Engraving Methods

here comes a time where you need a metal plate or various other types of material engraved with some sort of information. It could be for anything from identifying and marking your tools to a trophy placard and everything in between. Engraving is used by several industries and homeowners alike.

Why engraving? There is a certain permanence that comes with this form of marking. It will not fade away or melt off and it’s a method that will make sure your information is there to stay. This process has been in use for centuries on end.

Older methods made use of engraving and chemical etchings on metal plates to produce images on paper. The chemical process of engraving is much more time consuming and has been replaced by photography. Even further back in history we have people using handheld engraving tools. We have come a very long way in this process.

Today, the most popular method of engraving is done with high powered lasers. These systems range from desktop sized applications to almost as big as a one car garage. Lasers can mark anything from metal to crystal and is by far the most versatile method ever used.

There is also a quick and economic means of engraving and that would be the use of a high speed rotary tool. If you need to mark your shop tools or other objects for identification, you could buy an electrical handheld engraving tool and save yourself time and money. These can be found in your local big box tool stores and in arts and crafts stores as well. There’s still something to be said for low cost solutions, if that will work for you and your task. Save the laser for something really special as there are plenty of creative uses for this technology.

It’s plain to see there is a wide variety for meeting your engraving requirements. You can be as low tech or high tech about the task as you and your bank account want to be. So determine your needs and how much you can budget for the project and head to your favorite search engine to explore what’s available.

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

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.