Laser Engraving – What It Is? All You Should Know - Miracle Aerospace

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Laser Engraving What It Is? All You Should Know
Laser engraving is a special type of laser
marking for aircraft cables that produces the
same results as brought about by traditional
engraving methods, but it doesnt use any kinds
of ink or tools that touch the surface material.
In laser marking, a low powered laser beam is
moved slowly across the material, which slightly
discolours the material, creating high-contrast
permanent markings without damaging the
structural integrity of the material. But, laser
engraving uses a high powered laser beam that
vapourizes the surface of the material, leaving a
cavity with a depth of 1/15th to 1/8th of an
inch.
How is laser engraving performed? Laser cutters
are used for engraving the design onto the
material surface. These cutters
are computer-numerically-controlled machines, or
CNCs. A software is used to take vector files and
turn them into mathematical data that tells the
controller how to move the laser to produce the
design. There are a number of laser
machines available that vary significantly
in their function and properties. CO2 laser
engraving machines are small sized and emit low
powered laser beams high-powered fiber lasers
facilitate high volume laser marking and
engraving applications in an industrial setting.
Generally, all laser cutting machines have three
common components the laser, the laser control
system, and the marking surface. A software
program is used to modify settings on the laser
cutter, including the power output of the laser
and the speed of the controller that directs the
laser across the material surface. In fact, the
settings can also be changed to interchange the
functionality from laser marking to laser
engraving to laser etching. Graphics editing
software is used to produce the image that needs
to be engraved
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• onto the surface. Vector files are the ideal
  option to maintain clarity and proportions when
  adjusted to any size. The image is then uploaded
  into the laser cutter software via a vector file,
  which is then translated into numerical data.
  This data is then taken up by the software to
  program the controller to produce the image.
• Which materials and applications can be laser
  engraved?
• A variety of materials like stainless steel,
  anodized aluminum, plastic, wood, and glass can
  be easily laser engraved. The objects that are
  laser engraved are generally those that are
  likely to
• experience high levels of wear and tear
  throughout their life. Such objects need a
  permanent
• marking that won't be affected by the wear and
  tear, which is why laser engraving is the best
  option. The aerospace and defense industries are
  the most popular applications that use laser
  engraving. This is because aerial and military
  vehicles incorporate thousands of parts that
  travel through a complex global supply chain
  from the point of origin to the manufactured
  product, with numerous stops along the way. To
  promote quality and accountability throughout the
  supply chain, part-makers use laser engraving
  machines to mark products with barcodes and
  serial numbers which establishes their
  traceability.
• What makes laser engraving beneficial?
• Choosing laser engraving over other alternative
  marking methods is very beneficial.
• Low variable costs Laser engraving does not
  require wastewater treatment or a certified
  third-party company to dispose waste, like in the
  case of chemical engraving. Laser engraving
  machines have zero inputs besides the power it
  takes to run them, which results in low and
  predictable costs for manufacturers.
• Permanent markings Part builders commit to
  quality in manufacturing through certification
  with various quality standards like ISO 9001
  Quality Management Systems. Traceability
  markings that are applied to parts during the
  manufacturing process should be permanent as
  these parts will be exposed to extreme conditions
  like high temperatures, extreme pressures, and
  environmental hazards. Laser engraving can
  produce such permanent markings on every
  component of the aerospace and military vehicles.
• Versatility Laser engraving can be applied to
  almost every component and part in the global
  aerospace supply chain. Thus, the procedure is
  versatile, unlike other traditional procedures
  that have their own limitations.
• You can get the best laser marking for aircraft
  cables done at Miracle Aerospace, the leader in
  cable manufacturing and marking, both in-house.
  You can also have your cable assemblies
  customized here as per the design and colour you
  want.