Laser engraving

When thinking about laser engraving, wood and acrylic/plexiglass often come to mind. This is understandable, as both materials lend themselves extremely well to laser engraving. But the possibilities with a laser machine are much broader than often thought! In fact, a range of materials are suitable for laser engraving.

- Wood

Let's start by exploring wood, because when it comes to laser cutting or laser engraving wood, so many types of wood, so many different results. In fact, each type of wood has a unique effect on the engraving. Take poplar plywood, for example, where you often get a nice dark engraving (depending on your settings). But when using Greenplex, the effect is quite different and you can expect a more reddish-colored engraving. Also oak, spruce or pine each have their own influence on the final result. Which material best suits your design is really a matter of experimentation. You can easily discover what works best for logos, designs or text when laser engraving wood.

- Metal 

Another common material is metal. Think, for example, of nameplates with markings or more technical applications such as stainless steel plates on machines or other items. Metal is ideally suited for laser marking, but as with wood, there are different types to consider. Consider stainless steel, aluminum, nickel or zinc. It is important to know what type of metal you want to machine before you get started.

When laser marking metal, we often use a Cermark spray as a pre-treatment of the material. This spray ensures that your text on aluminum, stainless steel or any other type of metal will darken nicely.

- Glass

We also often use glass for laser engraving, for example to personalize an award or trophy, but also to provide wine glasses with a unique design. Laser engraving of glassware is performed using a BRM Laser machine, which uses a rotation unit. This tool makes it possible to accurately machine circular objects without losing the quality of the design. Laser engraving of flat materials does not require this unit. The machine offers the ability to easily engrave images or text into glass.

- Acrylic

In addition to wood, acrylic/plexiglass is also well suited for laser cutting and laser engraving. Moreover, laser cutting acrylic offers additional advantages in post-processing. The heat from the laser beam slightly melts the material together, giving you an even and smooth edge. This is in stark contrast to milling, where you often have to deal with rough, white edges that look like the material has been sandblasted.

- Learn

Leather, with its natural properties and variations, lends itself perfectly to laser engraving. The process results in beautiful, personalized leather products such as wallets, belts, and handbags, with the engraved designs creating an elegant and sophisticated look.

- Some textile fabrics

In addition, laser engraving is suitable for certain textile fabrics, especially those with high synthetic content or special coatings. The heat from the laser accurately marks these fabrics, providing opportunities for applying logos, names or other designs to garments, bags and accessories.

Laser engraving of acrylic usually results in a white or lighter engraving. This is because the plastic is cast or extruded, and the processing damages the material, so to speak, making it lighter. As with wood, the type of acrylic can greatly affect the look of the final product. Do you go for transparent acrylic or choose plastic with a print or pattern? The possibilities are endless.