Marking, also known as laser engraving, laser marking, or laser marking, is a type of surface treatment process that, like screen printing and pad printing, involves the printing of words or patterns on a product. However, compared to laser engraving, it has the advantages of fast marking speed, beautiful image marking, high resolution, never wear and tear, wide range, safety, reliability, high accuracy, consistent effect, high speed, low cost, strong anti-counterfeit, etc.
Principle
The laser's primary function is to emit a high-intensity focused laser beam at the focal point, causing the material to oxidize and thus be processed. Marking has the effect of exposing the deep material through the evaporation of the surface material or the chemical-physical transformation of the surface material through the light energy, or by burning off part of the material through the light energy and "engraving" the trace, or by burning off part of the material through the light energy and displaying the necessary etched graphics and text.
Classification
The engraving method can be divided into dot matrix engraving and vector cutting.
Dot matrix engraving: This is similar to high-definition dot matrix printing. First, the laser head swings from side to side, each time carving out a line consisting of a series of dots. Then the laser head moves up and down simultaneously to engrave multiple lines, finally forming a full-page image or text.
Vector engraving: Carried out on the outer contour line of the graphic, this mode is usually used for penetration cutting on wood, paper, acrylic, and other materials, as well as for marking operations on a variety of material surfaces.
Performance
The performance of a laser engraving machine is mainly determined by its engraving speed, engraving intensity, and spot size.
Engraving speed: refers to the speed at which the laser head moves, usually expressed in IPS (inches per second). Generally speaking, high speed brings high productivity. Speed can also be used to control the depth of a cut or engraving. For a given laser intensity, the slower the speed, the greater the depth of cut or engraving. The engraving speed can be adjusted through the laser engraver's control panel or by using the computer's print driver program. The adjustment is 1% in the range of 1% to 100%.
Engraving intensity: The greater the intensity, the deeper the cut or engraving will be.
Spot size can be adjusted using lenses with different focal lengths. A lens with a small spot is suitable for high-resolution engraving. The lens with a large spot is suitable for lower-resolution engraving, and it is the best choice for vector engraving. The standard configuration is usually a 2.0-inch lens. Its spot size is in the middle, suitable for various applications.
System Composition
1. Laser engraving machine
The laser beam is used to engrave a permanent mark on the surface of a material or inside a transparent material. The laser beam can produce both chemical and physical effects on the material. When the material instantly absorbs the laser light, it produces a physical or chemical reaction, thus engraving a mark or displaying a pattern or text. So it is also known as a laser marking machine or a laser engraving machine.
2. Applicable materials
Bamboo wood products, organic glass, metal plate, glass, stone, crystal, Corian, paper, two-color plate, aluminum oxide, leather, plastic, epoxy resin, polyester resin, and spray metal.
