業界別シリーズ / Plastic Engraving Machine
Technology for Multiple Applications
Plastic engraving machine technology is one of the many examples of
how Gravograph provides its customers with the most innovative
technology available in the engraving industry.
 Request more information about the B-Engraver
Our plastic engraving
machines will work in a wide variety of applications, including:
- Industrial: control plates, legend plates, and lock out tags
- Badges
- Commercial/interior signage
- Nametags and badges
Plastic Engraving Machine Techniques, Tips, and Applications
Gravograph has outlined some techniques,
tips, and applications that may help you with your plastic engraving:
The Basics of Forward Engraving 2-Ply Plastics
First of all, it is important to understand that when referring to
2-Ply materials, the cap color is always mentioned first and the core
color is mentioned second. For example, in the Forward Engraving Standard
Cap diagram below, the color would be listed as (Red/White). In this
case, Red will be the background color for the sign or badge and white
will be the letter color that is exposed wherever engraved.
Forward Engraving on a Standard Cap
 Forward
engraving, sometimes labeled surface engraving, refers to engraving
the cap on the viewing side of the product. A standard cap product has
a cap that is .010" in thickness. This is the most common cap thickness
currently used in the industry. The most common overall thickness for
standard cap products is 1/16". Important to note however, is that the
cap thickness will be consistent, regardless of the overall thickness.
Usually standard cap products are created by separately extruded caps
and cores that are later laminated together to form a solid 2-Ply. There
is another process called "co-extrusion" that is sometimes used to create
standard cap products, but the end result is a product of lesser quality.
Typically an engraver will engrave to a depth of .012"-.014",
just enough to clear the cap, but not deeper than necessary. The deeper
the engraving, the more wear on the cutter, the slower you must adjust
the X-Y speed of engraving (reduced productivity), the more engraving
detail you lose (text characters can bleed together), and the more plastic
chips you create. Standard cap products have a high level of durability
and scratch resistance, but are limited slightly by the lower level
of detail the engraving can offer. Notice the diagram in the left-hand
column, how wide the cap must be spread apart at the top, just for the
cutter to reach the core. The end result is a product that you easily
recognize as being engraved – and most people like and appreciate
this quality. Because of its unique characteristics, standard cap products
are most often used for signage, and other tags or identification plates
requiring a high level of durability.
Forward Engraving with a Micro-Cap
 Micro-cap
products are also sometimes referred to as "foil" products. This is
because the cap layer is usually made from a very thin foil product
purchased in rolls, then laminated to a solid sheet of plastic. This
very thin cap layer (~.001") offers the ability to engrave characters
or images with very fine detail, as the cutter tip does not have to
go as deep as in a typical .010" standard cap product. However, this
characteristic is a slight disadvantage to micro-cap products since
they are not as durable as the thicker .010" cap of a standard cap product.
In fact, if you scratch the surface of a micro-cap product you will
usually expose the core, performing your own little personal engraving.
All of this is quite ironic since one of the greatest uses for micro-cap
products is to make badges – a product that takes a lot of daily
handling and abuse. Even more ironic is the fact that the most delicate
micro-cap foils are the metallic foils – and they are used for
badges more than the colored foil micro-cap products. But people choose
these foils for their metallic appearance and fine detailed engraving
capabilities.
The Basics of Reverse Engraving on 2-Ply Plastic
Reverse Engraving on a Standard Cap
Sometimes reverse engraving is also referred to as sub-surface engraving.
Basically, you are not engraving on the visible front of the product,
but the backside. In the case of a reverse engrave product, the backside
is actually the cap. All reverse engrave products have a clear core,
so the "cap" color can be visible from the front side, which
is now the core side. While you view the top first, you still name the
product by its cap color then its core color (Cap/Core). For example,
the diagram to the right is a called a Red/Clear product, NOT a Clear/Red
product.
You must color-fill the product to have a visible color for the text.
Usually the backside is filled with engraver's enamel. One great
advantage to a reverse engrave product is the ability to offer different
color images or text in the same sign. Another benefit to sub-surface
engraving is the smooth cap surface. Since all the engraving is done
on the backside, no engraving characteristics are visible from the front,
and the end result looks more like a print than an engraving. In fact,
it looks a lot like a print that has been laminated with a thick sheet
of clear acrylic. To some people, this appearance is an advantage; to
others, it is a disadvantage. Remember engraving is typically viewed
as a higher quality than printing.
Paint filling the backside does not need to be difficult, as you do
not need to be neat. After all, the paint will only be visible exactly
where you have engraved. See the diagram to the right for clarification.
But don't forget, when engraving a reverse engrave product, you
must engrave the mirror image (the "reverse" image) so when
you look at it from the front of the material everything will be legible.
The above sample diagram, made from Red/Clear material, will have blue
text on a red background. Because the backside is often messy in appearance,
and the image is in reverse, reverse engrave products are usually mounted
on a wall or in a frame so the back is not visible. This is why reverse
engrave products are most often used for signage.
Reverse Engraving with a Micro-Cap
As you might assume, reverse engraving with a micro cap is just like
engraving a standard cap, but will be able to offer a higher level of
detail. Although it is capable of an added level of detail, you must
remember that the product still has to be color filled. Unless most
of the image is all one color, it can be much more difficult (and time
consuming) to fill different colors into a small detailed engraving.
Unlike typical forward engraving micro-cap products, the cap of a reverse
engrave micro-cap product is typically made with paint, not a foil.
Also different from forward engraving micro-cap products, reverse engraving
micro-cap products do not have the same level of complications stemming
from the fragility of the thin cap, not because it is painted, but since
the thin cap is most often mounted against the frame or wall, and it
is being protected from the elements by a thick clear core.
Gravograph Plastic Engraving Materials
Gravograph offers several engravable plastic materials,
including:
GRAVOPLY ULTRA
GRAVOLASE
METALLICS
GRAVOPLY LASER
GRAVOPLY 1
GRAVOPLY 2
GRAVOPLY3C
GRAVOTAC
METALLEX
STICKALASE
RUBBALASE
GRAVOSTRAT
GRAVOGLAS 1
GRAVOGLAS 2-PLEX
GRAVOFOIL
GRAVO-TAC EXTERIOR
ACRYLIC
Click here to learn
more about Gravograph plastic engravables.
To learn more about available Gravograph engraving materials click here, or to
download our materials
catalog.
Contact Us
To find out more about Gravograph, or if you have any questions
or comments about plastic engraving machines or any of the applications
detailed above, please contact us.
We look forward to hearing from you.
|
始めに
