Rapid Prototype Blog

Archive for August, 2011

The first thing you will need if you have decided you need handheld barcode scanners for your business is your budget.  These handheld devices can vary enormously in price and you don’t want to buy scanners that either perform functions you don’t need, or those which fail to satisfy your business’s needs now and in the future.

You will also have to decide if you need a laser scanner or a charged-coupled device commonly referred to as a CCD scanner.  The latter is the latest technology and is more able to read today’s barcodes.

Barcode readers have been around since the late 1940s, when they were designed to read a special ink that included ultraviolet dye.  Technology has improved greatly since those days and the advent of wireless or handheld barcode scanners has improved efficiency, both at the checkout counter and in the stock room.  They are increasingly being used in libraries and hospitals, and the same technology is used at toll booths, where a car can simply drive through and the owner debited or billed monthly for using the road. 

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For use in a stockroom or warehouse, where goods are stacked high, a wireless barcode scanner can be used for stocktaking and inventory purposes.  The device must be durable and not break if dropped onto the floor, so look for durability when purchasing barcode scanners for this purpose. 

If there are many thousands of items to count, which happens when supermarket floor inventory is performed, the barcode scanner should also be lightweight and comfortable to handle, so the operator does not get a sore hand or arm after a short time.

Can the scanner be upgraded in the future to keep up with changing technologies?  Far too many electronic devices cannot be upgraded, rendering them completely useless if better technology is introduced, so it’s a good idea to check – it may save your company thousands of dollars.

Check how easy a barcode scanner is to use and program.  Purchasing the wrong kind of scanner may involve training staff to use them and complicated programming, which will lead to decreased productivity and extra expenditure.

There are hundreds of different kinds of handheld barcode scanners to choose from ranging in price from to over 0 each, so it is important to make the right choice.  You may also need to check if they come with stands if necessary, or a means of attaching them to a belt for warehouse workers.

What is 3D Modeling?

3D modeling is the technical art of developing a mathematical, wire frame representation of any three-dimensional object. 3D models could be displayed as an image in print using a process called 3D rendering or used in a computer simulation.

3D modeling is a method of creating 3D models or 3D objects with various 3D representations. This 3D models can be of anything, they can be of car, bottles etc. Architectural 3D modeling services represent this concept of 3D modeling. Here 3D models of different building architectures and structures are developed using core concept of 3D modeling.

What is 3D Architectural Modeling?

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3D Architectural modeling is the creative development of a 2D wire frame that’s presented as a 3D object. This 3D technology can be applied to any given object depending on the skills of the 3D Designer. These models can then be displayed as individual images or can be placed within a 3D Interior or Exterior space.

Architecture 3D modeling and design is the most excellent technique to obtain several ideas about the assets. Architecture 3D modeling sequence provides ideal direction to judge any assets. The concept of architectural 3D modeling should be clear. Architecture 3D modeling and organization is the most fantabulous model to win several ideas almost the assets.

Today 3D Modeling and 3D Animation has brought a new revolution in construction industry. We can view our upcoming building, house, malls, theater, industrial plot, etc in advance with embedded features available in 3D Modeling and 3D Animation to give us the 3 dimensional views from different angles and perspectives.

3D architectural modeling can help you to easily visualize your architectural plans. It allows us to virtually walk through our architectural designs. With the help of 3D architectural modeling we can identify areas which are dejected with prior to the actual building phase, so that it can save valuable time and resources. It also helps architects and engineers to identify structural problems prior to the actual construction of the project.

You have to make sure your 3d modelling is spot on. Then your textures. You will require to include detail to your textures…how normally in the genuine world do you see spotless concrete or tiled wood grain?! Under no circumstances. Pat consideration to your supplies and what components of the scene they are covering.

It will not occur above evening but if you are enthusiastic and passionate enough… it will materialize.

3D Modeling and Rendering plays a very important role in Architectural business in marketing and promoting Development an Architectural tasks. Architectural Companies use 3D Modeling and Rendering, Animation Approaches and Walkthroughs to showcase their project. 3D rendering is a technique which is used to transform a 3d product into pictures with photorealistic results. These tactics are extremely favorite in the field of Architecture and are employed for presenting a visual of how a setting up will look post construction in point 3d Rendering can give us a clear notion of the texture of wall, flooring and so forth.

Architectural rendering is the greatest way to boost your property or office interiors, exterior landscape or displaying other lighting results. Rendering thereby has grow to be the most commonly used tool in Architectural Fraternity. So it turns into most emerging dominant approach for visualizing prior to real building of a developing or development of solution. 3D rendering creates lighting (organic and synthetic), day or night scenes, hues, textures, flooring, fixture, landscaping or parking a lot and wall frames with a photorealistic impact on your pc. We can render residential, commercial structures, Institutions, hospitals and other great rise properties. Architectural 3D Rendering can produce high quality, precise interior and exterior 3D styles, perfect architectural style and distinct virtual rendered images.

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Rendering techniques are employed to give a photorealistic effect to any creating or product. There are diverse kind of rendering tactics that can be utilised to give preferred effects to a 3d design. Various kind of renderings can be polygon primarily based rendering, sophisticated methods like scan line rendering, ray tracing, or radiosity. We can also use VRAY to give illumination and lighting results to a individual scene. V-Ray is a device which can give a photorealistic sense to any picture. We can render Interior photographs, Exterior pictures, Drinking water effects, landscaping, products, Furniture and also render complex Animation Walkthroughs or Flythrough.

We can achieve substantial top quality Modeling and rendering with software package like Revit, 3D Studio Max and other equipment like VRAY, Psychological Ray and many others. With the enable of these program we can convert black and white 2d floor ideas into buildings and showcase an picture which will give an strategy of how the setting up will search once it is completed. Time taken to reach large good quality rendering will count upon the complexity and the requirement of the individual situation. A straightforward floor program may possibly consider a couple of hours to be rendered but a creating or an exterior of a setting up, landscaping and so on will take a day’s time, a walkthrough may possibly consider weeks to get rendered.

Improved employed of Rendering Expert services are producing a whole lot of employment possibilities for the Rendering Specialists. Typically corporations delivering Architectural Companies, glimpse for pros with Architectural qualifications like B-Arch, Diploma Civil or Architecture with established capabilities in Rendering.

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An introduction to Room Temperature Vacuum Casting

This process of molding is applied with the utilization of a vacuum chamber to extract the liquefied material into the mold. The method of vacuum casting is applicable when the mold that is desired has complex details or undercuts. It is also utilized when there is a concern of air entrapment or if the material has fibrous properties or wire reinforces.

A two piece silicone mold is placed in a vacuum chamber while the raw liquefied material is mixed and degassed; this is done when dissolved gasses are removed from liquid materials called degasification applied to prevent gas bubbles formation that is undesirable when a smooth finish is required. After the extraction of gasses is completed, the liquid material is then poured into the mold. The vacuum is then released and the mold is taken out of the vacuum chamber.

After this procedure, the vacuum casting is cured in an oven. Curing is a process of toughening or hardening of the liquefied material. This can also be applied to polyurethane and other plastics like acrylic. The silicone mold can be reused to up to 20 times maximum where it will start to deteriorate and can no longer be useful. 

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In the oven, it takes to up to hours for the liquid material to be cured depending on its size. After an exothermic reaction of the plastics, the cavity is opened and the molded plastic is removed. The silicone cavity is the closed and the procedure done again.

The disadvantage of Vacuum Casting is that it is expensive and is not preferred for mass production. However a substitute is available instead of this method known as Reaction Injection Molding. This process does not require expensive vacuum chambers and mixing facilities. The process utilizes simple plastic injection system with a couple of pressurized chambers.

So in Short

Vacuum casting is a prototyping technology used when you need a short run of your 3d cad model made out of a PolyUrethane with properties close to real injected plastics such as ABS, POM ,PA or TPE’s TPR rubbers

Usually series of 5-100 pieces will be run using this casting technology.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF Vacuum casting?

The main advantages of this process are amuch lower tooling costs and a quicker turn-around than traditional steel mould making. the lead-time to create casted models is around 7-10 days.

The products have an exceptional detail and accuracy which comes close to the final injected plastic parts.

Flexible silicone moulds allow significant undercuts, simplifying mould-making and containing costs.

The process:

The first step of vacuum casting process involves encapsulating/enclosing a master model in a liquid Silicone rubber. Than a vacuum is applied to the mould. The mould is then cured in an oven at around 70°C

Once cured the mould can be split up in 2 or more parts, at which point the master model is removed leaving a mould cavity perfectly replicating the master model.

what is possible with vacuum casting?;

We can make double or triple shot products, we can cast rubber or TPE or TPR like materials. (with 20-80 shore A hardness)

We can vacuum cast optical clear plastics ( same like PMMA) and we can use Inserts in the products.

Find More Polyurethane Casting Articles

How maximum you can provide in less time and in lower cost is the key of success in today’s competitive business world.

In the field of application development, the term Rapid Application Development (RAD) has been recognized for bringing amazing results in saving the precious time of the developers as well as application owner. According to this methodology, of developing applications rapidly usually takes 30 to 90 days of development time.

Prior to the introduction of RAD, development of the applications rapidly were very complex and it used to take a very long time. Gradually with the increasing demands of the applications and introduction of new technologies RAD methodology reached to maximum developers. There are various tools used in RAD methodology such as VB, Visual C++ as visual tools and Rational tools as CASE tools, which are only based on RAD methodology. If developers use Rational Rose in designing, then code can generate automatically in programming languages like C++ and VB. For instance if developer is working with MS front page and designs web-page layout & its content, then HTML code for the application will be automatically generated. Developers can find various methods of RAD, which can be applied for the application construction. There are many payable and free libraries are available for seeking functionality for application development only correct linking of these libraries are required.

Developers prefer using RAD methodology in application development because it provides various benefits like improved speed due to rapid prototyping, it increases end user utility, it helps in lowering the cost, no more testing efforts required, improve quality & reduce time in development due to automatic code generation and provide simplicity & usability of graphic user interface (GUI). All above benefits are achieved by developers by using various RAD tools like Cross-Platform Rapid Application Development tools, Desktop Rapid Application Development tools, Database Rapid Application Development Tools, etc. Fast moving world of application development is the result of increasing demands of busy masses of the modern users of Information & technology. There are two most popular Rapid development Application systems are Delphi & Visual basic for Windows.

While having so many advantages RAD methodologies are not used for the big applications, as big applications always tends to be expanded according to requirements and not fixed or pre-defined. It is suggested by most of the experts that RAD methodologies are not suitable for the complex and big application development, it is best when requirements are specified and well-known. For the development of low-risk application RAD methodologies are best.

Confused about the title? Well here is what I’m trying to say. I initially wrote this song with an old band “Prototype Syndicate” back in 2002. I decided to dig back into the past and revive this song as a drum cover. Why? WHy not! yeah, I wasn’t very solid back then, nor could I double bass worth a shit. This was 8 years ago! Now you guys can see how much I actually have progressed in the past few years, but also make a note that before I recorded this song, originally, I was idle from a kit for over a year. My ex-guitarist put up a myspace of this band’s songs. We recorded a 4-song demo and you can hear all 4 of them here: www.myspace.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5

<>pLand surveys have become a pre-requisite for any kind of construction these days. A typical land survey accurately determines the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points on the earth and measures the distances and angles between them. In order to do this, land surveyors make use of trigonometry, geometry, mathematics, physics and engineering knowledge. But having knowledge is not enough, now you also need to know the use of the latest technologies in the respective line of work to make your work easier, time-saving and accurate.

Nowadays, if you need to do a land survey, then there is various high definition surveying techniques like 3D surveying which provide value for money to the customers. The 3D scanning service is a powerful technology that digitally captures the shape of physical objects with the help of a laser light and thereby captures the exact shape and dimension of the object and generates an accurate 3D image of the object on the computer.

Before beginning any renovation, remodeling or extension project, the construction and design team need access the precise data of existing conditions. These existing conditions are also known as “As-Built conditions”. While doing this data analysis, the team members can face a number of As-Built documentation challenges. These challenges could be obsolete or total lack of As-Built Drawings. The manual collection of As-Built measurements can be slow and are usually prone to error. But with the invention of 3D laser scanning services, one can obtain more accurate and detailed As-built drawings. This helps in saving a considerable amount of project cost through the reduction of construction reworks and construction delays. It also reduces the data collection time as manual As-Built information is time-consuming. The As-Built drawings, as obtained from the 3D laser scanning can be applied for making processing plants, piping and ductwork retrofits, historic building preservation and renovation and other works.

These days, there exists a number of land surveying firms which offer high-tech land surveying services to their customers. These land surveying firms provide their clients with quick turn-around and highly detailed GPS, geodetic and other land surveys and ensure the quality and timeliness of the project. Some of these firms also consult with their clients in determining their exact land survey needs, assuring them of the most cost-effective land survey required for their project. These land surveying firms also offer other services like monitoring well surveys, geo-tracker reporting, topographic surveys, earth quantity calculations, boundary surveys and construction staking.

More Terrestrial Laser Scanning Articles

In mature markets the importance of packaging design in contributing to brand communication and appeal (on-shelf, in-store) is increasing, due to a number of factors, including:

• Consumers are increasingly aware and demanding in terms of brand choice, product quality, health and ethical issues.
• The environmental challenge for companies to optimize the use of materials, water and energy, minimize waste and maximize the recovery of used packaging.
• The trend towards premiumisation is influencing innovation and packaging in many market sectors, particularly mature markets.
• The increasing diversity of media channels for marketing and advertising is creating greater focus and importance on packaging design.

This report provides and overview of how packaging is used in food and drinks products to enhance brand perceptions and value. It provides an in-depth analysis of current and emerging trends and strategies for enhancing brands through packaging.

Key features of this report

• Defines what brand enhancement is and how it contributes to brand identity, the nature and role of packaging and identifies the drivers of packaging innovation.
• Explores how structure and functional features of packaging are used to enhance the brand, including: Creating distinctive and defendable characteristics.
• Enhanced safety, handling and product delivery, storage and consumer involvement.
• Enhanced convenience e.g. utilising new microwave technologies.
• Explores how surface design is used to enhance brand communication and appeal – demonstrating the use of logos and brand marks, typography, colour, photography, illustration, pattern, textures and finish.

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• 10 case studies to provide learning from superbrands and illustrated examples of how packaging has been re-designed to strengthen brand communication and appeal. Superbrands: Coca-cola, Babybel, Nutella, Frito Lay, Kohinoor basmati rice. Re-design case studies: Dorset cereals, Silver Hills Bakery, The Fruit Lab, The Yorkshire Provender
• Examines challenges and innovations in ‘green packaging’
• Explores the trends in food and drink reflected in packaging,with illustrated examples in : Super indulgence; Provenance and traceability; Artisan/homemade; Natural convenience; Celebrity endorsement; Limited edition; Interesting basics.
• Over 60 illustrated examples of packaging from around the world.

Key benefits from reading this report

• Understand how packaging materials and features can improve the functional performance of packaging.
• Gain an understanding of packaging architecture and the different tools available to designers to create distinctive brand identity and defensible properties in packaging.
• Understand how packaging design contributes to the aesthetics and emotion of brand identity.
• Learn how food and drink brands are using different strategies to connect with consumers, including – from reflecting increasing consumer interest in the source and content of products, to the use of limited editions and celebrity endorsement.
• Inform how brand enhancement demands consideration of the different factors that impact on packaging, including: consumer needs, cultural trends, manufacturing processes, retail requirements, environmental and ethical considerations and EU legislation.
• Identify the areas of focus for brand enhancement amongst industry executives.
• This report provides highly visual case studies and illustrations to show how packaging design has been used by different brands to enhance their communication and performance. Prompt and inspire your marketing and NPD teams with ideas from around the world.

To know more about this report & to buy a copy please visit :

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PCB prototype plays a very important role in the creation and design of PCB (Printed Circuit Boards). The design of the PCB does not depend on single elements rather depends on variety of elements which needs expertise and testing for several times. And prototype gives you the opportunity to check your product before production. Actually, we can say that the design depends on indistinct set of necessities. This is produced to define the required functions for the electrical and mechanical products. And the prototype helps to fulfill these needs by giving you a chance for proving your design.

The designers include all the required functionalities those can fit in the board. As regarding to the requirements, the board changes its shape. Sometimes it’s large with the extensive requirements. And sometimes it’s small with fewer requirements. Again many things are needed to make a PCB prototype of production stage. Among them, functionality with reliability is a must. The complexity and functionality determines the required number of layers. Some board consists of only two layers as they have less functionality and some have even more than 32 layers for their complexity and high functionality. And the size also differs a lot. As the board has to sit perfectly into its desired system, it must be made in the perfect shape. The tolerance is also a factor as the layers and copper traces certainly depend on it. Most PCB has a design with a tolerance that makes the layers and copper traces even more critical. As they are designed with highly tight tolerances, they are made highly integrated. And this integrity sometime causes some critical problems. So, it must be checked carefully for the accuracy. The voltage must be moderate with the application and the signals must also be clean. Again, the surface components must meet the required tolerance. And after considering all these respects, the developed first board is called the prototype. These are developed for testing. They are mainly made depending on the number of testing required. After the testing is completed, the production begins with the design.

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These PCB prototypes are checked in all critical conditions as everything must be checked and every problem must be solved before the production. Again, the leads and traces are re-measured so that it meets the required thickness. The VIAS and holes need individual programming for each board and their making process is also sophisticated. The tolerances and electrical signals are tested even after the addition of the surface components. When all the components are added and it is made as the specification, it is finally tested for several times for the required result. The board must also be able to provide proper reliability and effectiveness. In this time, the board is tested without planting it in the environment it is made for. And all steps are recorded.  And when it meets the standard quality, it is sent for production. But if any wrong occurs, it is tested again and sent for further solution. Even sometimes the whole design is changed for the failure in tests.

The prototype is made by the companies to check their products and inventions before manufacturing. And thus it helps a great deal in the development of PCB.

More Benefits Of Prototyping Articles

Every child needs to be properly cared and nurtured to grow healthy and productive someday which also applies to a business. It should be guided well and be given enough attention to ensure its stability. A business needs a lot of research to establish its main goal. To achieve its success, you need an appropriate web media to endorse the product you’re selling.

Manufacturers in the modern world search for the best web design to show the important details needed by the clients to make it big in the market. With the use Industrial design, your products or services will be explain the way you want it. Technical terms and illustrations that you need to present for your product are available in the web design industrial. This web design can demonstrate every purpose of your product or service.

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The development of your business increase daily once the product or service is introduced in the internet since people will scan your site and search what they need. Satisfied customers will leave positive feedbacks but this is only the beginning. Your business will need more time and effort than before. Strategic plans must be prepared to make sure that your company will be known in the field of trade and industry.

Industrial web design allows you to handle your business to succeed in an amazing speed. You just have to know the basic knowledge of business and accounting to make sure that your expenses are lesser than your income.

Industrial web design gives security to businessmen. This gives you enough time to improve the products while the web site does the advertising. Working together as one will save time and can obtain twice the income from before. People depend mostly on the offers in the internet every day and you can provide their needs in just a click away.

But there are customers who might find it difficult to access the features a certain web site. Once you contact a wed designer, let him create a web design industrial that is user friendly and can catch the viewer’s attention.

Creating one for your business today is still available. You just have to find the best web designer and explain how you want your industrial web design will look like in detail. Your chance to become a successful businessman has been solved.

find out about the features and functions of laser engravers, what applications the machines support, and how they can be used alongside thescreen-printing process.

laser engraving systems can be a valuable and profitable addition to any screen-printing shop, giving screen printers the opportunity to decorate materials and substrates that they might not have previously considered or that their existing equipment could not support. laser cutting and engraving systems can be used on a variety of materials. however, identifying potential applications can be a challenge. this article will discuss how these devices work and the benefits that they can bring to screen-printing operations.

The technology

most engravers use co2-charged lasers to produce precise and detailed images at a very high speed. they are commonly referred to as xy laser systems or cabinet lasers, in reference to the x rail and y rail assemblies along which the laser moves and the fact that the system is enclosed (figure 1). the overall throughput of the machine greatly depends on the power output (wattage), the speed, which is measured in in./sec (ips), and, most importantly, the acceleration of the engraving motion of the machine.

some lasers on the market specialize in one function over another. for example, one system is specially designed to vector cut materials up to 1.5 in. thick and has a large table size, which makes it suitable for someone who mainly does a lot of cutting. for most businesses, it s important to have a machine that can handle as many different jobs as possible. therefore, using a laser that can raster engrave on marble and then vector cut acrylic is vital to those who must maximize their resources.
  figure 1 laser engraving equipment
co2 laser engravers can be used to decorate a variety of materials, including acrylics, leathers, fabrics, marble, rubber, and most plastics. industrial lasers, including nd+:yag and nd+:yv04 systems, can be used to mark raw metals.

the co2 laser is the most common system in the engraving market because it can cut and engrave on acrylics, wood, marble, leather, fabrics, plastics, and even anodized or coated metals. within the co2 segment, there are metal and glass co2 tubes; each with its own advantages.

glass tubes tend to work great for vector cutting and, at the same time, produce smooth, clean raster images. glass tubes, which include a glass housing filled with the co2 element, tend to exhibit less pulsing than metal tubes. because the power fluctuation is minimized, vector cuts come out cleaner, and raster images show less traces of banding. as great as this sounds, the major drawback of glass tubes is the fact that the lifespan is much shorter than metal tubes. so the cost of owning a machine with a glass tube goes way up as you must frequently replace the laser tube. a related concern is the machine downtime that occurs when a tube must be replaced.

metal tubes, on the other hand, do tend to exhibit power fluctuations and pulsing. still, adjusting raster and resolution settings can yield very professional, clean raster images and vector cuts. the major attraction of a metal laser tube is its lifespan. the average life is 20,000-35,000 hours of use. that amounts to eight hours a day at 100% power, seven days a week, for seven years, if the tube only lasts for 20,000 hours. but the tube will often last longer than that.

also available are nd+:yag and nd+:yv04 lasers. these lasers are geared to those who wish to mark on raw (uncoated) metals; as such, they re usually found in manufacturing and high-end technology companies. these lasers operate differently from the standard xy laser systems in that they utilize a galvo lens to direct the laser beam. because of this setup, the laser can engrave much faster than an xy system; however, the working area is usually much smaller.

to use any of these systems, the operator first creates or imports an image to a standard graphic design program. once the image is prepared, the operator uses the program sprint command to open the driver for the engraver, which opens additional option fields for engraving the image.

the capabilities and options of the laser engraver greatly depend on the driver. at this stage, the user can select the raster style and resolution, set the home position, and adjust power and speed settings. some drivers even allow users to adjust the pitch and sharpness of engraved edges for applications such as rubber stamps. the user then inserts the substrate into the machine, typically into the top left corner of the table, which is commonly used as the home position and is the starting point of the laser. after focusing the laser on the material (most machines offer an auto-focus function), the user pushes the start button and the laser fires away.

multiple capabilities

most systems are capable of performing cutting and engraving functions. when choosing a laser, it s important to consider which of the two functions you will need most frequently, because some systems may perform one function better than the other. wattage plays a big role in how well the machine will work. when it comes to photo engraving, a 30- or 40-watt laser usually will suffice. however, when it comes to cutting, particularly with thick materials, you may consider a laser ranging from 60-100 watts, or even 200 watts. you ll need more power to cut completely through material, whereas in engraving you are cutting to a depth of only a few millimeters.

the use of a higher wattage machine certainly opens more doors. not only will you be able to cut or engrave more materials, but you will also do so much more quickly and cleanly than you would with lower wattage machines. therefore, when purchasing a new laser engraver, consider purchasing one that has a higher wattage than what you think you might need. this will give you room to expand and take on jobs that you may not have been able to complete with a lower powered laser. purchasing a machine with room to grow is simpler and typically less expensive than trying to upgrade your machine to a higher wattage down the line.

opportunities for screen printers

laser engraving systems allow users to etch very fine and detailed graphics (including 4-pt type) onto wood, rubber, or any carbon-based materials to create stencils, which can then be used in screen-printing applications. the laser engraver also can be used to cut printed images.

another creative use of the laser engraver involves 3d engraving and then running the engraved piece though a flatbed printer. this will give the engraved piece color, depth, and a unique look.

co2 lasers can mark on a variety of materials, such as acrylics, leathers, fabrics, denim, marble, rubber, and most plastics(figure 2). however, the laser cannot mark or cut metallic materials. this is because the laser beam will reflect directly off of metal surfaces, with no effect to the material at all. but if the metal is painted, coated, or anodized, the laser will remove the top layer to expose the metal underneath. the result is a sharp, crisp marking that is ideal for plaques and trophies.

figure 2 applications for laser engraving
laser engraving systems can be used to etch the surface of various materials, as well as ablate coatings from substrate surfaces. depending on the material thickness and laser power, some also may support complete through cutting and contour cutting of printed images.

laser engravers are typically equipped with a windows-based driver. users can choose their own graphics-editing programs. most laser engravers function simply as a printer, so no special software is required. graphics programs that are commonly used to edit images for laser engraving include coreldraw, autocad, adobe illustrator, and adobe photoshop. you should use the software that you prefer, but it should be able to work effectively with the file types you commonly use. some programs may work great with bitmap images but cannot process vector images. other applications written specifically for laser engraving may also be used.

some systems offer the capability to contour cut printed graphics based on the original digital design file. these systems use an integrated camera to recognize the contour lines of an image and cut them out. some laser engravers offer an optional ccd camera module that allows users to do precise contour cutting. using a laser for cutting really opens up a whole new world of possibilities. not only will you be able to contour cut, but you also will be able to vector cut around the details of an image or even engrave into the material as well. by using a laser, you are not restricted to outside perimeter contour cutting alone.

several laser engravers feature exclusive functions, such as 3d engraving, which allows the user to engrave deep into wood or acrylic, resulting in a multidimensional effect(figure 3). other functions include stamp mode for creating rubber stamps and rotary attachments to engrave on cylindrical objects such as mugs or vases. also, systems designed with front and rear pass-through doors offer virtually unlimited height, enabling users to take on jobs that they might have otherwise turned away. this feature is ideal for those who wish to engrave on long objects, such as baseball bats, gun stocks, and wood paneling.

figure 3 engraving in three dimensions
some laser engraving systems support 3d engraving on various materials. this function allows users to create rubbers stamps and decorate cylindrical objects.

important considerations

screen printers should keep a few things in mind when investigating laser cutting or engraving systems for their shops. first, test the system s engraving or cutting quality. with so many laser engraving systems on the market, it can be difficult to choose the one that best fits your needs. also, many people wish to shop around for the lowest price. although buying a low-cost laser may be good for your wallet, it may not be the best decision in the long run. keep in mind that not all machines are created equal, and as the old adage goes, you get what you pay for.

the main things to consider when assessing a laser engraver include the motors, rail system, driver, and laser tube, as well as the technical service and warranty offered by the manufacturer. the motors on a laser engraving system are vital in making precise cuts. if a motor loses its place, it can ruin an engraving job, especially if a job requires multiple passes over the same area. dc servo motors are best and provide consistent and accurate cuts.

the rail system must provide smooth and frictionless movement. some systems employ a low-maintenance motion linear bearing system to ensure effortless and smooth operation. the driver is another critical component that determines the flexibility and functionality of the equipment. the driver should be easy to navigate and operate. the more features it offers, the more options and control you have over your work. finally, remember that the laser tube is the heart and soul of any laser engraver. make sure that the tube is from a reputable source. stay far way from off-brand tubes.

one of the most overlooked aspects of owning a laser engraver is technical support. laser engravers are very complicated pieces of equipment. if a part were to fail, who would you turn to for assistance? make sure your dealer will be able to assist you in case you are ever in need of service. also check to see what kind of warranty the manufacturer offers. some warranties are longer than others. find out the length of the warranty and determine precisely what it covers. wear-and-tear items usually are not included in the warranty, so be sure to check the price of replacement parts.

considerations should focus on more than just price, features, and warranty. also ask yourself the following questions: is the output precise enough to be used for producing stencils? do we need better output quality? is the output quality consistent? are there any hidden costs for training and maintenance? will there be any chemical reactions with the materials that we plan to process? harmful chemical byproducts may damage the machine and harm the operator. these byproducts can be created when working with materials such as pvc or teflon.

in the end, just be sure to research and do your homework. a laser engraving system is one of the best investments you can make for your business. as long as you know what your needs are and understand what the system can and cannot do, you ll be on your way to a future of profitable laser cutting and engraving.