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.

Marble:

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.

Wood:

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.

Plastics, Metals, and Other Materials:

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.

New Processes:

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.