Laser engraving has become a common technology today. Not long ago, it was only used at an industrial level, in sectors such as automotive or aerospace. However, with the growing popularity of this device, the big manufacturers have started to introduce a new generation of devices in much smaller sizes and at a convenient price. Thus, the engraving captured the audience and their imagination.
Of course, a laser engraver is a serious investment, whether you use it for your business or just a hobby. Therefore, it is important to find out as many details and information as possible before buying such a device.
Within the laser machine industry, there are an infinite number of different technologies, formats, powers, and prices. When you first consider buying a small or medium format laser engraving and cutting machine to expand your business or start a new project, you often get lost in a tangle of numbers, units, and concepts that are not always easy to put in order. On the other hand, many users are wondering how long will a laser engraver last. If you are one of them, this guide will help you know everything about it.
What is laser engraving?
Laser engraving is a process by which a beam of laser light is focused on a point, to mark materials such as wood, metal, glass, plastic, leather, etc., with an image, text, or symbols. The device uses a focused laser to produce a large amount of heat so that surface material is removed, leaving behind the desired image or text.
Depending on the material, the device uses the laser at different powers and distances from the object to achieve the desired pattern. Too much distance or too little power will not cut the material properly, but too close or too much power will melt or burn the object.
How long does it take to engrave an object with a laser?
One of the most popular questions at the beginning of the project is how long laser engraving takes. This largely depends on the power of the machine, the complexity of the design, the size of the engraved surface, and the type of material used. In the case of a design that has an engraving that requires filling, the completion time will be longer.
The size of the surface is also an important factor when it comes to time. A large surface area to engrave means the completion time is even longer. The depth of engraving is critical at the same time, as deeper marking requires more power and more time to engrave.
Last but not least, the material used will greatly influence the time required for the project. For example, engraving on soft materials such as plastic, leather, or wood will have a much shorter completion time than harder materials such as metals.
For example, we have a 100W laser engraving machine. Next, we will use some metals to engrave them in a 25 x 25 mm area. So, we have the following times:
- Titanium – 11.1 seconds
- Aluminum – 9.6 seconds
- Zinc – 9.3 seconds
- Stainless steel – 8 seconds
Laser marking can also be influenced by the background color used. Next, we can use aluminum as an example, also in an area of 25 x 25 mm, with a 100W laser as in the example above:
- Dark dial with an open back: 9.6 seconds
- Dark dial without background: 6.3 seconds
The answer to this question is complex, with many factors to consider. This type of business is one of the future and various registered objects can be made for hobbyists or companies. Large companies usually use this type of engraving for business cards, brochures, pens, etc., to impress and give a note of seriousness and modernity to their company.
Therefore, if you have decided to enter this niche, you can conclude long-term collaboration contracts with these companies, to have a continuous flow in the engraving of the various required materials.
How long will a laser engraver last?
The laser marking machine has been widely used in various industries for its fast-marking speed, long service life, and low barriers to equipment deployment. It has been recognized as a new type of product that can completely replace traditional marking processing methods. Also, people like it because laser marking machines use longer life than other laser marking machines. Why does laser marking machines have a longer service life than equipment implementations like semiconductor laser marking machines?
Today, the life of a semiconductor laser marking machine is 20,000 hours, and that of a laser marking machine is 100,000 hours. (If calculated based on 8 hours per day, 12500 days can be used, if based on 24 hours, 4166.66 days can be used) and only 365 days in a year, this calculation knows that the cost of the semiconductors is much higher than that of optics.
The self-made cost leads many manufacturers to choose the semiconductor laser marking machine. However, as time passes, the threshold current of the laser will slowly grow, resulting in the degradation of the semiconductor laser marker laser.
On the other hand, any laser marking machine equipment needs careful maintenance. The service life of the semiconductor laser marking machine is not fixed. As long as we pay attention to maintenance, we can extend its service life. The same is true for laser marking machines. As long as cleaning and maintenance work is carried out regularly, whether it is a semiconductor laser marking machine or a laser marking machine, its service life can be substantially longer than the original.
As more and more manufacturers produce lasers and skills become more sophisticated, the cost of laser marking machines continues to drop. Currently, most semiconductor laser marking machines are gradually being replaced by optics.