FIBER LASER ETCHING INTRICATE DESIGNS IN SLOW MOTION

Laser expert Alexander Sellite of Laser Everything explained to Wired how a fiber laser works to engrave very detailed designs in a matter of seconds using slow-motion footage. 

Even though this laser is hot enough to carve through metal, it poses no danger to humans or animals. Sellite explained, “This is called a fiber laser, and it can carve super intricate designs into any metal, in just seconds. The laser is essentially getting so hot, the metal is just vaporising away, like a hot knife through butter. Despite the laser’s ability to cut through titanium, you’ll be surprised to discover waving your hand in front of the laser does absolutely nothing. Fiber lasers simply aren’t the right wavelength to interact with organic materials at these energy levels.”

The whole process happens so fast that it is crazy to think that during that split seconds the laser goes through its own process stages such as pulsing, ablation, cleaning, black marking, and colour marking. Sellite also elaborated on the different materials that were used and the speed at which the laser moves to attain different results.

“These illustrations are drawn so rapidly, you can only see them sweeping across the surface with slow motion, and the pulses are so fast that even the highest speed cameras have trouble capturing them. Depending on the material used, the laser can react differently. For example, colour is only possible on steel, whereas, this aluminum can only be marked white.”