1. Is the item you want to engrave a mirror material?
A specular material is a material that reflects most of the incoming light, making its surface appear very smooth and reflective. These materials are commonly used to make mirrors, reflectors, telescopes, optics and reflective coatings, among others.
Common mirror materials include glass lenses, metal lenses, metal coatings, optical glass, mica: metal oxides: glass lenses are the most common in our daily life. For example, our window glass, the mirror for daily dressing. Containers made of glass, your glass bottles, glass jars, glasses, glass bowls. And tableware and utensils made of glass, such as plates, saucers, cups and bowls, vases, decorations, glass sculptures, etc. There are also various handicrafts such as blown glass, glazed crafts, glass beads, and glass paintings.
These are mirror materials around us. Pure glass is transparent and unattractive. We want our life to be better and our mood to be more pleasant. We need to decorate our living environment. Glass etching came into being. Glass etching is the process of creating decorative designs, patterns or images on glass surfaces by removing small amounts of material. Various techniques have been developed to etch glass, ranging from traditional methods to modern methods.
The traditional glass etching methods are as follows
Acid Etching: This is one of the most common glass etching methods. In acid etching, an acid etchant (usually hydrochloric or hydrofluoric acid) is used to etch away portions of the glass surface to form a pattern or texture.
Sand Etching: Sand etching is a mechanical etching method that uses sand or abrasive grains to impact the glass surface at high velocity to etch the desired pattern. This usually requires a dedicated sand etcher or blasting equipment.
Corrosive etching: This method uses a corrosive substance, such as ammonia or ammonia gas, to etch the glass surface. This often requires temperature and humidity control during the etch process to achieve the desired effect.
Hand Etching: In hand etching, the artist uses hand tools such as drills, sharpeners, sandpaper, etc. to etch directly onto the glass surface. This requires a high degree of skill and patience and is often used to create fine glass art.
These traditional methods either require superb technology, or are dangerous, and the accuracy is not high enough. In order to solve these problems, we invented laser etching. Laser etching glass uses a high-energy laser beam to focus on the glass surface to locally heat up and etch the material, thereby creating the desired pattern or text.
Compared with traditional glass engraving. Laser engraving has the following advantages
High precision and precision: Laser etching has very high precision and can achieve micron-level precision. This makes it ideal for engraving fine patterns
Non-contact processing: Laser etching is a non-contact processing method in which the beam directly interacts with the surface of the workpiece without physical contact. This keeps us safe.
High-speed processing: Laser etching can achieve high-speed processing because the laser beam can be moved to different positions in an instant. This means that a large number of workpieces can be etched in a short time, improving production efficiency.
Compatible with a wide variety of materials: Laser etching can be used to process a variety of different types of materials, including metals, plastics, ceramics, glass, semiconductors, and more. This versatility makes it useful in a variety of industrial and scientific applications.
Highly controllable: Laser etching is highly controllable, and laser power, focus, and scanning speed can be adjusted as needed to achieve different etching depths and shapes.
Programmability: The laser etching system can be controlled by a computer to achieve an automated and precise etching process, and the pattern can be easily modified according to design requirements. Non-professionals can easily carve and realize their own ideas.
Environmentally friendly: Laser etching typically does not generate a lot of waste because the material is etched rather than cut or chipped. Additionally, it typically does not require the use of chemical etchants, thus reducing environmental impact.
What kind of laser engraving machine is suitable for glass engraving?
We recommend Atomstack S20 Pro, which is equipped with the world's most powerful 20W diode laser, which can easily cut thick tungsten plates, black acrylic plates, and even stainless steel plates. Atomstack self-developed 32-bit motherboard: to achieve finer engraving effects and high contrast, support Colorful engraving. Newly designed laser: built-in tool-free focusing and air assist system, more concise and free. For starters. It is very simple to operate this machine.
How to sculpt your own creativity with S20 Pro.
Preparation:
Make sure your Atomstack S20 Pro laser engraver is assembled and connected to power.
Install the corresponding laser engraving software, such as LaserGRBL or LightBurn, and then connect the engraving machine to the computer.
Clean the surface of the glassware to make sure it is free of dust or dirt.
Design pattern:
Design the pattern, text or image you want to engrave on the computer. You can use graphic design software, such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, or Inkscape, to create your designs.
Export designs to supported file formats such as SVG, DXF, BMP, JPG or PNG.
Import and setup files:
Open the laser engraving software and import your design file.
According to your needs, set the engraving parameters in the software, including power, speed, spot diameter, etc. These parameters affect the depth and speed of engraving.
Adjust laser head and material:
Open the cover of the S20 Pro laser engraving machine and place the glass product on the workbench.
Use the focus adjustment device on the machine to ensure the proper distance between the laser head and the glass surface.
If desired, film or tape can be used to protect the parts that do not need to be engraved.
Start engraving:
Click the "Start" or "Engrave" button in the laser engraving software to start the engraving process.
The Atomstack S20 Pro will gradually carve out your design with a laser beam according to your settings.
Monitor and check:
During the engraving process, keep an eye on to make sure everything is going well.
When the engraving is complete, carefully turn on the machine and remove your glassware.
Post-processing:
Check the engraving and, if necessary, perform post-processing such as cleaning, polishing or painting.
Note that laser engraving needs to be done with care and safety. Follow the manufacturer's safety recommendations and wear appropriate personal protective equipment, such as goggles, when operating the laser engraver.
Before starting, it is recommended to read the user manual of the Atomstack S20 Pro laser engraving machine to familiarize yourself with the operation and safety precautions. If you're a beginner, it's a good idea to practice engraving on less important items first to familiarize yourself with the machine and software.
