Rotary and laser plastic engraving

Plastic engraving sheets have been a long-time partner to the rotary engraving machine. Create contrast by removing the coloured top surface of your material using cutting tools, and let the subsurface of the plastic appear. Rotary engraving machines are very versatile and can engrave every type of plastic, made for mechanical or laser engraving, or not.

When a plain plastic is being mechanically engraved, the contrast is possible by adding coloured material in the groove where the material has been removed. Gravotech offers a large range of colouring, including paints and cold wax. Simply apply your colouring after the engraving to obtain a clear and durable contrast.

Non-contrasted marking obtained by making close impacts on the surface of the plastic. Visible marking dedicated for identification. Can be done on all kinds of plastics.

Foaming is a contrasted marking only possible on certain plastics and is usually clear on dark plastics. The laser melts the plastic locally, creating gas bubbles in the material

As it cools down, these gas bubbles are encapsulated in the material, creating a thin layer on the surface: the marking.

• Melting process.
• Inclusion of gas bubbles or impurities.
• High-speed marking.
• Work on some plastics, especially on black plastics.
• Hybrid or Fibre.

Contrasted marking obtained by making appear the colour of the lower layer. Can be done on all kinds of plastics with a plastic laser engraver. Colour and material removal marking is mainly used in coated materials. The existing colour, coating and surface layers are partially removed and the base material becomes visible. The layers to be removed absorb the laser light, the material heats up and vaporises at the affected areas.

As the surface layer and the protruding base material have different colours or the base material is often backlit, the marking becomes clear and visible.

• The laser removes the top layer without damaging the lower surface.
• High speed.
• Green laser.

This engraving effect creates a non-contrasted marking. Can be done on all kinds of plastics. When engraving by laser marking, the material is removed from the surface of the component to be processed. The beam penetrates the surface and removes it. In the case of transparent materials, as the material is simultaneously heated and reacts with the ambient air, discolouration often occurs in the engraving areas.

This is a shadow effect in the depression, which depends on the transparency of the laser light and the penetration depth of the laser radiation.

• Melting / Vaporisation process.
• Scribing effect.
• High-speed marking.
• Works on all plastics.
• CO2 is the only solution for transparent plastics.