Tips When Laser Engraving Different Materials
When Laser Engraving - MDF
1. Ordinary MDF
This type of MDF is the kind of wood pallet that we usually use for sign lining board. The material is high density board with thin wood grain on the surface. Lasers can be used to engrave on it, but the resulting patterns are uneven and dark, so they are usually colored separately. Usually you can get better results by inlaying a 0.5mm double color sheets.
2. MDF for Laser Engraver
Some density boards are specially designed for laser engraving. The engraved patterns are even in color and have a good effect without coloring.
Clean
Use a wet cloth to clean the surface of the density board after engraving.
Coloring
Usually use acrylic paint or alkyd paint after engraving. When engraving, the graphics color can be set to 60% gray level, so that the bottom of the sculpture has some pitting and that would improve the adhesion of the color.
When Laser Engraving - Acrylic
Acrylic is the most commonly used engraving material after wood. It is easy to cut and engrave,which can be carved in a variety of shapes and sizes, and is relatively inexpensive. There are two kinds of plexiglass production process: casting and rolling. However, laser engraving usually use the plexiglass after casting, because it is the frost after laser engraving effect is very white. And contrast with the original transparent texture, the plexiglass after rolling is still transparent and there is no difference. When buying plexiglass, you should transfer to the seller a good kind of high purity, otherwise the material you buy back may be melted when engraving or cutting.
Engraving
In general, plexiglass is carved on the back, which makes the finished product more three-dimensional. When engraving on the back, please mirror the figure first, and the engraving speed should be fast and the power should be low. If the engraving power is too high, the bottom will appear uneven stripes. If you want to carve deeper, try carving several times. In the case of back carving, partial coloring should first color the place where engraved deeper, and the place can be colored after the use of flame polishing machine. If not polished, the color from the front will not be uniform.
Cutting
Plexiglass is relatively easy to cut, if customer requirements are not high, after cutting can be delivered without flame polishing. Otherwise, air blowing device should be used when cutting to improve the quality of the incision. We should replace the larger size of the lens when cutting more than 8mm plexiglass.
Note: The operator must not leave when cutting plexiglass, there may be flame when cutting.
Clean
Clean the surface with a damp cloth after engraving.
Coloring
Acrylic can be used,and other pigments may damage the finish of the plexiglass.
When Laser Engraving - Double Color Sheets, ABS
Double color sheets is a kind of plastic made of two layers or more than two. Its specifications are generally 600*1200mm, and there are a small number of brand specifications for 600*900mm. POWMRK is recognized as the best brand for its stable quality and complete range of products. Engraved two-tone panels are often made into signage and name tags. Double color sheets can be divided into mechanical and laser, part of the mechanical plate can also be used for laser engraving. Laser engraving plate features: thin surface color layer (< 0.1mm) laser plate is generally 1.3mm&0.8mm. Mechanical plate is generally 1.5mm), our conclusion is: if the surface color of the board is very thin, it can be engraved by laser, if the surface color is thicker, it can be engraved again
Engraving
If the laser engraving board is used, the engraving effect is very good, because there is great contrast and clear edges. When using a mechanical plate with a thinner surface, the engraving effect is not much different from that of a laser plate. But if you look closely, the edges may not be as sharp as the laser plate. Users generally do not use the thick surface of the kind of mechanical plate, otherwise it is necessary to adjust the laser power smaller and repeat engraving, but the final effect may not be too good. After a lot of carving, the Double color sheets itself may be somewhat deformed, which can be heated with hot water and leveled by hand.
Cutting
Under normal circumstances, the user will ask you to cut the double color plate. If you are using a laser plate, cut it off after engraving. We can engrave three or four times and the speed cannot be too slow, so that the edge of the cut material is smooth, no trace of melting. Engraving processing power should not be too large, in order to avoid the appearance of melting traces. With mechanical boards, you can only cut them to 50% depth, then break them by hand and sandpaper the edges down. If the user has a mechanical machine can be cut off on the machine, and then to the laser engraving machine.
Clean
Clean the surface with a damp cloth or alcohol after carving. But it should be noted that, if the laser power setting is too high when engraving, it may make the surface of theDouble color sheets adhere to a layer of dust that is difficult to erase.
Coloring
If the user is not demanding, you can use dots to represent those different colors. To engrave the painted area deeper, use acrylic paint or alkyd enamel, because other paints may damage the finish of the surface of the double color sheets.
When Laser Engraving - Glass
Lasers can engrave on glass surfaces, but glass cannot be engraved too deep and be cut. Under normal circumstances, the laser will cause the glass surface to form frost or broken. Normally, users want to get frosted rather than broken, which depends on the quality and hardness of the glass.
Carving
Engraving glass is often more difficult to control. If you want to make more smooth surface of the frost, you need to wipe on a bit cleaner in the region of engraving, then need a slightly bigger than engraving area of newspapers or napkins. Paper completely soaking wet and squeeze excess water, put the wet paper carving area paving without wrinkles. Put the glass in the engraver, and engrave the paper while it is still wet, then remove the glass and the remaining paper, and clean the surface of the glass. If needed, lightly polish the glass surface with 3M ScotchBrite. Actually, the laser power setting should be larger, the accuracy should be set at 300Dpi, and the engraving speed should be faster. You can try to uselarge lenses for engraving.
Notes: extra attention should be paid on laser engraving of leaded crystals. Leaded crystals have a different coefficient of expansion than ordinary crystals, which may cause cracks or breakage during engraving. A smaller power setting can avoid this problem, but you should still guard against glass breakage.
Clean
Clean the surface with a damp cloth after engraving
Color
Acrylic pigments can be used for coloring.
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