Tips and advice for laser engraving wood, stone, rubber

1. Wood

Does laser cutting of wood burn?

Yes, the laser cutting process on wood is actually a sublimation process, however, this effect is not bad and in many cases is exactly what is needed to focus the laser accurately, select the right laser processing parameters,laserpecker compact laser engraver use the right optics and apply compressed air to get the best laser cutting and engraving results on wood.

Can any type of wood be used for laser processing?

Since wood is a natural material, laser users need to consider factors such as density and resin composition during laser processing of wood materials. Soft wood materials such as balsa require lower energy and faster speeds during laser cutting and processing,laserpecker 11 whereas hard woods such as high-density woods require higher laser power during laser processing. contains glued wood fibers, we recommend the use of compressed air during the laser process.

Is the laser engraving effect on wood always dark?

Laser engraving on wood generally results in brown markings. When laser engraving on lacquered wood, white laser engraving can also be achieved with the use of suitable laser processing parameters, for this application we recommend using a low laser power and high processing speed.

How do I achieve a deep black laser engraving effect?

By defocusing the laser spot by 0.5-2 mm the laser spot diameter becomes larger and the energy density of the laser decreases, so that a dark laser engraving effect can be achieved, but at the same time the details of the graphic may not be visible.

How to deal with soot generated in the laser processing area?

Laser cutting and processing of wood materials is actually a sublimation process, i.e. the solid material is oxidized and burned to a gaseous state under the action of the laser.

2. Stone

Which types of stone can be processed by laser engraving?

Lasers are particularly suitable for the engraving of polished dark-colored natural stone, such as granite, marble and basalt stone, etc. The better the homogeneity of the stone, the more detailed the texture, the better the laser engraving process, however, even cobblestones, as long as their surfaces are smooth enough, can also be engraved with a laser, and another ideal stone is the white marble - the laser engraving process can be formed to the effect of a uniform white engraving. Another ideal stone is white marble - laser engraving creates a uniform white engraving effect.

Can lasers also cut stone?

Lasers cannot cut stone.

How can laser engraved stone be engraved with greater contrast?

In order to achieve greater contrast, it is possible to spray synthetic resins or lacquers onto the laser engraved area. Especially on polished stone, resins and lacquers adhere better to the laser engraved (roughened) surface.

What are the factors to be considered if I want to laser engrave a photo?

Because stone generally has an uneven surface, it is best to use a coarser dot-matrix effect (250-333 dpi). In general, it is difficult to engrave fine pictures on stone, but of course this depends mainly on the texture of the stone itself.

3. rubber

How to make a stamp face by laser engraving process?

When making a seal face, make sure the design file has been mirrored, otherwise the seal impression will not be read properly. In order to get a clear and clean impression on paper, it is very important to make a "shoulder" shaped support, and the laser application software specializes in a seal engraving mode that will automatically set this option for you without any other operation.

How deep does the laser engraving need to be?

The depth of the stamp engraving should be set to 0.9 - 1.1 mm. The laser application software already contains a database of processing parameters optimized for laser processing of various materials.

Can rubber stamps also be laser cut?

The laser can cut rubber into a variety of shapes. In the laser application software there are many options for automatic cutting of shapes such as circles, rectangles or other shapes, etc. In addition, the "Stege" function option can be applied to the entire rubber sheet, which, when checked, interrupts the cutting line at a predefined position, thus facilitating the removal and cleaning of the stamp surface. This makes it easier to remove and clean the chapter surface.

Which type of focusing lens is suitable for laser engraving of stamp faces?

A 1.5" lens is recommended for text and detailed graphics on stamp faces.

What should I pay attention to when laser processing rubber?

Laser processing of rubber will produce odor and dust, so it is very important to equip a strong dust extraction and purification system, which also needs to be equipped with an activated carbon cartridge to filter out the odor, and at the same time, it is recommended to use the top-down method for laser engraving to prevent the accumulation of dust particles affecting the effect of laser engraving.

How to further improve productivity?

Laser engraving and processing rubber requires relatively high laser power to achieve a certain level of productivity, the higher the laser power, the faster the laser engraving speed.

How to clean the seal surface after laser engraving and cutting process?

The best way is to use an ultrasonic cleaning machine, of course, using a cleaner to brush with water is also possible.