This page describes a laser engraving setting published for Aluminium anodisé at 2 mm, tested on a xTool F1 Ultra fitted with a Fibre 20W MOPA source (1064 nm fibre, 20 W). It states the exact machine, source, material, thickness and operation of the test; power, speed and number of passes are shown with a Premium pass.
Why those four facts matter: a engraving setting that works on Aluminium anodisé at 2 mm does not transfer to another thickness, nor to another source. A 1064 nm fibre rated 20 W does not deposit the same energy as a stronger module, and the speed has to be adjusted accordingly. Copying a number without checking those four points is the first cause of a ruined part.
Published by LaserSettings (estimation). No other workshop has confirmed it yet: treat it as a starting point, and confirm it from your account if you reproduce it.
No photo comes with this setting yet. If you reproduce it, publish yours from your account: a picture of the result is worth more than a line of numbers.
Recommended routine before running the part: clean the lens, redo the focus, engrave a small test grid on an offcut of the same Aluminium anodisé, then adjust the speed rather than the power. Work with fume extraction and air assist, wear glasses rated for 1064 nm fibre, and never leave the machine unattended.
xTool covers a very wide range: desktop diodes, enclosed multi-module machines, diode-pumped CO2 units and infrared markers. It is also the brand whose software ships the most presets — handy, but those values assume the brand's own materials and a brand-new machine.
Anodised aluminium is the easiest metal to mark: the laser removes the coloured anodised layer and reveals the bright aluminium beneath. A crisp, permanent mark, achievable even with a diode.
You are not engraving metal but removing a layer a few microns thick. A 10 W diode manages it at moderate speed; a 1064 nm fibre source is far finer and faster, and can additionally blacken bare aluminium.
The mark is a light contrast on a coloured background: black anodising gives the best result, red and blue are good, natural (clear) anodising gives weak contrast because there is almost nothing to remove.
Do not chase maximum power: past the threshold that removes the anodising you start melting the aluminium and the line turns dirty grey and uneven.
Metal reflects the beam. Never mark a mirror-polished part without proper protection, and keep the lid closed: a single reflection is enough to damage an eye or the machine's optics.
Little smoke, but fine metal particles: extraction is still needed, and the lens needs cleaning more often than you would think.
A microfibre cloth is all that is needed afterwards. Avoid alkaline cleaners or acetone, which can attack the coloured anodising around the mark.