Laser Engraving of Ceramic Tiles

Industrial ceramic tiles were subjected to ablation in air using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser under varying repetitive scanning and laser irradiance conditions. Two distinct photothermal ablation regimes were identified related to vaporization (<70 MW/mm ² , vapor plume) and species breakdown (>70 MW/mm ² , plasma plume) processes. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic studies indicated that the ablation of red clay and porcelain tiles followed different paths. Surface melting in clay tiles reduced the efficiency of ablation as the number of cycles and irradiance increased. The method enables high‐definition, noncontact engraving in industrial ceramic surfaces.