How to Laser Engraving Machine Work

Engraving refers to a type of printing done on metal plates. Lines are cut on the metal where the ink will be held. A laser engraving machine uses laser technology to engrave on a metal surface or any other surface. They are widespread in industries that want to label/mark manufactured items and are known for their precision and smooth finishes. This article will look at everything businesses should know about laser engraving machines.

Demand and Market Share for Laser Engraving Machines

In 2020, the global market share of laser engraving machines was US$ 2.76 billion. The adoption of laser engraving machines is driven partly because of the benefits they offer in the automation of industries. The most notable of these is the medical field, which has recently experienced an upward surge in laser engraving technologies. Their reliability, effectiveness, and uniqueness of production are reasons that will drive their adoption even further.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Laser Engraving Machine

Throughput of the Engraving Machine

It refers to parts processed per hour. The speed with which the engraving machine works will directly affect business sales, whether the volume of work is low or high. This, in turn, gives the business an edge in that it can offer lower prices to its customers.

Table Size of Processing

The table size determines the size of the object engraved. A smaller table size translates to smaller objects engraved, while a more extensive table will allow bigger objects to be engraved. The table sizes range from 300mm x 200mm while larger tables can be as big as 1600mm x 900mm. Depending on the object size businesses want to engrave, they can choose a suitable engraving machine.

Applicable Material of the Engraving Machine

Engraving machines can work with several materials. Plastic, paper, metal, acrylic, and wood can be used during engraving. Businesses should consider the material they will be engraving before purchasing because engravers specialize in different materials.

Brand of Key Components

Before businesses purchase an engraving machine, they should consider well-established and reputable brands. This is to find quality and market-approved engraving machines. Besides this, a clear on-site demonstration of the engraver should be made to businesses to ascertain its effectiveness.

Types of Laser Engraving Machines

Laser Engraving

A laser engraver uses a laser, which modifies the material through high temperatures. Therefore, similarly to as can be seen in combustion processes, different combustion chemical reactions will appear on different materials during the work process — each varying depending on the melting point of the material and creating differing cutting effects. Additionally, the cutting process will produce an oily smoke and smell.

Laser engraving is a type of non-contact etching, which protects the surface of the engraved material from being scratched. In addition, the laser beam is very thin, so the slit is small and suitable for precision cutting.

CNC Engraving

A CNC router relies on the spindle and bit to work, which, similarly to using a drill bit, can produce dust during the cutting process but will not produce the smoke and smell produced by a laser engraver.

The cutting seam of the CNC engraving machine depends on the diameter of the router bit — of which there are many types. Different router bits are used for different materials.

The Target Market for Laser Engraving Machines

The laser engraving machine can only perform cutting and shallow carving on an object’s surface, such as shadow carving to create portraits on marble tombstones. Laser engravers can be roughly divided into non-metal laser engraving machines (CO2 laser engraving machine) and metal laser engraving machines (fiber laser engraving machine).

The CNC engraving machine has a very wide range of applications and can be applied to various fields and industries. To this end, it is suitable for engraving and cutting various materials (except for materials with low melting points). The CNC engraver can be cut or make reliefs, and can be applied to furniture, musical instruments, handicrafts, molds, signs, souvenirs, and processable materials including wood, foam, acrylic, plastic, PVC, ABS, stone, imitation stone, marble, aluminum-plastic panels, copper, aluminum, and other soft metal materials.

Conclusion

The biggest difference between the laser engraver and CNC engraver is that the laser engraver machine’s tools are a complete set of optical components, while the CNC router machine’s tools are a collection of parts from various entities. The laser etching machine uses a laser’s high energy to cut or engrave the material, while the CNC carving machine uses a high-speed rotating cutter head to cut and engrave the material. This means that the process that the engraved object is submitted to differs between the two methods.

Having said that, there is a degree of interconnectivity between these two methods, as the laser engraving machine can work as a CNC carving machine and the CNC engraving machine can also be equipped with a laser head for engraving. Thus, depending on the usage and cut you require for your engraving projects, you may purchase a laser engraver, a CNC router, or a hybrid of the two.