Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Design Technology, Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, International Islamic University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
  • 4 Department of Bioscience and Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, College of System Engineering and Science, Fukasaku 307, Minuma-ku, Saitama 337-8570, Japan
Materials (Basel), 2021 Apr 16;14(8).
PMID: 33923675 DOI: 10.3390/ma14082009

Abstract

This study discloses a method for painting artwork using a CO2 laser. The continuous-wave laser beam, at a predetermined heat flux and a predetermined number of laser beam passes, mixes and displaces the plurality of colored polymer-based compositions, respectively, by way of melting and vaporizing them. Experiments showed a great accuracy of colors and designed patterns between the computer aided design (CAD) drawing and what was achieved after laser discoloration. It was found that lower values of power and speed provide sufficient energy and time to make a melt pool of colors and cause their vaporization from the surface. A detailed numerical simulation was performed to obtain a detailed understanding of the physics of laser interaction with paint using ABAQUS software. The comparative analysis indicated that the top layer of paint (including yellow and green colors) melted upon increasing cutting speed and employing one laser pass. For blue and red paints, two passes of lasers are required; in the case of red color, lower laser speed is also necessary to intensify the heat. This method can be applied for making art designs on each surface color because it is based on melting and vaporization using a laser.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.