Laser engraving is a relatively recent development in the engraving industry given that the first historical evidence of engraving dates back to the beginning of the 1st Millennium BC. At the same time the basic technology is around for a while already. However, it really became popular approximately 10 to 15 years ago. Early applications were similar to the ones today but a very limited range of materials were available and it was an expensive and slow process.
Historically, the first working laser was built in 1960 by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes Research Labs in California, however, for scientific use only. Since then, the basic idea and concept have not changed a whole lot since then but of course the components and production methods have which made the products more reliable and cheaper. Today a large variety of different laser wavelengths and powers are available making almost unlimited applications possible: from simple laser pointers (milliwatt range) to all kinds of engraving, marking and e.g. medical applications up to high powered cutting and welding lasers (kilowatt range). Engraving lasers are on the lower end of the spectrum, usually ranging between 12 and 120W.
Compared to mechanical engraving the laser process offers a range of advantages. First and foremost, it is way more flexible and the systems are usually much simpler to operate. From a business perspective, lasers offer higher productivity and less maintenance. At the same time there are some applications where mechanical engravers have a clear advantage (such as deep engraving of metals).
Whoever decides for a laser needs to count in higher initial set up costs, however, less maintenance (depending of the product), less expenses of consumables (such as cutters) and much higher productivity offset that very quickly. Running costs that are involved in laser engraver again depend on the product and vary from no maintenance to scheduled replacements of certain parts. One fact that all systems have in common is that laser tubes needs refurbishment (like tires of a car) every 3-5 years depending on the usage and more importantly on the supplier of the laser source. Offers range from the worst case, most Chinese fabrications (estimated lifetime is months not years) up to market leaders like Synrad. Some laser manufacturers are utilising their self-made tubes, mostly with mixed results.
Easy to operate.
Another plus is, laser engraving requires a far lower level of technical know-how to operate the system than a mechanical engraving machine. Simply because it can run similar to a desktop printer with little or no set up activities, mostly depending on the software provided by laser supplier. Every mechanical job on the other hand requires a more complex set up of the job in the software as well as positioning the item in the machine, choosing and mounting the right cutter, etc.
Laser engraving is safe investment.
As price levels generally go down the market for laser engravers has been constantly growing over the last ten years it can be expected to continue to grow as more and more people have access to this technology and innovative laser suppliers are constantly trying to make running the machines easier and easier. Also, at the moment there are no huge technological jumps on the horizon that could be the next revolution.
Lasers should be able to grow with your business.
There is whole variety of accessories and upgrades for laser units on the market. Mostly when we think of upgrades we think in terms of hardware, such as rotary attachments or higher laser power. It is worth while comparing those possibilities there before the purchase, since there are big differences between the suppliers. At the same time, on a day-to-day basis, the software that runs the laser is critical and is very often underestimated by first-time buyers. The range goes here from basic printer drivers to very flexible and easy to use job management software. Taking the time to compare in this matter up-front can save hours and hours of extra labour work in daily operations.
Take advantage of laser technology.
There is a far larger range of applications that can be profitably done with a laser compared to a mechanical engraver. Also the range of laserable materials is constantly increasing. Standard, so called CO2 laser systems can engrave and cut any non-metal material with only a few exceptions – materials like wood, plastics, rubber, textiles, glass, anodized metals, etc. Some laser suppliers also offer systems for marking metals directly, however in vastly different qualities of the final product. So a comparison here is again worth while. A conventional engraver, however, has a clear advantage in deep-engraving metals which is a lengthy, thus, mostly unprofitable process with a laser.
In conclusion, laser engraving has come a long way from a being an “early-adopter” process that we could find here and there to a widely spread and constantly growing method to extend product ranges, reduce labour intensive work and speed up production processes, thus, making businesses more profitable.