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Aim Controls can help you with a variety of industrial laser
system engraving applications. Aim has high quality CO2, YAG
and UV lasers to evaluate your laser engraving application.
Contact an Aim engineer to discuss your particular application.
Typically, engraving on almost all materials is done by using
a two tone ("posterized") process, similar to that
used to print black and white photos in newspapers. True "gray
scale" engraving is not used because the output power
of CO2 lasers is not stable enough over a sufficient period
of time to avoid tonal differences in the image (the most
common effect is called "banding"). Aim Controls
is capable of providing CO2 laser engraving systems that have
the output power sufficiently controlled to allow true grey
scale engraving, if desired.
Black marble is the material most commonly used for engraving
images. This process is done with CO2 lasers ranging typically
from 25 to 100 watts used in a "raster scan" mode.
Higher power lasers allow for faster engraving times up to
the point where the speed of the mechanical system limits
maximum acceleration for the rastering process. Galvanometers
can sometimes be used, depending upon the image(s) to be engraved;
however, the maximum size of the engraved piece is usually
limited to 6 x 6 inches (or thereabouts) and the resolution
is somewhat reduced.
Certain woods with the right grain can be very effective
as an engraving medium, depending largely upon the type of
image. Generally, fine grain hardwoods are used with a CO2
laser of 50-100 watts. Most wood engraving is done in a "raster
scan" mode, but some emblems, insignia, and similar designs
are best done in a "vector" mode. In a vector mode,
a galvanometer is often the best solution for production quantities.
Most plastics, Metals, and other materials (paper, textiles)
do not have a sufficient range of sensitivity to be engraved
in a grey scale manner, and thus, a two tone process is used.
However, there are certain specialized materials that have
been developed (and new ones continue to emerge) that allow
for a reasonably wide range of tonal sensitivity.
Aim is always interested in researching and developing new
processes. There are a variety of color dyes, polymers, and
other new materials that can be used as the engraving surface
and/or affect the engraving characteristics of the underlying
material. If you have a unique material that needs to be engraved
with a wide tonal range, contact Aim Controls.
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