Laser Engraved

Laser Engraving on Metal and Plastic

Laser Engraving is the technique to engrave or mark on an object by using lasers. It does not involve tool bits which contact the engraving surface and wear out. Generally Laser Engraving on an object is done by Laser Engraver or Laser Marker. Laser Engraving on Metal, Plastic, Natural materials such as Wood, Coated Metals, Stone, Glass, Polymer and Novel Metal Alloys can be done by the Laser Engraving Systems or Laser Marking Machines

 

In certain situations where physical alteration of a surface by laser engraving on metals is undesirable, an alternative such as laser marking on metals can be done. In many instances, laser engraving machines are also able to do laser marking.

 

A Laser Engraving Systems generally consists of three main parts: a laser, a controller, and a surface. The laser is like a pencil - the beam emitted from it allows the controller to trace patterns onto the surface. The controller i.e., computer controls the direction, intensity, speed of movement, and spread of laser beam aimed at the surface. The surface is picked to match with the laser which can act upon.

 

Depending on the laser series and wattage, laser engraving can range from .004" to just a few microns. The lower power models can get depth but it takes a lot of passes and time to get the depth.

 

The best way to get depth with the lasers is to make passes with a step size of lower than 30. It can make more passes in the same time with a higher step size but depending on the substrate, it might not get the depth as needed. Pulses can be added to assist this, no more than 10 with the 10 to 20 watt systems, while no more than 20 with the lower wattage lasers.

 

Laser Engraving on Metal:

The process is to apply a paste which the laser bakes into the surface, giving a black mark on the metal.

 

Laser Engraving on Plastic:

Plastic Polymers such as Acrylic the Laser vaporizes part of the surface, thus changes its appearance. 3D effects can be created by Laser Engraver.

 

Laser Marking on Aluminum:

Anodized aluminum comes in a variety of colors and is engraved with a CO2 laser. Black anodized aluminum turns white when lasered. Red anodized aluminum produces a light pink color when lasered.

 

Laser Marking on Brass:

Brass cannot be laser engraved; Laser marking on Brass is done by utilizing brass that has some sort of coating, usually paint. The laser removes the coating and exposes the brass substrate.

 

Laser Engraving on Bare Metal:

To engrave on bare metal, laser engravers are needed with a minimum of 25 watts and utilize a metal marking spray such as Cermark.

 

Laser Marking on Wood:

For Organic Materials such as Wood the laser burns the surface of the Wood, The depth can be varied and 3D effects can be created by Laser Engraving.

 

Laser Engraving on Natural Materials such as Granite and Stone:

The laser causes small fractures on the surface, and thus results in a textural and contrast difference with the surrounding material. 2D engraving can be done with these materials

About the Author

RMI Laser LLC is home to an in-house staff of engineers and scientists dedicated to assisting and supporting in every aspect of DPSS Laser System Design and Integration. Over 50 years of experience in solving some of the world's toughest Photonics problems. We turn optical, mechanical, and electronic and software design challenges into your ideal custom solutions and Full In-House Manufacturing of Lasers & Systems.

Is it safe to get a PowerBook G4 laser engraved?

The people I work for recently acquired a laser-engraver. They said if I did the research and made the artwork for the engraving, I can get my laptop engraved for free. So I have been reading my brains out and looking on the web, and I have seen pics of engraved Powerbooks. I am just double checking.

As long as you are engraving the case, not the screen (or inside of it) it will not harm it. You wouldn't want to burn holes in it, obviously. But that would be hard to do. I wouldn't worry about it. It would probably void you warranty.

Laser Engraving Maglite Torch

Tags: art, design, laser, laser engraved, laser engraved dog tags, laser engraved gifts, laser engraved pens, laser engraved wood, moleskine, shopping

This entry was posted on Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 11:54 am and is filed under printing personalization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.