Application of laser marking process to an aerospace alloy

In the industry and especially in areas where mass production is intensive, such as the aerospace industry and the automotive industry, it is great importance to be able to mark and track parts quickly and completely in order to increase the quality of production. In the literature, various permanent marking methods are frequently being used in order to ensure traceability. Laser marking, which is one of them, is based on the principle of removing material from the part by concentrating laser beams on the part surface and obtaining an arc effect. In this study, the efficiency of parameters such as speed, power, frequency (pulse) and number of repetitions, which should be determined when laser marking is applied, were investigated, and after the optimum levels were determined, the surface properties caused by different patterns were examined on the alumınum test specimens marked using these values. In addition to these surface properties, the laser affected zones formed on the parts were also examined, and it was observed that while the marking depth and line widths varied in the markings made accordingly, the laser affected zone properties were closed to each other. Based on these findings, it has been determined that similar changes in the microstructure of the surfaces are observed even in markings applied in very different patterns, and those changes will show close mechanical effects in the region where they are applied.