The Benefits of Custom Laser Engraving
Did you know that KAD provides custom laser engraving services?
With our OmTech 30W Fiber Laser Marker, we can perform these services in-house:
- Marking: uses low-heat beams to discolor a material’s surface
- Engraving: vaporizes a material’s surface to create precise grooves
- Etching: melts a material’s surface to create raised marks
- Indelible inking: adds paint to a material’s surface, almost like a permanent marker
Let’s take a closer look at custom laser engraving so you can decide if it’s a service that would suit your next project.
Popular Applications for Laser Engraving
Custom laser engraving is an excellent way to add company logos, creative designs, barcodes, QR codes, marketing information, and other details to components.
At KAD, we provide laser engraving services for these common applications:
- Branding completed parts. Many companies request laser engraving services to mark completed parts with logos and other text.
- Branding corporate swag. Does your company have an event coming up? Get corporate swag, giveaway prizes, and merchandise specially engraved! Our team of experts can take any image or text and engrave it onto pens, keychains, sunglasses, and other items.
- QR codes. Companies use laser engraving to mark equipment with QR codes to assist in training staff. When new employees join the company, they can scan the QR code on a given machine with their phone, opening an internal training video for that piece of equipment.
The Best (And Worst!) Materials for Laser Engraving
Some materials are better suited for laser engraving than others.
Most hard materials are great candidates for laser engraving. Our precision machine shop frequently engraves wood, plastic, steel, and aluminum.
Softer materials, on the other hand, are not ideal for this capability. For example, G-10 (a fiberglass composite) is too soft for us to engrave successfully. And while engraving rubber is technically possible, we don’t recommend it. (The smell alone is terrible!)
Color Considerations
There is typically minimal color involved with laser engraving, but there are some considerations to keep in mind.
For example, laser engraving can discolor stainless steel, making it appear tan or gray. And if we laser engrave a part that has been anodized, it will change the color to white.
If you’d like to add color to a part after the laser engraving process, there are chemical sprays we can use to meet your requirements.
Custom Laser Engraving Services at KAD
Ready to take advantage of KAD’s custom laser engraving services? Here are a few final considerations:
- If you want an image laser engraved onto your part or product, the image should measure no more than 8” x 8”.
- We’re happy to accept design files in any format—JPEG, Adobe Illustrator, DXF, or even a hand drawing. We can convert almost any type of file at our shop.
- Don’t be afraid to submit complex designs! The point on our laser has a diameter of nearly 0.0”, so we can easily achieve intricate details.