What Are the Different Types of Engraving Machines?
Engraving technology has been around for thousands of years. Whether it's hand-engraving or the more popular laser engraving, engraving still plays an integral role in a variety of industries. From jewelry design to industrial components, you can find engraving in almost everything. In addition, engraving can be an art of beauty in its own right.
If you are an engraving enthusiast and are looking to purchase an engraving machine in the near future but don't know what kind of engraving machine you should pick, this article may be of some help to you.
1. Manual Stamping Machine
The so-called manual stamping machine refers to an engraving machine that is operated purely manually. Because it is purely manually operated, it cannot be used for high volume production. If you only engrave occasionally and don't want to invest too much money in this area, a manual stamping machine is a good choice. Most manual stamping machines on the market are relatively cheap. After all, it is purely manual, so the price is naturally not expensive.
In addition to being inexpensive, the good thing about manual stamping machines is that they don't require the use of power sources like electricity or compressed air. Additionally, manual engraving machines are generally not too large, so the cost of transportation is actually quite low.
But the manual stamping machine also has some shortcomings, such as its engraving accuracy is difficult to reach the level of actual industrial use, can only be used as a carving enthusiasts of the daily use of the tool. Moreover, manual engraving tools require a certain amount of physical effort, can only be used to engrave some relatively small parts. Some very large parts are very difficult to operate.
2. Pneumatic engraving machine
A pneumatic engraver is a type of engraving machine that uses compressed air as the power to engrave. Many professional jewelry engravers choose to use pneumatic engravers as their daily tool for engraving jewelry. Some pneumatic engravers come with an internal air compressor, but the power of the built-in air compressor is not very high. There are other types of pneumatic engravers that require an external air compressor in order for them to work properly.
Pneumatic engraving machines are a highly efficient alternative to traditional push engraving tools. You can improve your engraving efficiency while still being able to feel the joy of hand engraving. Professional pneumatic engraving machines come with a special pressure gauge, and you can adjust the pressure value according to the value on the gauge. This way you can carve works with rich layers.
However, the use of pneumatic engraving machine for engraving, the user needs to have a certain amount of experience in engraving. Zero basic novice can choose to use purely handmade engraving tool to practice for a period of time before using the pneumatic engraving machine for engraving.
3. Dot engraving machine
The engraving principle of the stippling engraver is to use a hard needle to tap at a high frequency on the surface of the engraved material. You can select the pattern you want to engrave on the computer and then the dot-needle marker will engrave the pattern on the surface of the engraved material. Generally, most of the dot carving engravers are used to mark the chassis of cars or to make quick marks on metals like aluminum or steel, etc.
The advantages of a dot-matrix engraving machine are that it is very easy to operate and the engraving speed is very fast. The power source of the engraving machine can be electricity or compressed air. And it is carved out of the finished product is very durable.
However, there are some dot-matrix engraving machines that require an external air compressor, which will cost you a little extra. Additionally, dot-matrix engraving machines cannot be used for engraving rigid metal materials. The last thing you need to know is that the price of dot-matrix engraving machines actually fluctuates quite a bit, and you need to be careful to recognize whether or not they are set at a reasonable price.
4. Portable Laser Engraving Machine
As far as current technology is concerned, laser engraving is the most advanced engraving technology. But not all laser engraving machines are only suitable for large companies for mass production. There is another type of laser engraving machine that is portable and you can easily realize using a laser engraving machine at home.
Portable laser engraving machine is small in size, so it is very easy to transport, and the price of transportation is also very cheap. In addition, the engraving efficiency of the portable laser engraving machine is also very high, and the quality of the engraved work is also good, suitable for engraving some large parts. If the parts you want to engrave are hard to move or can't be moved at all, this time, the portable engraving machine will be able to play its role. Portable laser engraving machine is able to engrave a relatively large variety of materials. Moreover, the threshold for the use of laser engraving machines is not very high, even people who do not have specialized knowledge can start using portable engraving machines.
The disadvantage of a portable engraver is actually not a lot, and that is that it is unsuitable for engraving very small items and is likely to have some deviation in engraving accuracy.
Summarize
These are some of the more common engraving machines on the market, and you can decide which one you want to buy based on your budget, the characteristics of the material you want to engrave, and how often you will actually use it. Just for example, if what you need to carry out is a high volume production, then you'd better choose some of the probable engraving machines that can keep up with the actual production efficiency.
