The most recent laser marker machines are able to do both laser cutting and laser etching. Some contain more than one type of laser inside to accommodate different surfaces and designs and to speed the process.
In general, laser machines have three components to them:
1) 1) laser
2) 2) controller
3) 3) surface
Think of the laser part as a pencil (for etching) or the point of an X-ACTO knife (for cutting). The laser beam does precise work down to almost the particle. The controller is usually a computer–actually some computer code—that tells the point of the laser beam exactly what to do, when to do it, and how hard or soft to cut. (The controller manipulates the characteristics of the radiation as it touches the surface material.) The surface is the material to be engraved; it can be in sheets, tall, round or any 3-D shape.
Though directing and focusing a laser beam seems like a complicated and messy business, the machines today range in size from something so small it could fit in your hand or on your lap to enormous industrial systems.
These are only some of the options for laser machines:
Metal marking YAG laser—marks metal and plastics
Flat laser cutting machine—contains a feed-through mechanism (similar to a copy or fax machine). This laser works well on sheets of material of any length.
Flat, round and high laser cutting machine—inner holder moves the object (or surface) up and down several inches to give the laser access from both top and bottom. This machine can engrave anything from baseball bats to drinking glasses.
Tabletop machines –This is one of the smallest industrial machines and is still as powerful as some of the larger ones. This machine can handle both flat and round (cylindrical) objects.
Roll material machine—Built with a conveyer bed that can accommodate and etch on rolled material.
All machines, no matter the size, have safety features built in these days. For the messier jobs (materials that don’t fracture or vaporize easily) there are machines that are completely closed and airtight when in process. Their high-speed work reduces dusk, smoke, oil and other atmosphere hazards.