Question- I use the same settings specified by TherMark and I get terrible results. What can be wrong?
Answer- There are a number of circumstances which can cause this:
For exactly same situation described you may get bad results due to being out of focus. See above.
The coating thickness makes a huge difference, too. Try a few different coating thicknesses to get the best results.
Check which kind of lens you are using. Different lenses with different focal lengths will have different beam waists at the focal plain, requiring different power and speed settings.
A common error is failure to perform the proper conversion of settings. Settings are often given in percentages, but 80% power on a 45W laser is not the same as 80% power on a 30W laser. Similarly, 80% speed on a laser which goes 140 in/sec at 100% speed is not the same as 80% speed on a laser which goes 60 in/sec at 100% speed. Make sure to convert percentages so they are relevant for your laser. Remember, the important thing is absolute power (Watts) and absolute speed (in/sec or cm/sec).
Mode of operation is also very important. It is important to understand the differences between rastering vs. vectoring and continuous wave vs. pulse. For more information, please visit our Laser Settings Section.