Materials
Utilizing our laser, a host of materials can be transformed either by engraving, cutting, or marking. We can accommodate an engraving area up to 24 inches wide x 18 inches length (note that continuous length engraving is limited to table size, but item can be indexed to accommodate some larger pieces) x 20in. deep. Curved items can also be engraved and will be quoted based on size, configuration, and material of the item. Some projects may require submission of a sample product to test prior to proceeding to actual project.
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While the following list includes examples of suggested materials, we are not limited only to these. Any special, non-hazardous material requests can be reviewed and submitted for testing:
Industrial Components
Complex shapes and small parts can be laser engraved in components and is the preferred method for making permanent marks and for aesthetics. Dial faces, barcodes, instrument tags and logos are among the thousands of applications that can be achieved by our laser engraving services.
Medical Instruments
Laser marking is FDA approved. Permanent & smooth black making on most metal surfaces. The marks will not trap blood or other tissues, this makes cleaning and sterilization much easier. Many medical plastics can be laser engraved as well, such as Delrin, Teflon, Peek, and ABS.
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Electronics
Many electrical components can be marked using laser. We can engrave bar codes, 2d data matrix, serial #’s, diagrams, logos and text on a wide variety of electrical components from circuit boards to hand held radios.
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Promotional Items
We can engrave hundreds of thousands of different promotional items. There is no way we can list all the items, but here are a few. Flashlights, key chains, belt buckles, awards, trophies, pens, knives, gun barrels, gun stocks, business cards, glass ware and all types of wedding items. Please call with your specific requirements.
Plastics
Most plastics mark very well. The marks will be a finely etched pattern that left natural will be a frosty color or can be back filled with paint. Everything from simple text to photographs can be marked on plastic. Plastic cuts very well with laser also. The laser cut produces crystal-clear cutting edges and inner contours and no additional after-treatment of the material is required. Cast PMMA is cut without burrs. No cost- and time-intensive manual flame polishing of the cutting edge is required. When engraving acrylic glass and Plexiglas, the laser removes the surfaces.
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Photograph Engraving
Not all photographs are meant to be laser engraved. The best photographs have large amounts of gradual shading or blending of one color into another. Photos that have large areas or blocks of dark and light colors tend to look blocky when lasered. The photos with a lot of grey, or gradual blending of light and dark tend to produce a very pleasing lasered image because of the almost 3D effect that the shading produces. If you are an experienced Photoshop user you can take a “blocky” type of photograph and manipulate it to create a blended look to the photograph.
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Other types of photographs that are not laser compatible are newspaper photographs and some magazine photographs. When you scan a newspaper photo or a magazine photo you pick up the dot patterns that the printers use to create the image. These dot patterns become very pronounced in the scanning process and are completely unacceptable for laser processing.
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Glass
Most glass products mark very well. The finish is an etched look. Logo’s, text and some graphics can be marked into glass. Flat 18″ x 24″. Round Up to 5″ in dia. Generally speaking, flat glass tends to have a very consistent hardness throughout, and the engraved areas do not tend to have lighter and darker areas. Bottles on the other hand, tend to have soft and hard spots that will cause the engraved area to appear lightly frosted in one area and heavily frosted in another.
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Metals
Laser marking has proved successful for etching metals owing to its durability and the fact that it does not damage the material.
Typical areas of application for laser marking of metals include product labeling and coding in the electronics industry (mobile phones, iPads), tool construction, and medical technology. Annealing marking is an especially suitable process that allows for burr-free marking that is gentle on the material. Many non-reflective metals can be marked. The laser leaves a permanent marking. Serial #’s and barcodes are available.
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Wood
Most woods engrave extremely well. The laser leaves dark contrasting color etched into the surface. Can be left natural or color filled and sealed. See cutting-wood also. Wood is by far the most laser friendly material available. It can be engraved or cut very easily. When engraved, lighter colored woods like cherry or maple produce very nice contrast where the laser burns away the wood. This high visual contrast is what makes lighter woods so popular.
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