Type or stage of anodizing

[bryan henderson]

Hello creekers

I am trying to find a supplier that can get me .051" thick aluminum(anodized black) x 7.900" wide(min. of 2000 lbs.) that is good for laser engraving. I have tried locally but of course there is lots of different type of anodizing including hard, organic(tin or cobalt base) etc. There msut be some kind of secrect to the process that works the best for laser engraving. I have tried to find a supplier, maybe one of you's might have came acrosss a company that can supply such a thing. I have tried ID Plates, Johnson Plastic etc.

Bryan

[Michael Hunter]

No idea where you would get the material you are after, but -

The type of anodising for laser engravings is normally called "Decorative" and is made by adding a coloured dye to the bath before sealing the oxide layer formed in the anodising process.
Lasering burns out the dye, leaving the white oxide layer intact.

Hard anodising is a different process and is naturally brown/black all the way through (it is not dyed). The only effective engraving methods are mechanical or YAG - to completely remove the anodised layer back to bare metal.

Metal treatments ("aluchrome" etc.) are again no good, as you can't laser the metal compounds out to form an image.

[Jay Beller]

I would reach out to Frank Ricci. He makes all the anodized tags and probably does custom requests. http://www.chewbarka.com/

[Mike Null]

I would try soembody like this.

http://www.aluminumsupply.com/catalo...View&shapeID=6