Finland-based Cajo Technologies has figured out how to use a laser to burn colors into different materials. “Our patented technology creates extremely precise, permanent and practically everlasting marking or colour patterning on almost any material without additives or pigments,” the company writes.
Like you, I’m wondering how the heck this works–and the company ain’t saying. All they’ll reveal is that
[Our] color patterning and marking method is based on a unique innovative application of the traditional laser beam. [It] alters the surface structure of the material, and no additives or pigments are needed. The method allows for extremely precise, permanent and practically everlasting colour patterning on almost all materials.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Looks like this is a process similar to tempering steel. The colors in the sample match very similar to the colors that appear when an oxide layer is built up at specific temperatures of metals like steel and titanium (anodizing).
It’s temperature control. Steel blues nicely and repeatably to a certain color based on temperature. Google for “steel bluing temperature chart” for a number of interesting discussions.
The really important and impressive bit is that they achieved this kind of localized temperature control. They need to heat without cutting. I suspect that different colors take different amount of time.
Could it be a game changer in Automotive painting?
Looks like this is a process similar to tempering steel. The colors in the sample match very similar to the colors that appear when an oxide layer is built up at specific temperatures of metals like steel and titanium (anodizing).
It’s temperature control. Steel blues nicely and repeatably to a certain color based on temperature. Google for “steel bluing temperature chart” for a number of interesting discussions.
The really important and impressive bit is that they achieved this kind of localized temperature control. They need to heat without cutting. I suspect that different colors take different amount of time.