I don’t know about you but to me, the word ‘engraving’ conjures up a picture of olden times. You might wonder what role engraving systems in Australia even have in 2019. The fact is, it can be a game-changer.
We’re talking, of course, about laser engraving, which seems to have an endless list of amazing uses in many service areas and industries.
One of the most common uses for laser engraving on the Sunshine Coast is branding and logo creation. In a world where businesses really need to stand out to get noticed, laser engraving is an amazing tool.
The beauty of using laser engraving for this purpose is the range of materials it’s suitable for. You can laser engrave metal, wood, acrylic and more. That’s why it’s such an advantage for the signage industry. More than a quarter of businesses now have laser engraved business signs.
Engraving Systems Australia
Interestingly, one of the largest industries to use laser engraving is the food industry. It’s used for signage, menus, glasses and plates, but also for engraving ‘food safe’ logos and for food labelling. There are even laser engraving machines that can be used directly on some foods, such as citrus fruit.
Another industry that relies heavily on laser engraving systems in Australia is manufacturing. Lasers are used to engrave serial numbers, press numbers and other vital information. You may have come across this yourself, when something in the home has gone wrong and you are asked for the serial number of the product or part. Laser engraving is used extensively in industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical and electronic.
Clearly, there laser engraving offers many benefits over other traditional methods. It’s incredibly precise, very readable, durable and safer for the engraver. It is also considered more environmentally friendly than most other methods, as it uses no harmful chemicals. It also produces less waste.
Laser Engraving Sunshine Coast
One of the best things about laser engraving systems is that it’s non-contact. In other words, the laser doesn’t actually touch the material being engraved. This avoids the abrasion damage often found after using older methods.
It can also work at a range of depths, be used on glass and ceramic and it’s super-efficient. You can switch between materials and depths with ease, rather than having to change to alternative tools and methods.
Laser engraving works extremely well on stainless steel, which is an advantage, as steel is one of the most widely used materials, being affordable and strong. It can also be used on brass, which is often a hard metal to work with, due to its low melting point, high level of thermal conductivity and high shine finish.
Pewter is also a difficult material with which to work, again due to its low melting point, but it’s no challenge to the latest laser engraving systems in Australia.
Laser Technology
Another major industry to benefit from laser technology is the medical industry or, more accurately, health technology. Medical tools are getting smaller and are required to be incredibly precise. The process also needs to be cost-effective.
The most common materials used in the medical industry are metal, plastic and glass, making laser engraving the perfect tool. Serial numbers and other information need to be readable by human and by machine.
Laser engraving on the Sunshine Coast has other uses apart from industrial. We have already touched on the use of lasers for business signage, and it can also be used aesthetically, in art and jewellery making.
Computer Controlled
A real plus with laser engraving is that it can be computer controlled. That means it can be used with a CNC Router. CNC refers to computer numerical control. Clearly, this offers many benefits, including cost savings for the client. It also means logos, designs and other data can be stored for future use, again saving money, as well as time.
CNC Routers are great engraving machines, because they tend to have a large bed and a high-speed spindle. This type of spindle is a must when engraving ‘soft’ materials – like copper.
As technology has advanced, different types of laser have been introduced. The most common laser used in engraving systems in Australia is the C02 gas laser. This laser offers high efficiency and excellent beam quality and are well suited to non-metallic materials.
Fibre lasers are great for use on metal and plastics and the beam is about 100 times more powerful than the C02 laser. You can also get crystal lasers and laser diodes, although the latter is rarely used.
The best course of action when it comes to laser engraving on the Sunshine Coast is to find a company that has been offering the service for some time. Be sure to check that they have an onsite CNC Router, and that they can work on all materials. If it’s business signage you’re after, you should also choose a provider with signage design experience.