What are some tips and tricks while engraving?

Prepare your design, measurements, and materials, choose the correct optics, use compressed air, and clean your machine frequently. Be extremely gentle when cleaning the laser head and reflective mirrors.

How do I laser engrave safely?

Primarily, always use personal protective equipment such as ANSI-approved laser safety glasses. Never use materials such as Kevlar, PVC, and materials containing chlorine, as they release gases that will cause permanent damage to the metals and harm to the user. Proper ventilation is required when working with materials such as wood due to the release of noxious fumes, smoke, or carbon monoxide. Finally, we recommend using air assist and exhaust at all times.

What can you engrave with a laser engraver?

Our desktop and cabinet lasers can engrave materials such as wood, glass, leather, acrylic, paper, and cardboard. Our fiber lasers are designed to engrave metal and non-metal materials like hard plastics.

How do I maintain my laser engraver and keep parts from breaking?

We recommend gently cleaning optics after every use, using optical cleaning solutions on mirrors, and cleansing your machine externally on a regular basis.

What laser power do I need for my application?

For simple engravings, a good range of laser power is between 25 and 80 watts. If you are laser cutting or utilizing high-speed applications, however, the laser power should be more than 80 watts.

Which applications do I need to use rotary axis engraving attachments?

Basic rotation axis attachments enable engraving on cylindrical and conical objects like glasses and megaphones. Our 80mm rotary attachment is for irregular-shaped objects like ceramic mugs.

What materials are not suitable for laser engraving?

Materials that should not be laser engraved with our machines are leather containing chromium, carbon fibers, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl butyral. Polytetrafluoroethylene, beryllium oxide, and any materials containing halogens, epoxy, or phenolic resins.

Accessories

Are you looking to take your laser game to the next level? Here at OMTech, we strive to find new ways to ease your engraving; creating more accessories and add-ons for your machine. Explore our collection down below!