Plastics on Fiber

Some plastics absorb 1064nm and mark cleanly with MOPA short pulses. Others ignore it. Test before assuming.

What works

• ABS: light gray foaming mark on dark ABS, dark mark on light ABS. Short pulses (10-30 ns) at low power.
• PEEK: high-end engineering plastic, marks beautifully.
• Polycarbonate: yellow-brown mark; not great cosmetically.
• Black anodized acrylic: engraves white, but acrylic absorbs less than CO2 wavelength so settings are tricky.
• Marking-grade plastics: manufacturers add laser-marking additives that produce sharp dark marks.

Starting settings (light foaming mark on dark ABS)