Giving Back To Community With Laser Engraving

Laser engraving is a cutting-edge addition to any business where there is a scope of personalization. It is one of the booming industries.

If you are a funeral director running a funeral then this is something you might be interested in. With your industry going through a disruption period and the introduction of new technology, laser engraving will be something that adds charm to your funeral services.

You can either hire a fabricator who can engrave multiple things on different materials or you can invest in a laser cutting machine. This will help you create lasting memories of your client’s special moments with customized products.

But before you outsource your engraving work, you have to learn about the fabricator and their work. What kind of laser machines do they use? Are they using Fanuc fans and TRUMPF laser parts for the maximum efficiency of these machines? Then get them accustomed to people and families who are going through one of the painful times.

Funeral homes are among the most sensitive places. Everyone wants to remember their family members in a special way. They don’t want them to fade away the special memories they have of them. They want to conduct a special memorial and make sure their family member lives as a good memory in everyone’s mind.

You can offer a lot with laser If as a funeral director, your two main objectives are: 

• Meeting the needs of families by providing creative solutions

You need to make sure that you fulfill the needs of the family members and provide them with the best creative way to remember their lost family members. Additionally, you also need to make sure that while being creative you do not hurt anyone’s feelings.

• Increase market share:

To make this happen, you need to make sure that your service speaks louder. Services help in increasing the market share and provides a reason to people as to why they should use your funeral home over others.

People want a memorial service with unique things that can create a lasting memory. At the same time, they also want to make sure that the funerary box, headstones, etc. are unique. 

As a funeral director, you always have this responsibility to bring something unique in the funeral home to make sure families get unique headstones and can create lasting memories of their loved ones forever.

The purpose of providing such unique and creative ideas is it gives a personal touch to the family members.

Here we’ve listed a few ideas that you use to provide for exceptional experience to the grieving families in your funeral home using laser engraving machine.

• Personalized Cremation Memorial

Give personalized cremation options to your customers which they can treasure forever. These personalized cremation memorials will help these families say goodbye to their loved ones in a special way. If you are not providing cremation services in your funeral home, then it’s time you think about it. The number of people choosing to cremate their lost ones is increasing day-by-day.

• Timeless Headstones

Provide customized headstones to your customers. Just imagine how pleased these families would be when they see names and favorite quotes of their loved ones engraved on a black or white granite headstone which reflects their personality.

• Laser Engraved Casket

The families choosing your funeral home can use the laser engraved caskets for their loved ones to provide the personal touch and reflect the life of the lost member. Caskets built using wood like oak, bamboo or steel or any other metal make engraving easy.

Laser engravers with Fanuc fans and TRUMPF laser parts are the ones you want to invest in. They will last a long time and help you bring more business

• Memorialize their Pets

Losing a pet is difficult for every pet parent. They don’t get options where they can use the memory of their loved pets during the last rituals. And there are not many options available in creating a memorial for your pets. In such a case, you can provide pet owners with the laser engraved memorials for their pets. This helps them in remembering the special moments they would have shared with their pets.

You can provide pet owners with pet urns, personalized photo frames, engraved pet memorials or customized pet jewelry. These are some of the examples but there are many things that you can provide to pet owners.

• Customized Keepsakes

Families want personalized items to keep as a souvenir in the memory of their family members. These keepsakes help the family members remembering the special memories of the person who has passed away. 

Closing note

Laser engraving has many different uses. You can use these machines in engraving any type of material. The idea discussed here helps you as a funeral director not only take your business ahead but it also helps you spread compassion and happiness to some extent in many people’s lives.

The Guide to Leather Designing With Laser Cutting Machines

Laser cutting and engraving started in the 90s. Even today, people use it for its fine accuracy and ease of use. If you are a designer, then these machines help you turn your designs in reality. It provides you the opportunity to start your own company and work independently, or if you don’t wish to invest much in these machines you can submit your designs to other laser cutting companies who might help you in bringing them to reality.

Many designers use laser cutting and engraving as it gives them the freedom to curate their own designs.

One can use this laser cutting machine in different fields like jewelry designing, medical devices, fabric designing, leather designing, etc.

In this article, we will see how laser cutting can be useful in leather designing and how it overcomes the limit of the manual cutting, machine cutting, punching presses, etc.

Advantages:

1. No risk of physical damage to the leather as the cutting tool is light.
2. Laser cutters are precise. They make it easier to carve intricate designs easy on the material.
3. We can cut a variety of materials using a laser cutter.
4. They are affordable compared to other machines.
5. Their spare parts are easily available including the best ones like Mazak parts, TRUMPF parts, etc.

 Disadvantages:

1. When carving the design on the material one needs to have experience and expertise in using the laser machines.
2. The laser machine produces fumes as it burns and vaporizes the materials. So, it is advisable to perform laser cutting in a ventilated area or a place with an exhaust system.
3. Thick materials are difficult to cut and they require low speed.

There are many different types of laser machines available in the market. So, to help you make the right decision, we’ve listed a few factors you must consider before making the purchase.

• Speed

It depends on the type of material, thickness, and power of the laser. If the laser is high powered then it increases the speed of the laser in direct proportions. Also, depending on the material and its thickness, the impact on the speed of the laser varies.

• Power

Leather is a flexible and durable material. It requires a sufficient amount of power to vaporize. The CO2 laser machine would be perfect for leather designing as it has a power of 40 Watts and above. This is the recommended amount of power for thick materials like leather.  Hence, if want to work with leather material then you need to consider a high-powered laser machine.

• Working Space

Large laser cutters are expensive. But, in the long run, it will help you save more leather. With large laser machines, you can make strategic cuts and create more objects with just a single sheet. So, while purchasing you need to understand your requirements and purchase accordingly.

• Machine Parts

When opting for a laser machine, make sure they have top-class laser parts like Mazak parts, TRUMPF parts, etc. Among these parts, TRUMPF parts are compatible with almost every machinery making it a long-term investment for you.

But what if you want leather-cut designs without investing in a laser cutting machine?

Well, we do have a solution for that too. There are few online stores that can help you with cutting and engraving leather. You have to create your designs and give them to fabricators. These fabricators turn those designs into reality keeping your requirements in mind.

Here we’ve listed a few websites which can help you with leather engraving:

• LaserCut Finland: If you are a designer in Finland or Europe then this is the perfect choice for you. It is a Helsinki based studio that provides services at a low cost.

• LaserCuts: It’s a US-based company. They provide laser cutting services on different types of materials like acrylic, vinyl, leather, plastic rubber, ceramic.

• Ponoko: They serve business owners, designers, entrepreneurs, etc. They provide remake guarantee, same-day delivery option and many more. Just provide them with your designs and they will do the rest of the work.

• American Laser Cutter: This LA-based company will help you with almost any type of laser cutting and engraving. It is the only company in LA that engraves on metal. Additionally, they sell laser cutting machines as well. This shows they are experienced and can guide you if you are a start-up business.

As the saying goes, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works!” - Steve Jobs. But these designs become more special when it turns into reality.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started with your designs today.

9 Myths About Starting Laser Engraving Business Busted!

Thinking of starting a laser engraving business?

Beware of these 9 myths!

Starting a laser engraving business is a big decision. It’s a great way to earn extra income or you can pursue it as a hobby as well. This field is growing as engraved artifacts are always in demand. People love personalized things as it reflects their personality. It’s amazing to gift engraved things to your loved ones. And they want designs to be out of the box which is the hard part of starting a laser engraving business. So, with the right laser machine, spare parts like Bystronic spare parts or Amada parts, and the right motivation, you can build a huge business.

All the other things you might have heard about laser engraving are just myths.

So, in this article, we will bust some of the misconceptions these myths might have created in your minds.

• Laser Is Hard to Learn

Learning anything new is hard. The same goes for laser machines too. Initially, you might find it hard to learn but with time, you learn how to use it to perfection. Companies selling these machines have training staff who can help you in learning and using these machines. So, you don’t have to worry about finding an expert or trainer to learn this machine.

•  Return of Investment

Of course! You do get a return on your investment. Starting a business always comes with a risk. Initially, your goal should be to breakeven. But once you start showing your creativity in this industry you will grow your business and start getting customer orders. You just need to have patience, creativity, good customer service and strategy to grow your business. And the right laser cutting machine.

•  Difficult to Learn Software

Well, it’s not so. You just need to design a program for the laser machine to engrave or cut. The program must support vector and raster format.

Let’s learn what raster and vector formats are:

A raster file has a grid of pixels that builds up an image. It is useful in engraving an image or a grayscale image on any material.

A vector format has nodes. You can enlarge images of this format without losing quality.

But, if you don’t know how to write a program, you can use free files that are available online and start using laser machines or you can refer some online tutorials to make it easier for you to understand how to use the machine.

•   Marketing Is Tough

Not really. Marketing your engraved products is not that difficult. You know why? Because your products show your creativity. Customers love personalized products. You can post your product images on any social media platform, share in the local groups or collaborate with any of the local companies. To increase your visibility, you tie up with companies and engrave their company logos on mugs or shirts and provide them as a free giveaway. These are just some of the ideas. But let me tell you there is no limit when it comes to marketing your products or showing your creativity.

•  Lack of Creativity

It’s fine at the initial level if you lack creativity. As I mentioned above, there are many free designs available online. You can use the ones you love and start engraving with those designs. As time passes, you will realize what type of designs your customers love and which designs are trending. You evolve as you learn. So, just be patient with yourself.

• You Can Not Make Enough Money

Laser engraving business is always in demand because it gives customers the freedom of personalization. You just need to think out of the box and bring out your creativity. Buyers are always ready to pay what you ask. So, if you are putting accuracy and perfection at the core of your products, you won’t have to worry about not earning enough money.

• Lack of Support

You will not lack support as the companies who sell the laser machines are in business for decades and know very well the basics of customer service. So, you will not remain in darkness. Companies send trained fabricators to their customers to teach how to use the laser engraving machine. But if you still have doubts you can always call their technical support staff as they are ready to help you 24/7.

• Market Is Competitive

Of course, it is. Every market today is competitive. But that should not stop you from starting your business. This market is very huge. And believe us, there will be space for your unique designs.

Closing statement:

Make sure you don’t fall prey to the above-mentioned myths of laser engraving business. Start your business with your unique designs, right laser machine, Bystronic spare parts, Amada parts, etc. The market is competitive but everyone can make a place for themselves if they want to and customers love personalized curated designs.

Things You Must Know Before You Start Laser Cutting

Laser cutting, etching, engraving. It is one of the coolest ways to bring your designs to reality. It provides you results with precision, multi-layered lettering, and design.

Laser cutters are powerful, realistic tools to burn most things like wood, paper, plastic to create a design that you imagine.

So, before you buy a laser cutter, keep these five things in mind to make a precise choice.

The Main Choice: Laser Cutter

A typical laser cutter that most designers and engineers use consists of a 100W laser that have Trumpf nozzles. Between the laser’s extractor fan and sourced materials, your cost can reach $8000 to construct the whole setup. If you are just starting, you can even go for a smaller laser like 40W laser cutters available online. You can even search for parts like precitec nozzles or Trumpf parts online to setup the perfect product for your use.

40W laser cutter can help you with etching the designs you want on a thin place of birch plywood. You can also use acrylic material if you are looking for some cool opaque effects. Also, you can retrofit an old DVD players’ 5W laser into a working laser cutter if you have smaller use cases. It can do more than just etching a design on a piece of paper.

How to Source the Equipment to Build One?

In the digital age, you find many online options for your requirements. For nozzle parts, you can go for precitec nozzles, Trumpf nozzles online to source the best equipment for your business. Other than that consider referrals from your circle. They might also work best!  

What Materials to Choose?

You can not just pick any old material and start blasting it with a laser. There are numerous materials like polycarbonate sheets that produce thick, acrid smoke when coming in contact with the laser. Also, make sure that you don't go for cardboard as much as possible. Because the focused heat can cause fire easily when dealing with electrical equipment.

Birch plywood is a few millimeters thick but worth to add material; you can design simply with this material.

Your First Design

To find the best designs to start with, the internet is your bible. Of Course, it does not mean copying others' work. But you can get some cool ideas with which you can create your own designs. You get ready-made SVG files, DXF to put into a laser cutter software for printing.

General Things for Using Laser Cutter

Power: It defines the output power of the laser. It can be from 0 to 100%. Generally, high power to cut thick materials and lower power to engrave and cut thin materials.

Speed: It decides the movement speed of the laser head. To engrave and cut thin material, the speed is usually set to the maximum.

Frequency (Hz, PPI): It specifies the number of laser pulses per second. For instance, wood cuts are best at 500 to 1000 Hz. For acrylic, 5000 to 20000 Hz is the minimum requirement.

Focus: There comes a focus lens inside the laser head. It should be on the surface of the material or slightly below for most of the applications. Make sure that materials are at a certain distance from the lens. The exact distance depends on the type of focus lens.

There are so many types of laser machines that come with a motorized bed. You can move up and down to set the focus distance. And the position of the material surface should be also manually adjusted.

Parts: Make sure you are using the best brand parts like Trumpf nozzles, Amada laser parts, etc. to get the most accurate results.

It’s time to cut!

Don’t worry, it can take a few tries to find the ideal settings for your material. Make sure you change only one parameter in a test process. For example, do not forget to write down your current settings for future reference.

High-Powered Fiber Lasers: Are they Right for You?

For processing laser cuts with 0.25-inch to 4-kW laser, it can be a hurdle-less task for fabricators. Now when it comes to 12-kW or 15kW, they need high-powered fiber lasers.

And there are choices available in the market, but if you as a fabricator want to focus on thick metal cutting, only high-powered lasers are not the right choice. The 15-kW machines can do more tasks than cutting the thick material.

Overall, the major motive behind this laser technology is about decreasing process time in laser cutting. Let’s explore what these fiber lasers can do for a fabrication shop.

A Little Throwback to History

During the mid-2000s, high-powered laser cutting machines were a necessary tool for quick and efficient armor kits for US troop vehicles. After a few years with the debut of fiber laser technology, these giant machines were not in the trend anymore.

Why Fiber Laser Technology is a Hero

Fiber lasers produce a beam wavelength which is about 10 times shorter than the 10-micron beam wavelength with a CO2 resonator. It produces a higher power density which you add to the higher absorption rate will create a great cutting speed. This cutting speed outpaces that of a CO2 laser in less than 0.25 in.

It becomes easy for manufacturers to increase the power of these machine tools with the additional laser-producing modules, Amada laser parts, and Prima parts. That is the reason for the sudden surge in wattages. In fact, these systems can exceed 100KW in some instances.

Beam delivery systems cannot handle the power of 100-KW systems on their shop floors. Hence, each laser cutting system manufacturer is looking to produce a reliable cutting head which can deliver the fiber laser beam for an extended amount of time.

Recently, these machine tool developers are stepping into the production of cutting head optics which can modulate the beam size during cutting. Its development propelled fiber laser cutting machines from being a tool just for cutting thin sheet metal. When the cutting material gets thick, you need a wider beam to create kerf to remove the molten metal.

It is important for a company to look at the typical thickness range which makes up 80 percent of its work. Also, to make sure that your lasers are working fine, you need to install Amada laser parts and prima parts.

Here are the general rules to cut common metal such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum with nitrogen:

• Up to 9 gauge—6 to 8 kW
• 0.25 to 0.75 in.—8 to 10 kW
• Over 0.75 in.—8 to 15 kW

Utilize the Material Exchange

The processing time on a fiber laser cutting machine is tied with the system’s ability to load sheets, unload cut parts, and skeletons. A fabricator does not gain any cycle time advantage if it has to wait for several times for the material movement. A lot of pallet changers are designed with CO2 lasers. It cuts slower rates compared to fiber lasers. They use hydraulics and can take 35 to 50 seconds to exchange a sheet.

The modern pallet changers rely on servo-driven technology. Here the automation is critical. When it comes to selecting pallet changer technology, fabricators should select one which can handle the thickest material they process.

Is High-powered Laser the right choice for you?

No, if your shop’s laser cutting workload is not expecting continuous growth. If it consumes only half of work shift, paying for a powerful laser to reduce the workload to a quarter of a shift won’t deliver a good return on investment.

If metal fabricators are maximizing their current laser cutting capacity, adding another shift, they can look at high-powered lasers. It is true when they use older laser technology. They can invest in a fast and efficient laser to reduce the number of laser operators needed.

Fiber laser cutting machines will grow in power if the cutting head and material handling can complement the power. You as a fabricator can take advantage of the power if you can feed these cutting machines for proper maintenance.