Since the origin of human civilization, in order to record writing, people have always used to carve on stones,Some nobles will erect tombstones for themselves with their great achievements during their lifetime. Many important historical discoveries have also found clues from these engraved tombstones,
It's just that people used hammers and slots to carve stone tombstones. With the rapid development of economy, the birth of laser engraving machine has opened up the progress of people from manual engraving to machine engraving stone.
Ⅰ. Choose The Suitable Stone
Stone is a piece of rock. It is a mass of hard, compacted mineral, The word "stone" also refers to natural rock as a material, especially a building material. Natural stones used as building material include granite, marble and sandstone, which kinds of stone in the world.
- Granite
Every granite countertop is natural rock, which means that the design on its surface won’t be found anywhere else in the world. One of granite as below.
- Marble
Marble is a rock made of calcium carbonate which has been exposed to a natural recrystallization process. Marble is being created by the transformation of other stones through the action of high temperatures and intense pressures. As a result of this process new minerals, textures, and structures give rise to a large number of different types of marble.
- Sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) because they are the most resistant minerals to weathering processes at the Earth's surface
What Stone Is Good For Laser Engraving?
Many kinds of stones engrave very well using a laser. The engravings produce the most contrast on polished, dark colored stones such as marble, granite, and slate. The structure and surface of a stone can also affect the quality of the engraving. Stones that have a more homogeneous and fine-grained structure produce higher quality engravings. Engravings on more polished surface also tend to produce more contrast than stones that have some texture to the surface. Quality deep engraving of stone is not possible as too much heat will cause the stone to melt and significantly reduce the contrast with the surrounding areas giving it a “washed out” look. As stone has the ability to absorb water, it is important to dry it fully before engraving. This prevents the sudden steam generated by the heat of the laser from fragmenting the surface of the stone. Fragmentation not only affects the quality of the engraving, but can be a significant safety concern as well.
Marble, onyx, stone, granite and soapstone: With these materials, we’d advise that you go very slowly indeed. Although they can be engraved, the finish will appear a little white and somewhat textured. Customizing precious stone is an excellent high-end laser cutting business idea if you have the bankroll for the upfront costs.
What stone cannot be laser engraved?
Do not engrave materials with unknown properties. Not recommended the stone: precious stones,such diamond, as the laser machine need some sample to test, too expensive diamond stone will lose many profit.
As a natural product, stone offers some of the same flaws and challenges as dealing with wood. Rather than grain, some stones may be veined in different colors. One obvious problem is a vein that may disrupt a design by appearing in an unfortunate location一 such as the tip of someone,s nose一m a photo image.
It's not easy to find a consistently black marble. When we look at things like photo imaging it's pretty critical that we have a black base, We've specifically asked for photographic quality from the suppliers, but we don't always s get it.
Ⅱ. Applications
Stone engraving are highly versatile and used for many different applications. Used together, laser machines engraving stone which can significantly broaden your product line and processing capabilities. Some of the more common applications for laser cutting stone engraving and non-contact laser marking include:
- Monument Engraving
- desk sets
- clocks
- nameplates
- the awards and gifts markets
- kitchens, baths and entry ways
Final thoughts
Hope this article can guide you through the process of laser engraving stone. Using the Monport laser system, stone engraving becomes more efficient, cheap and environmentally friendly. If you want to try laser engraving on stone, add the Monport machine to your shopping list!