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Plastic Engraving Machine Technology for Multiple ApplicationsPlastic 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. Our plastic engraving machines will work in a wide variety of applications, including:
Plastic Engraving Machine Techniques, Tips, and ApplicationsGravograph has outlined some techniques, tips, and applications that may help you with your plastic engraving: The Basics of Forward Engraving 2-Ply PlasticsFirst 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
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
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 PlasticReverse Engraving on a Standard CapSometimes 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-CapAs 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 MaterialsGravograph offers several engravable plastic materials, including: GRAVOPLY ULTRA 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 UsTo 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. |
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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.
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.
