The engraving form known as 3D laser engraving is a special type of engraving that involves either engraving on a three-dimensional surface on more than one edge at a time, or creating a 3D image with different levels of depth. Laser engraving, which uses a laser instead of a cutting bit, is better at this 3D process, because it can easily dig into the surface without a bit accidentally getting in the way or hitting previous engraving marks. The image to be used with 3D laser engraving is typically taken from a grayscale image, and the operator must know how to calibrate the grayscale to achieve the right depth and effect. There also are special laser engravers that are able to engrave beneath the surface of glass or crystal to create 3D images inside the material.
The simplest version of 3D laser engraving is when more than one side of a 3D object is engraved into at the same time. For example, if someone wants a cube engraved, it will take less time to engrave several sides at once than to do each side individually. This type of engraving equipment uses two or more lasers simultaneously, and the user must have all the sides loaded into the program correctly or the engraving will come out wrong.
Laser engraver varies widely in capabilities and the types of surfaces the machine can best engrave upon. X-Y table laser engravers work only on a two-dimensional surface. Others are capable of engraving on cylindrical objects or irregularly-shaped objects through the use of mirrors that direct the laser to the focus point. Sub-surface laser engravers are capable of focusing a laser below a transparent surface to produce a three-dimensional image that appears suspended within a crystal or glass object.
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