[RWoelk]

I wonder. Is it safe to laser engrave an iPod with it's backing in place or does it need to be removed first in order not to fry any of it's electrical components by over heating? I would prefer not to have to take it apart.

My personalized iPod to be gifted has already shipped, but I would like to engrave my own. One contacted over the phone jeweler suggested it would only cost $12 to $15.00 with her laser equipment, but suggested there are different types of lasers out there and that Apple is probably using the more expensive "Yagi?" process.

Would anybody care to enlighten me?

[tr]

but suggested there are different types of lasers out there and that Apple is probably using the more expensive "Yagi?" process.

i think you may mean YAG, or more specifically Nd:YAG laser engraving. Nd:YAG stands for Neodymium (doped) Yttrium Aluminum Garnet. from the little i've read on laser engraving systems (i'm a physicist, not a jeweler ), the most common engraving systems use either an Nd:YAG laser or a CO2 laser.

the differences are in the operating wavelengths of the lasers, which will directly correspond to the size of text being engraved. typically, Nd:YAG systems have a wavelength of around 1 micrometer, while CO2 systems have a wavelength of around 10 micrometers. as you can see, the CO2 laser systems have 10 times the wavelength of the Nd:YAG laser systems.

the Nd:YAG laser wavelength will allow these systems to engrave at higher resolutions (i.e. smaller, thinner letter/fonts) than with the CO2 laser systems.


i doubt there would be damage to any components from laser heating. first off, these systems are designed not to damage any material on which it is used. second, the amount of time the laser is actually engraving is so short, so laser heating would be negligible.


again, i'm not a jeweler who uses these systems (the last Nd:YAG laser i used was a pulse laser with a power rating >35W. ), so if i've given wrong information or anyone has more insight on this topic, please chime in.


tr

[sine -''-..-]

now thats a powerful yag. i guy i know has a dermabrasion lazer, and its <5w, pulsed.

[tr]

Originally posted by sine -''-..-:
<STRONG>now thats a powerful yag. i guy i know has a dermabrasion lazer, and its &lt;5w, pulsed.</STRONG>

yeah, i was using it to drive an organic dye laser. when i was bored (read: when i couldn't get my dye to lase and was frustrated out of my mind ), i would turn it up and see if i could get the beam to catch pieces of paper on fire...of course, this was when no one else was around.


to get back on the subject, i was just web searching info on laser engraving machines. you know, if you could scrape up the money to buy one of these, you could probably get a pretty good business going engraving stuff: personalized iPods, mice, keyboards, musical instruments, pens...the list goes on! plus, it would be cool just to have around.


tr

[RWoelk]

Interesting replies... Thanks guys.