Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

1, grayscale performance

Ordinary mechanical engraving machines cannot engrave points of varying thickness in an economical manner and thus do not have a grayscale representation. The laser engraving machine realizes engraving by means of dot punching, and has the natural advantage in gray scale performance. For this reason, the gray scale expression is used as much as possible in the engraving design. This has the advantage of reducing the coloring process and saving the cost; on the other hand, enriching the representation of the engraving and increasing the level of the graphics. When the user is using, first make different grayscale fills in the graphics (the text should be converted into graphics first), and the engraving output selects the black and white mode. You can try the effect of different dots, and the precision generally does not exceed 500dpi.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

 

2, carving materials

Logs (raw wood)

Wood is by far the most commonly used laser processing material and is easy to engrave and cut. Light wood like birch, cherry or maple is easily vaporized by laser and is therefore more suitable for engraving. Each type of wood has its own characteristics, some of which are dense, such as hardwood, which requires greater laser power for engraving or cutting. We recommend studying the engraving properties first before carving less familiar wood.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

 

(1) Plywood

Carving on plywood is not much different from carving on wood, but one thing to note is that the depth of engraving should not be too deep. The edge of the cut plywood will also be black like wood. The key is to see if the plywood is made of that kind of wood.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

Wood carving

In general, engraving on wood is usually a vulture, and the depth of engraving is generally required to be deep. This power is generally set higher, such as encountering harder wood may make the engraved graphics color darker. If you want to make the color lighter, you can increase the speed of engraving and try to sculpt several times. Some woods will produce some fumes attached to the surface of the wood. If the wood has been painted with a damp cloth, it can be carefully wiped off. If it is not painted, it may not be cleaned, causing the surface of the finished product to be stained.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

Wood cutting

The depth of cutting wood by laser engraving machine is generally not deep. The maximum cutting depth depends on the material of the wood and the power of the laser. If you want to cut thick wood, it can slow down the cutting speed, but it may cause the wood to burn. For specific operations, try using large-size lenses and repeating them.

 

Coloring

After wood carving, there is generally a feeling of being burned. Matching the color of the wood has an original artistic beauty. The depth of the color depends mainly on the laser power and the engraving speed. But some woods are usually softer in texture, and you can't change their color (such as birch) anyway. For the coloring of the finished product, an acrylic pigment can be used.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

 

(2) density veneer

Ordinary density veneer

This type of MDF is the kind of wood pallet we often use for signage liners. The material is a high-density board with a thin wood grain on the surface. Lasers can be engraved on such materials, but the engraved patterns are not uniform in color and black, and are generally colored. Normally you can use a 0.5mm two-color plate for proper design with proper design.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

Laser-specific density veneer

Some MDFs are specially designed for laser engraving. The engraved patterns are uniform in color, and they are not colored and have good effects. clean

After engraving, use a damp cloth to clean the surface of the MDF.

Coloring

Acrylic or alkyd paints can be used. When engraving, the color of the graphic can be set to 60% gray, so that the bottom surface of the engraving has some pockmarks to improve the adhesion of the color.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

(3) Acrylic (a kind of plexiglass)

Acrylic is the most commonly used engraving material for wood. It is easy to cut and engrave. It has a variety of shapes and sizes and is relatively inexpensive. There are two production processes for plexiglass: casting and calendering. The laser engraving machine mainly uses plexiglass produced by casting, because its frosting effect after laser engraving is very white, which is in sharp contrast with the original transparent texture. The plexiglass produced is still transparent after laser engraving, and there is not enough contrast. When buying plexiglass, you should emphasize to the dealers a good variety of high purity, otherwise the materials that are bought back may melt when carved or cut.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

Sculpture

In general, the plexiglass is back-engraved, that is, it is engraved from the front and viewed from the back, which makes the finished product more three-dimensional. Please mirror the graphics in the back carving, and the carving speed is faster and the power is lower. If the power is too high when engraving, there will be uneven stripes on the bottom surface. If you want to dig deeper, try to sculpt several times. In the case of back carving, the coloring should be carved deeper and then polished with a flame polisher to fill the color. If not polished, the color seen from the front will not be uniform.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

Cutting

Plexiglass is relatively easy to cut. If the customer's requirements are not high, the laser can be delivered after cutting, without the need for flame polishing. Otherwise, an air blower should be used during cutting to improve the quality of the cut. When cutting plexiglass over 8mm, the lens of large size should be replaced.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

Note: The operator should not leave when cutting the plexiglass, and there may be a flame when cutting.

Clean

Use a damp cloth to clean the surface after engraving

Coloring

Acrylic pigments can be used, and other pigments can damage the finish of the plexiglass.

 

 

(4) two-color board

The two-color board is a kind of engineering plastic specially designed for engraving composed of two or more layers of colors. The specifications are generally 600*1200mm, and a small number of brand specifications are 600*900mm. Engraved two-color plates are commonly used for various signage and badges. In the two-color board, it can be divided into two categories: mechanical and laser. Some of the mechanical boards can also be used for laser engraving. The characteristics of the laser engraving board are: 1.3mm & 0.8mm for the surface color layer and 1.5 for the mechanical board. Mm), our experience is: If the surface of the board is very thin, it can be laser engraved. If the surface is thicker, try two engravings.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 Sculpture

If you are using a laser plate, the effect will be very good, with obvious contrast and sharp edges. When using a mechanical board with a thin surface, the engraving effect is not much different from that of the laser board. If you look closely, the edge may not be as clear as the laser board. Users generally do not use mechanical plates with thicker surfaces. Otherwise, the laser power should be adjusted to a smaller value. Repeated engraving has been done to remove the bottom surface as much as possible. The final effect may not be too good. In a two-color plate with a large contrast (such as a blackboard), an engraved grayscale image can be designed. After a large number of engravings, the two-color plate itself may be somewhat deformed, and can be heated by hand and leveled by hand.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

Cutting

Under normal circumstances, the user will ask you to cut the two-color board. If you are using a laser board, you can cut it after engraving. Pay attention to the speed is not too slow, do not cut through once, should be carried out three or four times, so that the edge of the cut material is flat, there is no trace of melting. The power during engraving should be just right, not too large to avoid the appearance of melting marks. If you use a mechanical plate, you can only cut it to 50% depth, then use your hand to break it and sand the edge with a sandpaper. If you have a mechanical machine, you can cut it on the machine first, then engrave it on the laser machine.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

Clean

After engraving, use a damp cloth or alcohol to clean the surface. However, it should be noted that if the laser power is set too high during engraving, it may cause a layer of dust that is difficult to wipe off on the surface of the two-color board.

Coloring

If the user requirements are not high, you can use the dots to represent the different colors in the logo. If you want to paint the area to be deeper, you can use acrylic or alkyd enamel. Other paints may damage the surface finish of the two-color board.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

 

(5) Glass

The laser can be engraved on the surface of the glass, but the depth of engraving is not deep and cannot be cut. Under normal circumstances, the laser can form a frosting or breaking effect on the surface of the glass. Usually the user wants to get the effect of frosting instead of breaking. The key depends on the texture of the glass and whether the hardness is consistent.

Sculpture

Glass engraving is usually difficult to control. Follow the steps below to make a smoother matte finish: apply a little wash on the area to be engraved, and load a newspaper or napkin that is slightly larger than the area to be engraved. The paper is completely soaked, and the excess water is squeezed out, and the wet paper is placed in the engraved area to be flat and not wrinkled. Place the glass in the engraving machine, engrave the paper while it is still wet, then remove the glass, remove the remaining paper, and clean the glass surface. Gently use a 3M ScotchBrite to polish the glass surface if needed. Under normal circumstances, the laser power setting should be some water, the accuracy is set at 300dpi, the engraving speed is faster, you can try to use large size lenses for engraving.

Note: When laser engraving lead-containing crystals should be doubled, the lead-containing crystals have different coefficients of expansion than ordinary crystals, which may cause crystal cracks or breakage during engraving. A small power setting can avoid this problem, but you should always be on the lookout for a break.

Laser engraving machine for wood and acrylic

 

 

Clean

After the engraving, use a damp cloth to clean the surface.