Laser Engraving of Products

Laser Engraving of Promotional Products

Traditionally engraving was an art passed down from craftsman to apprentice. Traditional engraving involved removal of parts of the item being marked with specially designed tools. These days laser engraving is an entirely mechanical process whereby a concentrated beam of light is directed against a surface and vaporises a think surface film of the material leaving behind a recessed and colour contrasted brand.

Also used in some cases is laser marking, which is a different process though it utilises some of the same technology. In laser marking the surface of the branded item is "marked" using a chemical which is activated by the application of laser light. The end result is a discolouring of the surface of the product being marked which cannot be removed and is worked into the surface at a molecular level, making it impervious to chemical removal or anything but the most drastic mechanical intervention.

While laser engraving and laser marking are related yet different processes the end result of both is a permanent branding which works best on metallic substrates.

A laser engraving machine used for promotional products is generally designed to work at high volumes with significant automated features making bulk applications relatively straight forward. because the price is continuing to fall with improvements in technology and also as the end result is long lasting and in many ways stylish and understated, laser engraving continues to grow in popularity.

While it's traditionally metal items which are laser engraved the reality is that any promotional product can be marked with laser engraving. The critical aspect of this across the board versatility is accurate setting of the laser frequency and energy settings. While it is theoretically possible to engrave a plastic pen with a laser beam, to attempt to do so using the same settings as one would use for a metal object will result in an instant melt-down and combustion of the substrate.

Laser engraving machines are expensive to buy, however in the longer term their speed and efficiency makes them an economical piece of promotional capital. As a laser concentrates the energy it is fed into a highly ordered beam of photons little electricity is wasted in the production of heat.

Promotional Items Commonly Laser Engraved Include: 

Metal Pens, Keyrings, Metal Travel Mugs and Cups, Flash Drives, Rulers.... and hundreds more