What is the difference between laser engraving and etching?
What is laser etching?
Laser etching is the process of permanently cutting images or patterns into hard materials (such as glass, wood or metal) using a laser beam. For large projects, the size, depth and position of the pattern are usually programmed into the computer controlling the laser. The intensity of the laser depends on the material used and the heat required. The laser uses high-energy, extremely short-pulse lasers to vaporize the material instantly without hurting the surrounding material, and can precisely control the depth of action. Therefore, the etching is accurate.
What is laser engraving?
Laser engraving is based on numerical control technology and laser is the processing medium. The physical degeneration of the processing material that is instantaneously melted and vaporized under the irradiation of laser engraving can make the laser engraving achieve the purpose of processing. Laser engraving is the use of laser technology to engrave text on an object. The characters engraved by this technology have no nicks, the surface of the object is still smooth, and the writing will not wear out.
Laser processing features: no contact with the surface of the material, unaffected by mechanical movement, no deformation of the surface, and generally no need for fixing. It is not affected by the elasticity and flexibility of the material, and it is convenient for soft materials. The processing precision is high, the speed is fast, and the application field is wide.
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6 differences between laser engraving and etching
1. The principle is different: laser engraving uses the burning of a laser beam to vaporize a part of the surface of the medium, while etching uses the redox reaction between substances to achieve metal dissolution.
2. The effect is different: As far as the current process is concerned, laser engraving cannot achieve deep engraving for many metal media and certain dense materials. The depth is often very shallow and cannot meet the speed requirements. The depth of metal etching can basically be as desired, and can be combined with the painting process to achieve color and multicolor modification.
3. The scope of application is different: laser engraving has a wider application range, most of the media can be laser engraved or laser marked, while etching is limited to metal or stone.
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4. The process flow is different: the laser engraving process is simple and the process is few. However, there are more etching processes and more details.
5. Different production efficiency: laser engraving is suitable for small batch engraving or marking, and the etching process is more suitable for mass production.
6. Different precision: Generally speaking, the precision of the etching process is higher. Combined with the photoresist process, it is not a problem to achieve a line of 0.01 mm.