Finding the right laser parameters

To find the best possible engraving parameters for an unknown material, draw a black contourless rectangle. The size of the field can be adjusted to the size of the material available, but should somewhat mimic the engraving done later. For example, a stripe of 3 mm x 20 mm will be suitable if the application does contain engraving images roughly 2 mm in thickness.
Alternatively, a standard size of 50 mm x 50 mm can be used.

Send the field at medium power (about 50 %), maximum speed, and 500 dpi to the laser. As soon as you then start the job, the bidirectional communication between the laser and JobControl® allows you to change the parameters during the engraving process. If no result is visible at low power, you can directly adjust both the power and speed in JobControl®. We recommend to increase/decrease the power level in steps of approximately 10 % to find the best result.

You can change the parameters ‘on the fly,’ simply by entering the values in the edit line and pressing Enter.

These settings are then initially used for the chosen material. However, settings also do depend on the shape and size of an certain application and should therefore be fine-tuned on the actual application as well.

Often the outcome of the engraving is improved by slightly de-focusing the laser beam (using the z-offset in JobControl®). This results in a wider laser spot, which results in a smoother engraved surface and more lucent colors of engraving laminates.

You will find a wide selection of pre-tested laser parameters in the Trotec JobControl® software.
These recommended settings allow us to save the time of testing for optimum parameters, but fine-tuning for certain applications will still be necessary.

For most Trotec materials, "Quality" and a "Speed" parameter are available.

• "Quality" parameter sets are recommended for applications where fine detail and strong contrast is required.
• "Speed" parameters are used for time-efficiency orientated applications, where a reduced degree of detail in engraving is acceptable.

The graphic is advisable, in order to test cutting parameters:
The rectangle with two differently rounded corners offers the advantage that both straight cutting lines as well as more complex shapes are possible with the tested settings.

Attention should be paid to:

• Cut through the material in one pass, allowing smoke and residue to fall or be vacuumed off by the vacuum system.
• Little to no burr appears on the edge.
• Round shapes should be smooth without undesired edges – if they appear, lower cutting speed will help.

Leaving the protective masking on the sheet or applying masking tape will, in most cases, increase the cutting quality and reduce the cleaning requirements.

More tips for determining parameters