Jewelry pieces are small and delicate, and most importantly, they are made of expensive precious metals. You cannot bear errors and have multiple trials because there are emotions of the owner attached to the jewelry. With that being said, it is essential to pick the right laser machine for engraving to get perfect results without any hassle.
Here, we are going to uncover which laser is suitable for jewelry engraving and factors to look at while buying a machine. We will also share an incredible laser machine for jewelry engraving to make your search easier.
Which Type of Laser Machine is Suitable for Jewelry Engraving?
You will find several types of laser engraving machines in the market, such as CO2 laser, diode laser, infrared laser, and fiber laser, but not all of them are suitable for engraving precious metals and jewelry. You have to select the right one to get the best result at an incredible speed.
The most important thing in laser engraving is the absorption of the laser beams by the material. It depends on the wavelength of the beams. If the material can absorb the beams, it is compatible with the laser machine and can be engraved without any hassle. Otherwise, you need to look for some other machines.
Fiber lasers and infrared lasers are the two types of laser machines that have a suitable wavelength for metal engraving. You can choose one of them according to the scalability of your business.
Fiber lasers are unmatchable when it comes to metal engraving. They are quite powerful and can engrave a wide range of materials in no time. You can buy a fiber laser machine that is built and designed for metal engraving because these machines are also used for metal cleaning, welding, cutting, etc. For large-scale businesses, it is the ideal option. But keep in mind that fiber laser machines are quite expensive.
The affordable option would be a suitable infrared laser. The wavelength of these laser machines is usually 1064nm, which can be absorbed by all precious metals. You can easily find such a machine within the range of $1,000 to $1,500. It will work perfectly well and offer quick results. But it is only suitable for small businesses.
Things to Consider While Buying a Laser Machine for Jewelry Engraving
Type of the Laser Machine
The most important thing is the type of the laser machine. We have already discussed that the suitable types are Infrared Lasers and Fiber Lasers. Check their budget, features, speed, and other specifications and get any of them according to your business.
Precision and Accuracy
When we engrave jewelry, or any other small object, precision and accuracy matter a lot. The laser should be capable of offering fine details to ensure beautiful results. The accuracy should be in fractions of one millimeter. Therefore, you won’t see any error, doubling, or loss of details, even if you run more than one pass.
The dimensions of the laser spot also play an important role. The smaller the spot is, the cleaner, clearer, and more detailed the engraving will be.
Rotary Engraving
You can engrave flat objects without any problem. But engraving spherical and cylindrical objects, such as rings, balls, and bracelets, you need a rotary attachment. The attachment will rotate the object 360 degrees to cover the whole object.
Keep in mind that you cannot go for an ordinary rotary attachment because it won’t be able to hold a small ring. There should be proper attachment options for rings and similar objects.
Speed
When it comes to business, your speed defines your capability. The laser machine should engrave jewelry at a good speed so that you can engrave a significant quantity each day. It will increase your productivity. Ideally, the speed should be several thousand millimeters per second.
Live Engraving Preview
You won’t get a live engraving preview in all laser machines, but it is a good feature for jewelry engraving. Jewelry pieces are quite small, and you can easily make errors in positioning. But with the help of a live engraving preview, you can adjust the position of the graphics with perfection.
Safety
You also have to look at the safety features. For instance, automatic switch-off, fire alarms, and warning systems. If you want to set up the machine at home, make sure it has all those safety measures.
Best Laser Machine for Jewelry Engraving—xTool F1
xTool F1 is a portable laser engraver that is capable of working on a wide range of materials. It is a 2-in-1 machine because it contains a diode and infrared laser technology, and you can use any of them at a time. Using the infrared laser, you can work on gold, silver, platinum, copper, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, iron, and plastics. On the other hand, the diode laser can engrave wood, acrylic, leather, glass, paper, ceramics, stone, etc. Moreover, you can also cut some materials using the diode laser machine.
It is an ideal option for jewelry engraving because of its incredible features. First of all, it offers incredible speed and accuracy. The speed can reach up to 4,000 mm/s, and the engraving accuracy is 0.00199mm. Thus, you will get fine details and exceptional engraving at a very fast speed. The machine is compatible with a 4-in-1 rotary attachment, RA2 Pro. You can engrave rings, balls, and almost any kind of spherical or cylindrical object.
xTool F1 also gives you a live engraving preview. You can easily adjust the position of the object for best results. Most importantly, it has auto-focus, which adjusts the focus of the laser at the optimal position. It ensures perfect results every time. The machine is quite easy to carry. It has a small working area, but it can be increased by using its extension.
The laser is completely safe. You can use it at home (even inside your kitchen). It prevents the escaping of the laser beams and protects your eyes. The built-in exhaust removes the smoke from the machine. You can also attach the air purifier to clean the exhaust air. It is more than perfect for small businesses and can make engraving jewelry easier than ever before.
Final Words
For jewelry engraving, fiber lasers, and infrared lasers are the best options. You can choose any of them according to your budget and business, but make sure to look at the factors we have discussed. Undoubtedly, xTool F1 is a powerful, versatile, and portable laser machine that can do the job with perfection. It is compatible with a wide range of materials, so you can add various products to your inventory and work on multiple niches.