metal engraving

Filed under: Laser Engraving, Parts Marking, Uncategorized, metal plate embossing, nd:YAG Lasers — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 1:52 pm

Metal engraving is a process in which a design is incised on a piece of metal using an engraving tool. This form of decorating metal has been around for five thousand years. The tools are pressed into the metal to cutting it and forming the desired design. The harder one pushes the engraving tool into the metal, the wider the mark. The correlation between dipping depth and engraving width is determined by the top angle of the tool.
Engraving tools are made out of hard steel that cuts the design onto metal surfaces such as steel plates or copper. Engraving tools are available in a variety of sizes and shapes for making different lines and marks. The three most commonly used tools are called the chisel, the graving tool (also called bulino), and the burin (also called ciapolla).
The chisel is not used for cutting, but is hammered. This does not remove any of the metal, but depresses it. A pliable support is placed underneath to prevent the metal from breaking or buckling.
Gravers are halved carbide round rods with a cutting edge. The graving tool has a wood handle making it easier to control the depth of the cut made with this sharp steel tool.
The burin is also a sharp steel tool, but comes in different shapes (lined, rounded and flat) to produce different effects.

The two most popular kinds of engraving decoration are damascening and niello.
Damascening is metal inlay in which a fine metal plate is inserted into a grove that has been made in a differently colored metal, and then is beaten in.
Niello is a mixture of silver, tin, lead, and copper that has been fused. This heated mixture is used to filled an engraving in a precious metal. After the mixture cools, the face plate is polished to bring out the semi-opaque design.
Engraving produces a unique quality of mark characterized by steady, clean edges. These lines and marks are produced by specific tools designed just for that purpose. This is a very specialized form of art with many types of materials and designs that takes years to master.

Different materials that can be engraved with lasers

Filed under: Laser Engraving, nd:YAG Lasers — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 2:09 pm

Engraving inventory and supplies with lasers has grown very popular with inventory managers. From government agencies to schools and hospitals, any organisation with a sizable amount of supplies to track and sort benefits from laser engraving. Furthermore, lasers can engrave almost any surface with barcodes, codes, images, or text.

Laser Basics

Few people realise that the word laser is actually an acronym, which stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”. The three most commonly used lasers are CO2 lasers, which use carbon dioxide gas inside the laser to produce a stream of photons; nd:YAG lasers, which use neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet to produce its photons; and fiber lasers, which use a glass fiber doped with ions such as ytterbium to create photons.

While the different lasers may not mean much to the average lay person, it makes a difference when engraving different materials with laser technology. For example, when engraving metal with a laser beam, the best type of laser to use is either an nd:YAG or fiber laser; CO2 lasers should not be used. On the other hand, less reflective materials, including wood, acrylics, and plastics, are better suited for CO2 lasers. When choosing a company to engrave inventory items with lasers, it’s important to check to see if they are using the right technology for the job.

    Industries in Which Laser Engraving is Especially Important

    Medical: In the medical industry, it’s crucial to mark equipment indelibly, and laser engraving is perfect for the job. Non-intrusive laser engraved codes on equipment and tools stay clean, do not rub off, and make it easy to track medical inventory as they move from ward to ward or hospital to hospital.

    Electronics: Ever opened up a computer and taken a close look at the various parts inside? Each is marked with serial numbers, sometimes text, and other identifying marks. This type of engraving on electronics parts is the work of laser engraving.

    Manufacturing:     In a factory environment, knowing how much of an item is produced, and where it’s shipped is absolutely crucial. Regardless of extreme conditions of heat or cold, laser engraving on cardboard, metal, plastic, and other surfaces easily stands the test of time.

    Other Application of Laser Engraving

    Laser engraving can go far beyond simple barcodes and supply management applications. These days, laser engraving is used on promotional gifts, such as pens and key chains; on signs and nameplates; on custom rubber stamps, such as an address stamp; and delicate decorative work on glassware and ceramics.

    Given the power and versatility of laser engraving in virtually every business, and the ability of lasers to engrave virtually any surface, it is likely that laser engraving will remain popular for decades to come. If there’s a better technology for inventory managers to track their supplies than laser engraving, that technology hasn’t yet been invented.

    Types of Indelible Laser Markings

    Filed under: Laser Engraving, Parts Marking — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:51 am

    Lasers can be used to create indelible marks on a variety of materials. The markings are often used for identification purposes such as marking products with logos, parts numbers or bar codes, where the permanent mark is required to act as a theft deterrent or prevent counterfeiting. Laser marking can also be used for decorative etching or for applying consumer identification notations.

    Indelible laser markings can be created on glass, metal and plastic materials. The type of marking used depends on the material type and the type of texture effect desired.

    Laser engraving is the process of creating a depth marking on a piece using a high-intensity light at a specific wavelength. Engraved markings leave a textured finish with a brush or sanded type finish. This type of marking can be used on glass, plastic and metal surfaces.

    Foaming is the process of creating a raised marking on certain types of plastics. The laser melts the plastic causing it to rise above the work piece’s surface where it hardens leaving a raised, textured marking.

    Annealing or tempering is used on metals to create a flat imprint marking that is level with the surface. The metal is heated with a low-density laser which creates a black marking similar to an ink marking.

    Ablation or removal is a laser marking process where surface layers of paint, plating or other type of material coating are removed. Often the paint is applied in multi-colored layers which are revealed through the laser marking process. This type of indelible marking creates high contrast markings with depth and can be used on plastic, metal or glass surfaces.

    Laser technology offers state-of-the-art solutions for direct parts marking

    Filed under: Laser Engraving, Parts Marking — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 12:26 pm

    Direct parts marking is an essential part of virtually any manufacturing process today, allowing both manufacturers and end users to readily and accurately identify specific components to aid in repair and diagnostics, as well as in theft recovery and counterfeit prevention.

    There are many options for direct parts marking, and lasers are one of the newest and most accurate methods on today’s market.  In the last decade, industries worldwide have embraced the convenience and security advantages of direct parts marking. The list of businesses and facilities using direct parts marking today includes government departments, military parts manufacturers, automotive and aeronautics manufacturers, pharmaceutical concerns, and a wide range of consumer goods manufacturers, and the number and variety of end products using these parts is staggering.

    Laser marking allows products to be marked with clearly identifiable, highly precise tags or codes which are indelible, and also have the advantage of being engraved deep into the components’ surfaces if needed, affording another dimension of protection from theft or counterfeit. Both CO2 and nd:YAG lasers may be used in direct parts marking, based on the application process.

    Employing highly focused, direct beams of energy, lasers can achieve levels of precision and accuracy unattainable with other methods of marking. Even the most highly detailed and intricate logos and corporate symbols can be replicated accurately using a laser marking system. Leading the way in industry standards, the nd:YAG and the CO2 laser systems use different wavelengths to ensure a wide range of applications suitable for your business’ needs.

    Different Materials that can be Engraved with Lasers

    Filed under: Laser Engraving — Tags: , — admin @ 12:26 pm

    As technology continues to improve at a tremendous pace so does how it will affect our daily lives. This is indeed the case when you using lasers to do your engraving, while this is becoming more mainstream the effectiveness and professional quality of engraving with lasers is second to none.

    There are a wide variety of materials that can be engraved using this method. Some of these materials include: one plastic cards, which are used as bank cards, loyalty cards, membership cards, ID cards and access cards. A second material that can be engraved is metal plates; with this type of engraving you can quickly create logos, boxes and lines in one single step. The third material that can be engraved is components that are used in the manufacturing process to make complex shapes or customizable logos. Clearly there are several different materials that can be engraved with lasers. Some of these materials would include: plastic cards, metal plates, and components. This will make your engraving to appear neat and professional regardless of what your project is.Helping to improve the overall image of your company or brand which will increase your overall profits as a result using lasers to meet all your engraving needs.