All About Laser Engraving: Applications, Benefits, and More!

Laser engraving is a sister practice of laser etching and laser marking. It is done in a slightly different way where there is no use of inks or tools that contact the surface material. There are CO2 laser engraving machines which primarily release low-powered laser beams. And then there are high-powered lasers which facilitate the high-volume laser marking and engraving applications.

Here is how it works:

Basically, laser cutting machines have three common components: the laser itself, the  control system, and the marking surface. You, as an operator, can set the software program to modify settings on the laser cutter. You can change these settings whenever needed. When it comes to laser engraving, you need to choose standard parts like Mitsubishi laser parts or trumpf laser parts to ensure the smooth working of the system. Images chosen for the engraving onto a given material should be from graphics editing software like Illustrator, Inkscape, AutoCAD. In short, you need vector files. Because images in the vector files maintain the clarity and proportions when adjusted to any size.  

Further, you have to upload the image into the cutting software. The machine will then translate it into numeric data. The software would capture that data and use it to program the laser machine’s controller apparatus to produce the provided image. 

Laser Engraving Applications:

• There are aerial vehicles by major contractors in the construction industry which incorporate thousands of parts. They travel through a complex global supply chain from their point of origin to the manufacturing units. In order to promote quality and accountability throughout the supply chain, vendors leverage laser engraving machines to mark products with barcodes and serial numbers which shows their traceability.

• Apart from the aerospace industry, it is popular in the jewelry manufacturing industry. It can be useful to create various artwork. 

• As an added advantage of its depth, this technology is popular for making stamps, dies, and moulds. Hence, it is popular in industries like automotive, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, etc.

• Apart from that, retail vendors can leverage engraving to make several customized products like wooden key chains, coasters, kitchen products, and so on.

Benefits of Using Laser Engraving

Cost-Effective:

Laser engraving machines consume zero inputs besides the power it takes to run. That means it only has low and predictable costs for manufacturers. Whereas, there are companies which use a chemical etching as a substitute for engraving. But, they need adequate wastewater treatment or a certified third-party company to dispose of the chemical water. Plus, each image requires a brand new stencil. Now, that won’t give you any cost benefits for your projects.

Less Damaging

As the laser beam won’t be touching the material, there are lesser chances of causing damage. It is majorly relying on the heat to produce expected results. The only portion that laser will be targeting is the targeted spot. The surrounding area would be left untouched.

Permanent Markings

The aim of the engraving process is to remove a portion of the material. As laser systems offer so much control, a range of depths used by the machines ensures permanent markings.  For example in the defense industry, it is important for the manufacturers to establish parts throughout the supply chain with unique identification numbers. These markings should be permanent even in extreme conditions or other environmental hazards.

Highly Efficient

It is efficient as it can easily switch between materials and a range of depths. It offers longer service life and with high-quality parts like Mitsubishi laser parts or trumpf laser parts, it will have lower maintenance costs compared to other traditional methods.

Supports a range of Materials

It is capable of working with different materials which include metal, ceramic, plastic, and glass. Most industries utilize more than one material in manufacturing. If you have a facility that deals with multiple materials then it could be a nifty solution.

Do you use laser engraving for your project? If yes, then share your experience with us in the comment section.

How to Maintain Machinery Parts for Longer Shelf Life

Heavy machinery where parts including Fanuc parts or Prima parts are present, constant maintenance is important for longer shelf life. Poorly managed equipment might perform less efficiently. Here is how you can maintain any type of large category machine and keep it in good condition.

1. Make sure to train large machinery operator

In the large machinery plants, there are multiple operators working on different checkpoints. Out of all the points of inspections, it is important to check if the equipment is working properly.

Whenever you purchase a piece of large machinery, it is important to inspect it. And even if you trained the operators in the beginning, it is important to keep training them at regular intervals in the right way. Otherwise, it could lead your process to breakdowns.

Make sure to educate them with the revised manuals for the specific work situation. And those manual should get updated from time to time whenever the machinery goes through some changes. In a digital work environment, management needs to make sure that operators are using the current version of each manual.

On another note, when you identify the best machine practices, you can apply the same to your other facilities.

2. Never Forget Lubricants

Lubricating is one of the most important aspects when it comes to maintenance checks. They reduce friction around any moving parts. If you keep a regular schedule of good lubrication, it would extend the life of large machinery equipment and parts. The key here is to look for the signs of excess oil or grease on the pistons. Make sure to check for leaks around these oil seals.

On the other hand, it is important to use the right lubricant. There is a variety of grease or oil available for every component. In this case, check for the manufacturer’s recommendations. Also, it is important to check lubricants at regular time intervals. Because sometimes, there are chances that experts might find particles in the oil. This way,  you can diagnose problems with large machinery. 

3. Look out for the Signs of Wear

When it comes to heavy machinery, it shows through different signs like vibration, shock, high temperatures, friction, etc. These all indicate the problem in the machinery. Here are some of the possible causes:

• Vibration comes from out of alignment gears and belts.
• If there is an accident or poor operator technique, shocks can come from the machinery.
• Problems like extended use, friction, worn parts, etc. can cause a rise in the temperatures of the machine.
• Age is a major factor which might affect the machine components. After some years the machine may stop working as required. In such cases, keep monitoring the machinery and get it repaired or replaced if needed.
• In robotics machinery, it is important to consider looking for the parts. You can try searching “Fanuc parts” or “Prima Parts” to find a replacement for your robotic or metal sheet machinery.

4. Maintain Cleanliness

It is important to inspect the machinery parts regularly and clean them whenever needed. Important parts like filters, breathers should be cleaned to avoid creating a vacuum in the cab. It might suck contaminants into the cab. For instance, electronics in the can are vulnerable if contaminated. To maintain the cleanliness, it is advisable to store large machinery in a shed or other building if possible. It should not be in contact with wind and weather as it can lead to rust and rot. Also, it is important to run machinery periodically if not in use.

Extra Tips

• Check for the power transmission in moving parts. Make sure to lubricate gearbox in order to avoid lubrication, vibration, and damage to parts.
• Make sure to inspect parts like Fanuc Parts, friction materials, seals, prima parts, gaskets after replacement. 
• Keep lubricating bearings often. It would extend machinery performance.
• Keep torque checks on bolts. They can elongate and creep after some time.

If followed in an appropriate order, these tips can help you extend the machinery life. It can help you with a major return on investment of their costs. The key is to keep performing maintenance tasks to keep your machinery up to date and working in a proper way.

Important Rules to Consider While Choosing Press Brakes

At the selection time of press brakes, many consider it as a minor accessory in metal forming and don’t pay enough attention. As a matter of fact, press brakes have transformed into multiaxis, high-precision machines with enhanced features. But only the tooling touches the part while bending.

There are many important features needed to achieve high-performance bending. Hence, regardless of which tool you want to choose it is important that it meets at least a few requirements. Here are some important things to consider while choosing press brakes.

High Precision:

It is important that the press brake provides high precision work. And for that, Its tolerance should be within 0.0004-inch range. With this range, you will be able to achieve part accuracy without any shimming or other tweaks. Amada Press brake parts will give you the required high precision work.

Segmented sections

It allows constructing of various lengths out of numerous pre-cut pieces. The small pieces are safer and easy to handle.

Self-retaining installation

With the ram up, you should be able to easily load the tools. It is important that the tool holding system should hold multiple pieces in place until you apply the clamping pressure. 

 

Self-seating

As you apply the clamping pressure, punches would be mechanically pulled up into the position. It would eliminate the need to punch into the die during the setup.

Front Loading

It is important to be able to install tools from the front end of the machine. It would shorten the setup process as you would no longer need to spend time pushing tools from the end of the press brake. In most cases, it would eliminate the need for forklifts and overhead cranes.

Standard sizes

The common and light tools can reduce the requirement for machine adjustments when changing the project. Hence, it is important to choose tools with standard sizes. You can try searching “Amada press brake parts” in order to find suitable & high-quality products according to your requirements. You can also search for “used Amada press brake for sale” to get the best deals on the internet in case of a tight budget. Various elements like safety devices, back gauge heights, and front arm support remain at a standard position & are made of the same height. As a result, you can add off-the-shelf pieces and make sure that they match with existing tools.

There are many high-quality tools are constructed according to the metric standards. So, you will have to go into details to choose the correct tool.

Die Selection

In order to get the value for your money, it is important to choose a minimum amount of lower dies which cover the metal thicknesses which your shop forms.

Punch Selection

For some applications in press brakes, if you include high-tensile material, the workpiece might tend to crease, crack or even split in two while you use common industry bending standards. Hence, narrow tip exerts force on the bend line. And after combining that with a narrow V-die opening, the forces rise even more. In challenging applications, when material thickness is above 0.5 in, it is important to consult your material supplier on the acclaimed punch tip radius.

Minimum Flange Length

The most important aspect to keep in mind when you choose your V dies is the flange length. Many sheet metal designers save metal by specifying a flange which is too short like a 0.5-in. In order to attain the perfect bending results, it is important to have a flange which is at least 0.77in.

Punch Height

When forming three and four sized boxes, it is important to keep the punch height in mind. In some cases, short punches can form three-sided boxes if the formed side can hang off the side of press brake during the final bend. Hence, whenever forming four-sided boxes, it is important to choose a punch which is tall enough to span the box height diagonally.

11 Perfect Laser Cutting Gift Ideas

Gifts are the expression of feelings. And every time when we look for a suitable gift for our loved ones, those available in the market might not best be suited. One of the major reasons is that they have a missing element. Something personal. That special touch. Probably a personalized name, a symbol which expresses your feeling towards that particular person. Good news! With laser cutting, you can craft some amazing pieces. It provides you a freedom to create thoughtful gifts.

Here are the 11 fantastic gifts you can make with the laser cutting:

1) Custom Leather Journals

Leather journals have been in the market for a long time now! It can be the most suitable gift for writers and travelers who would want to document their latest adventures or write-ups in that. They can also be a good fit as a guest book for weddings, a sketchbook for budding artists, etc. You can engrave leather with modern cuts and can give it a realistic look to the final product using laser cutting.

2) Engraved Rolling Pins

The best gift for cooking enthusiasts! Be it cookies or pies, the person who receives it would be delighted when rolling pins of their choice is engraved with their name. With the laser cutting process, you can turn any inexpensive rolling pin into a great gift with a customized print on it.

 

3) Engraved Wine Glasses

People who love wine will definitely appreciate engraved wine glasses. These can be great wedding gifts, anniversary gifts or even birthday gifts. Wine glasses with the initials engraved.

4) Custom Recipe Cutting Boards

Nowadays, wooden recipe cutting boards are in trend which makes it easy for cooking enthusiasts to chop vegetables. With LVD strippit parts, you can make a wonderful personalized gift which would last long and can be passed down to generations. 

5) Slate Cheese/Charcuterie Tray

These gifts are for those who love entertaining. In order to set up your laser cutting set up, you can find the best Fanuc parts online. With the help of it, you can make a stylish charcuterie tray which makes a great host or hostess gift for holiday parties or as a thoughtful present. 

6) Wooden Clock

How about a wooden clock with a personalized message for the special one? Using laser cutting tool you can easily make a wooden clock which stands out-of-the crowd in the market.

7) Bookmarks

A perfect piece of gift for the book worms. Now when it comes to giving away these, you would find many of them in the market. Hence, you can engrave that may be with a Starbucks picture or a design of your favorite web series character.

8) Earrings

What’s better than giving a set of earrings to your wife, friend or sister? LVD strippit parts are known to be performing well for such products. Just place a design of your choice and you would be able to create a perfect set of personalized earrings.

9) Personalized Door Mat

Let your visitors know that they’re at the right place and pass the message of a warm welcome at the same time! Plus, the benefit is that the laser beam actually burns the fibers in the rug. Hence, it would never get ruined.

10) Cellphone Cases

Giving a laser engraved mobile cover would be the perfect gift for people who love their cellphones. Because you will be giving them a gift they would take everywhere. And you will have an open canvas, where you can craft any type of design to make it more attractive.

11) Wall Art

This is the perfect gift for people with more artistic flair. It can be a simple, easy, an inexpensive piece of lasered wall art. It will be an excellent addition to anyone’s home and serve as a fantastic conversation piece.

A laser cutting machine allows you to craft some amazing piece of art which you can gift to any of your friends, family, and colleagues which they would remember for life! You would find LVD strippit parts, Fanuc parts online which are sure to help you produce attractive results from your laser machine.

8 Unique Products You Can Make With Laser

When it comes to laser cut metal, we always refer to steel plates, signage or some other pieces and mechanical parts. But, it is important to acknowledge that you can even apply laser cutting on a panel for a stairway railing, a bouquet of flowers, wine glasses or even a stapler used in heart surgery.

The point here is that laser parts can be a solution for the oddball problems as well. Be it a car industry, disc gold curses to rental companies - almost all type of businesses can get benefits from a properly done laser cutting project.

So, if you are looking to cut something from metal, or checking the possibilities, here are the 8 examples of how laser parts can help for honed finishing :

Bag Tags in Golf

Weird but feasible. Outdoor exposure can damage the quality of the golf bag in a short time. Hence, golf enthusiasts can create their own custom bags using a metal sheet and laser. You can etch the course's logo and can cut-out the numbers which would work like a metal tag as well as an identifier.

Stair Railing

In order to give that authentic or real touch while designing the house, you can add an element of originality with the laser parts. Using Bystronic spare parts you can craft innovative designs and add them to the custom staircase. This way, it would give you a feel of elegance and a focal point in the normal room.

Charger Plates for Fancy Dining

Organizing an event is equally difficult in this cut-throat competitive industry. Perhaps, you can add a charm of uniqueness to your events with the charger plates. It could be a beautiful and inexpensive addition which would add a charm to any table setting. You can tie it together as a theme or can pump up the panache.

As this plate would sit beneath the plate your guests will be eating from, you can make it from any material including acrylic, plastic, wood, etc.. But we would recommend you to cut it from shiny, durable metal as it would transform that whole look of table settings.

With a Stapler

In some cases, experts from the medical industry would need a new heart surgery device with a metal durable staplers which also needs to be safe because it comes in direct contact with the human body during surgery. In such a tricky situation, using Mazak spare parts in laser cutting could help cut a prototype from various metals.

For Branding

Whenever there comes a holiday season or any occasion, it is the best time to send a token of appreciation to your customers. But if you do that with an ordinary holiday card, probably with your photos or signatures won't create a long-lasting impression. It would end up in a trash bin after a few days. Instead of that, you could use the Bystronic spare parts in laser cutting wisely to create a unique gift.

You can design a company logo as a whole on brass or other metal. As a result, it would be a great addition of value to customers' holiday gifts with an added benefit of increased branding. Plus, it would save you big bucks on the overall cost. It saves cost, time, and leaves a lasting effect on the customer.

Glass Designs

A sandblast logo on glass with a stencil is again a great idea. It is both durable enough to survive the rough use and is thin enough for the logo and text which would accurately etch on the glass. With Mazak spare parts, you can create a stencil in stainless steel and engrave the required text & design to solve the purpose.

Flower Bouquets

When it comes to laser's efficiency, it could provide the best finish results. And by that means, you can even cut the flowers in various shapes with it. Yes! There are various artists available in the market who often do such cuttings, assemble them together to create some stunning pieces of art.

Trophies or Crowns

Rather than offering old monotonous gifts, you can create different versions of trophies or crowns for award winners. To glam up the trophies, you can engrave unique quotes or maybe illustrations of winners to make it more exciting. This can be easily executed using laser cutting techniques.

Hence, regardless of your industry, you can leverage the power of the laser with mazak spare parts and bystronic spare parts to craft unique products.

Source - http://www.tiny.cc/8-unique-products-you-can

All You Need to Know About Laser Tube Cutting

If you want a sharp, precise in shape, and clear metal sheet, the most versatile solution is Laser Cutting. You can cut the sheet in a fraction of seconds. But when it comes to laser cutting, it's a whole different process. Let's see how it's done.

When it comes to laser tube cutting, Trumpf laser consumables are renowned products in the market. In laser cutting, there are no standard material towers. Using the most efficient material handling options, Bundle Loaders, they feed a single tube at a given time from the bundle in the laser. But such a mechanism does not work with open profiles such as angles or channels as they interlock and don't come off easily. So, use step loaders in case of open profiles which will put sections into the order one at a time into the machine. Also, make sure the orientation of that section is correct.

Because of its nature, there is no requirement for machines with high-powered lasers. A normal flat sheet laser cutting machine is available with laser generators as powerful as 12 kW. Whereas tube laser cutting machines usually require only 5kW of power. With the product, you have to be a little careful of the opposite side of the tube you are cutting.

Another thing to take care of is the weld seam. The seam where it's rolled and welded material.

Here are the two points which need a fabricator's immediate attention:

When the laser cutting process is going on, the position of the product's weld seam has to be into the account. The weld seam mustn't face the pins or holes. For aesthetic applications, such as furniture, you should hide weld seams as much as possible. When we consider a conventional laser cutting system, there is an optical sensor to scan the product to look for the weld seam. Most of the times rust or oil covers the tubing which makes it difficult to differentiate between weld seam and the other surfaces. With the stainless or galvanized tubes, the weld seam may only be visible internally. Due to this, some manufacturers had to include cameras in the system which allow the machines to scan the product externally as well as internally. This way, the machine can detect the obscured weld seam and correct the position of Amada parts accordingly.

The weld seam is of different compositions & cut differently than the rest of the tube. Back in the time, operators had to slow down all operations which took place on a tube to account for the weld seam. In the present time, some OEMs have developed the technology and parameters to allow the machine to single out a weld seam and adjust only those sections. This way, the machine would process the Amada parts in the fastest way.

The Finishing Details

It is important to note that there is no such thing as a perfect finish. The available weld seams can extend not only in the exterior part but also in the interior. Overall, it's a challenge to treat the tube consistently and swiftly when such inconsistencies exist from one production run to another. These products are tricky things. Imagine having a put a through-hole centered on a tube. It is important to make it centered according to the actual dimension. But if it's bowed, it would make things difficult. And that's how it goes for tube fabrication.

The decision makers or purchasing department doesn't understand the consequences of buying inexpensive parts. So, it's entirely possible that the quality of the tubing is different from the previous week. To manage this, the fabricator needs to learn how to manage the variety. Also, the decision makers must know the consequences which will encourage them to invest in quality parts like Amada parts, Trumpf laser consumables.

Source: http://www.tiny.cc/all-you-need-know-about-l

How to Find The Perfect Material For Your Laser Project

It is important to consider the material for your metal project. At the time of execution, there are various things to examine like weight, aesthetic, finish, exposure to the elements and even the usage. It doesn't matter what the purpose of the project is, whether you want to hang the product outside of your house or workplace or an art piece you want to shape and hang on the wall. It is important to make a wise choice in the selection of material as well as the laser parts. Like Trumpf Laser Consumables or Mitsubishi Laser Parts are the best among the available laser parts in the market.

But before choosing the laser parts, you will have to decide on the metal for your project.

To help you make an informed decision, here's a guide to common metals you can use in laser cutting projects:

Stainless Steel:

The idea behind the creation of this metal was to create metal with corrosion resistance. And after adding chromium, you as manufacture can create a metal which encompasses the best quality. It is non-corrodible, beautiful, and strong as a metal. Here are the major benefits of using steel in your laser project:

Benefits of Steel:

• Strong and big
• Great for outdoor use
• Washable and sanitizable
• Welds easily
• Cost Effective
• Perfect decorative, durable parts

Brass

Brass is a copper-zinc alloy which comes with many uses apart from being used in the loudest section of an orchestra. Because of its gold looks, its aesthetic qualities come in use of many things like jewelry and wall art. As an added benefit it's low friction point, makes it perfect for all the types of functional uses such as locks, door fixtures, and ammunition.

Benefits of Brass:

• Lightweight
• Malleable
• Great for Outdoor Use (with a protective top layer)
• Low Friction point
• No additional process needed

Aluminum:

One of the major benefits of this metal is that even if it's in the purest form, it is very light in weight, yet strong. Plus, it is easy as you can make any shape out of it without losing its strength. And it's reactive and forms a natural corrosion resistance when exposed outdoors.

When you use it for commercial use, it is important to mix it with a few other metals. There are various industries including aerospace which rely heavily on aluminum.

Benefits of Aluminum:

• Suitable for Prototypes
• Lightweight
• Perfect for outdoor use.
• Easily shaped, brushed

Copper:

It is easy to excavate this directly from the earth. And you can also use it in its purest form. Around 8000BC, it was the first metal used by humankind. This metal comes with various advantages. It is conductive, as a result of that, it is great for pieces like bus cars and other electrical parts. It is perfect for plumbing and pipe as it is non-corrosive.

Benefits of Copper:

• Great for outdoor use but it will patina after a while
• Suitable for electrical parts
• Malleable
• No additional process required

Carbon Steel

It's an alloy made of iron and carbon. Its ductile strength makes it a go-to metal when it comes to construction of buildings, bridges, and machinery. For Trumpf laser consumables you would have a couple of options to choose from. For example, hot or cold rolled steel.

Hot Rolled Steel

Elaborating that in detail, hot rolled steel is formed when you roll steel at very high temperature. It makes steel easier to form, which makes the product easy to work with. The finished steel would have a thin layer of magnetite known as "scale". It can be reduced with a pickling and oiling finish which would leave the surface of the steel nice and smooth.

Carbon Steel Benefits:

• Creates indestructible parts.
• Welds easily
• Easy to thread, machine, drill, etc.
• Suitable for cutting thick pieces.
• Looks great painted, powder coated, or clear coated

Mild Steel

The process of making Mild Steel is a bit complicated. They roll up the steel hot, then roll it up more after it cools down at room temperature. This process allows the metal to take shapes of a thinner sheet. In comparison with hot rolled steel, it does not require further processing for a smooth, finished surface.

Benefits:

• Strong (especially in 11ga thickness).
• Welds easily
• Simple to thread, machine, drill.
• Easily Etched and cut

What have you considered for your next laser project? Do let us know in the comment section below. If you are looking to replace or change your parts, consider Trumpf laser consumables, or Mitsubishi laser parts for the quality results.

Source - http://tiny.cc/4j1j8y