Laser Etching Anodized Aluminum

Step 2:

Here is the machine I will use - an Epilog 45 Watt laser.  Inside the laser is an 18" x 24" bed that holds whatever pieces you will be working on. This bed can be moved up or down, enabling you to laser etch materials or pieces of widely varying thickness.

The laser acts like a CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) router, using a laser beam to cut or etch your chosen material.  In this case, since I am just etching simple text, it acts more like an inkjet printer, burning the text onto the aluminum, dot by dot, just as an inkjet printer does on paper.