STONE, TILE & MARBLE LASER ENGRAVERS
Stones, marble and tile engraving or etching with CO2 Laser Engravers – Possibilities and business options
Laser engraving tasks today can handle the process of etching into natural stone, marble and tile in such a way that is extremely precise. Other styles of engraving in the past could often lead to chips and errors especially in the process of engraving natural stone. Rather than having to use a cutting tool or previous technology that could be effected by dust and debris from rocks, a co2 laser engraver represents one of the best possible ways to etch an image, monogram or other item into stone, marble or tiles.
The best applications with CO2 laser engravers and stone:
Laser engraving can be a beautiful way to personalize the look of items such as granite, marble or even natural stone. Completing a personal image or message that will be etched in stone for a lifetime can make for a wonderful keepsake and a message that someone will be sure to remember for a full lifetime.
Today’s CO2 laser engravers for natural stone are some of the most reliable machines on the market. They can stay up and running with very minimal maintenance and handle the process of engraving a wide range of stone products.
Some of the current stone materials that typical CO2 lasers are capable of engraving with include:
Granite, Pebbles, Stone tiles, Natural stone, Slate, Basalt, Marble, Salt crystals, Quartz, ceramic, porcelain and more.
The engraving designs that are completed on these types of mementos are something that can be enjoyed for years to come. They can work in a number of applications for gifts like coasters, picture frames, artwork, awards, gravestones and more. Engraved finishes such as detailed pictures generally look the best when they are added to darker style stone. Through the help of the laser guided computer technology it is possible to build a distinctive marker that can be enjoyed over generations. The finish engraved marks come out as a lighter color and can virtually jump off of the look of a darker stone.
Custom settings for every material type:
Perhaps one of the most powerful features of new CO2 laser applications is that they can be customized to suit any type of material. The power and speed of the laser can be adjusted to produce detailed images on every type of stone and the program can be changed based off of the material for each item. 100 watt lasers for example can only use around 30% of their power at 300 mm every second two engraved with a considerable and permanent depth. This can also be adjusted to suit the depth of lighter material like sandstone or even a brick if the next program requires a change.
Choosing the best options for your project:
When you are getting laser etching for stone done for any type of custom project it is important to consider the longevity and where you plan on housing a laser etched piece. If you would like to have laser engraving pieces that are going to be spending time outside, you should consider the idea of using granite over softer materials like sandstone. Granite is one of the hardest materials for outside use meaning that it can stand up to a variety of different weather conditions.
Granite is also one of the most popular styles of stone that's commonly used in tombstone design because it has a hardness rating of 7/10 compared with marble that generally only stands up with a 3/10. These types of materials are far less likely to chip and see the signs of wear even if they are kept outside or in conditions where they might be exposed to the elements.
The big advantages that can come with using a laser over other engraving tools:
Using a laser for engraving stone currently represents one of the cheapest and most reliable methods that's available on the market today. Rather than having to purchase a cutting tool which may commonly have to be diamond tipped, a laser engraving machine can often do the job with a greater level of precision and with far less energy required.
The machines require very little maintenance and the power levels can be adjusted to suit almost any type of material. This can save an extended amount of time with changing out power settings, cutting heads and more.
Furthermore, CO2 laser machines for engraving can cause far less chance for error with stone engraving tasks as there is a lesser chance for shipping or material quality issues when there is no cutting head directly impacting the piece.
Consider some of these top options and more if you need stone laser engraving for manufacturing or for one specific project you are working on.