Laser Engraving Machine Buying Guide

Home and office laser engraving have become so much easier these days. Once strictly used by industrial manufacturers, laser engraving is increasingly adopted by small businesses, product designers, makers, and even hobbyists. In some cases, a laser engraver might prove to be the most advantageous manufacturing technology for your specific application. In this post, we'll tell you how to choose a suitable and high quality laser engraving machine.

What is laser engraving machine?

Laser Engraving (or Laser Etching) is a Subtractive Manufacturing method, that uses a laser beam to change the surface of an object.

This process is mostly used to create images on the material, that may be seen at eye level. To do so, the laser creates high heat that will vaporize the matter, thus exposing cavities that will form the final image. It is using the laser for marking the surface of an item.

How does laser engraving machine works?

This laser engraving machine method is quick, as the material is removed with each pulse of the laser. The depth of the marks is controlled by the number of times the laser beam is passing on the material.

There are different types of laser engraving machines :
First ones are engraver machines where the workpiece stay stable, only the laser moves (or inversely). Other machines dedicated to cylindrical workpieces. The last possibilities are laser engraving machines where the laser and the workpiece are both immobile but galvo mirrors are moving the laser beam on the surface to engrave.

Difference between Laser Etching and Laser Engraving

Laser Etching is a subset of Laser Engraving. In this particular case, the heat from the beam is not used to vaporize the matter, but to melt it. It is mostly used on metals, and will expand the material by creating a raised cavity. It thus modifies its characteristics, such as its reflectivity, and will create a contrast with its surroundings.

Compared to other processes using lasers, such as Laser Cutting or Laser Etching, Laser Engraving keeps the initial shape of the material, and is the most common option to create personalized or customized objects. Logos, serial numbers, or pictures are typically the kind of creations thatcan be done thanks to Laser Engraving.

Laser Marking is less common but quite popular in the medical device industry. One of the major difference with Laser Engraving and Laser Etching is that here, the oxidation during the marking process make the material turn black. This laser marker technique is also good for logos or bar codes.

How to choose a good laser engraving machine?

Laser tube power.
According to the difference of material and content of laser engraving machine. The appropriate wattage of laser tube should be selected, and the engraving of acrylic and two-color plate does not need too much laser tube power, but for example, wood and stone carving and any material cutting may need high power laser tube. in order to get twice the result with half the effort.

Product content to be processed.
According to different ways of use, laser equipment can also be divided into three types: engraving, cutting and marking. Basically, some are special machines and some have multiple functions, which should be selected according to the main needs.

Engraving speed.
Laser engraving machine can produce more products at a faster speed in a very short time in order to create higher profits, so the speed is often the key to receiving orders and making money.

Carving precision.
The biggest difference between laser engraving and traditional engraving equipment and manual engraving is its high precision.