Brass marks with a fibre laser in very fine detail, ideal for plates, tags and watchmaking. It is also one of the most reflective metals: safety becomes very concrete here.
Settings: what really matters
Only a 1064 nm fibre source marks bare brass. A diode or CO2 does nothing to it, except with a marking spray.
Brass conducts heat very well: energy dissipates fast. You therefore need more passes than on steel for the same depth, and marking too slowly widens the line instead of deepening it.
The result ranges from light grey to black depending on pulse frequency. On lacquered brass (very common on shop-bought plates) the laser first removes the lacquer: start with a light cleaning pass, then mark.
Risks and finishing
Polished brass reflects the beam with very little loss: a reflection can reach your eyes or the machine's optics. Certified 1064 nm goggles, lid closed, and never tilt the part towards you.
The fumes contain copper and zinc particles and need serious extraction. Zinc in particular must not be breathed.
After marking, a soft cloth and possibly a brass-specific product revive the shine around the mark. A clear spray lacquer stops the plate tarnishing over time.
Every figure on LaserSettings comes with the machine, the laser source, the material and the thickness it was tested on. A setting published for a 10 W diode says nothing about a 40 W CO2, and a setting for 3 mm says nothing about 6 mm: check those four things before you copy any number.
Settings are confirmed or disputed by the members who reproduce them, so reliability comes from cross-checking rather than popularity. Photos of the result — cut edges, engraving shades, scorching — tell you more than a single number found on a forum.
Whatever the material, treat a published setting as a starting point: run a small power/speed test grid on an offcut, clean the lens, redo the focus, work with fume extraction and air assist, wear glasses rated for your wavelength and never leave the machine unattended.