for you to try in no particular order:

    -- Make sure the design is high enough quality, and that you are engraving with a small enough interval (scan gap) that you aren't getting any noticeable gap between passes. Focus correctly as well.

    -- Make sure the rotary is working properly and you have the correct settings in your laser software for the rotary you are using. You may need to test another design to confirm this if you aren't sure.

    -- Make sure you have plenty of air flow and are going fast enough heat isn't building up on the surface. Usually you'll start to see a slight warp of you're building up too much heat; but even with minimal warping it has created some strange lines in some of my pieces (it took me awhile to figure out what was going on, and looked like banding across certain sections).

    -- Make sure the cermark is completely dry before you start. This can take anywhere from 5 or 10 minutes, all the way up to an hour depending on how thick you put it on, and how humid it is where you are working. I did a couple ever so slightly wet and again got some strange patterns in the final result.

    Hope that helps!
    Last edited by Keith Downing; 10-13-2016 at 12:03 AM.
    60W, Boss Laser 1630
    75W, Epilog Legend 24EX
    Jet Left Tilting table saw and Jet 18" Band saw
    Adobe Creative suite and Laserworks 8

  6. #6
    Keith, first of all...let me say Thank You! for taking the time to write such a detailed response.

    I'm happy to say, that with your input/knowledge, I am lasering RTIC mugs without the lines...and they look great!

    Although I followed all your tips, I believe it was your tip regarding my Art Work that needed to be changed up a bit, that finally got me the results I was looking for.

    I do have two more questions...

    1. Do you have "Air Blowing" when Lasering these Stainless Steel Cups?

    2. My second question is, how much would you charge for a 30oz RTIC Mug, with a logo that takes 5 minutes to complete on the laser? They will be returning customers probably purchasing about 100 a year...if that matters.

    ...think I will post that second question as new thread.

    Thank you once again!!!
    Dan
    Last edited by daniel hernandez; 10-15-2016 at 7:04 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    590
    Quote Originally Posted by daniel hernandez View Post
    Keith, first of all...let me say Thank You! for taking the time to write such a detailed response.

    I'm happy to say, that with your input/knowledge, I am lasering RTIC mugs without the lines...and they look great!

    Although I followed all your tips, I believe it was your tip regarding my Art Work that needed to be changed up a bit, that finally got me the results I was looking for.

    I do have two more questions...

    1. Do you have "Air Blowing" when Lasering these Stainless Steel Cups?

    2. My second question is, how much would you charge for a 30oz RTIC Mug, with a logo that takes 5 minutes to complete on the laser? They will be returning customers probably purchasing about 100 a year...if that matters.

    ...think I will post that second question as new thread.

    Thank you once again!!!
    Dan
    Glad you got it working smoothly man!

    As for your questions:

    1. Yes, I do use air assist at 20 to 30 psi while running the RTIC cups. All lasers and designs are different; and I do believe you could probably run some lasers fast enough that air assist wouldn't be a factor. But, the reason I use it is to help diffuse heat build up.

    I have one design I did a lot of, and it has a section in the middle that is almost solid black for several square inches. I noticed as I did several cups that intermitantly I would see some strange banding/change of color across the thickest parts of the design on a lot of them. I also noticed that after I would finish the work the cup would be noticeably hot to the touch. The only thing I could think of was that the heat was building up to a point where the chemical reaction was not consistent across the whole design surface. So I pumped up the air based on that hunch and the problem vanished. Haven't had it re-occur on any designs since. I'm pretty convinced the heat buildup was the culprit. So take that for what you will.

    2. I generally charge $6-$10 per cup, depending on a couple factors. Mostly: how many they are willing to order at once, how many square inches is the design, and also if the design is ready to go when I receive it or if I have to do any art processing for them before I start. I know some others that charge more (good for them!), but I'm not really intersted in orders smaller than 6-12 cups and I'm happy with that profit margin and the repeat business it has generated.

    Oh, and one thing I'll also throw out there. Don't forget to account for the time it takes to clean the cups and rebox them after you have finished the work. I definitely didn't account for that my first time, and it probably adds 3-5 minutes of extra work per cup if your customer is expecting to receive a product that is ready to sell/distribute directly from you.
    Last edited by Keith Downing; 10-16-2016 at 6:14 PM.
    60W, Boss Laser 1630
    75W, Epilog Legend 24EX
    Jet Left Tilting table saw and Jet 18" Band saw
    Adobe Creative suite and Laserworks 8

  8. #8
    And remember to ask if individual names go on the cups and if there is one location or two to be engraved. That should be reflected in your pricing.
    Mike Null

    St. Louis Laser, Inc.

    Trotec Speedy 300, 80 watt
    Gravograph IS400
    Woodworking shop CLTT and Laser Sublimation
    Dye Sublimation
    CorelDraw X5, X7

  9. #9
    Copy that...thanks Mike.

  10. #10
    Need a little help out there, I have been laser etching a number of powder coated cups from Ozark and RTIC, the Ozark cups seem to laser nice without having to adjust power and speed, I'm using a 60 watt laser set at 90 power and 70 speed. The RTIC cups, on the other hand, seem to have a thicker coating and the red ones seem to be the most difficult and have to pump up the power to 100% and speed at 55. I'm ok with this adjustment but my problem comes with cleaning the residue off as the Goo Gone doesn't seem to get it clean, am I burning the residue back into the stainless? The other issue I am having is I lasered a blue RTIC, cleaned the residue with Turtle Wax label and sticker remover which works great but my customer washed his cup by hand with Dawn dishwashing detergent and the cup turned baby blue from royal blue wherever I sprayed the chemical.
    Any help would be appreciated, Thanks!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    3,686
    Different colors, different brands, different methods of applying the powdercoat, all affect the settings necessary to get a good clean mark. A few colors of Yeti need to be ran twice, some you can get away with one pass. I clean them all with denatured alcohol, it removes any residue quickly and easily. If you need something stronger than dna then you really need to work on speed/power settings. I have heard of people using brake fluid, nail polish remover, you name it, and it really boils down to getting the settings and number of passes down right and you can avoid most of the extraneous steps that people take to do cleanup.

  12. #12
    Thanks for your quick response Gary!
    After you laser your powder coated cups, do you end up with the stainless showing or do you see a lot of residue that covers the stainless shine up?
    In general, where are up ending up with a good setting on average?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio
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    1,843
    Utilizing a Chuck Rotary has made multiple passes a much more assure option than when I utilized the Gravity Wheels. As stated, some of these powder coating are so thick, I've done as many as 5 passes. That is rare, but very doable with the Chuck rotary.
    Tim
    There are Big Brain people & Small Brain people. I'm one of the Big Brains - with a lot of empty space.- me
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  14. #14
    Thanks Tim, is it possible that I am applying too much power and actually harding the powder to the cup thus not allowing easy cleanup. When you finally have the cup looking like you want is it stainless steel looking prior to cleaning
    or another color such as almost black on a red cup?

  15. #15
    As for the new Rtic cups, blue anyway. The coating is about 4 times as thick as before, not Thermoset and imposssible to clean without a solvent, so much so I wouldn't do them again.
    355 - 10400 : )

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