Steel marking, etching and engraving
Are you looking for a steel engraving solution? From laser to dot-peen technology discover all the possibilities and make the right choice!
Steel is the most widely used material, as a raw material or as a component of industrial parts, particularly in the automotive industry. New types of steel with improved mechanical properties are now available such as: anodised steel, carbon steel, stainless steel and can be easily marked, identified, traced by our Gravotech solutions. Gravotech has extensive experience in the steel engraving industry and brings its expertise to help you find the best marking solution adapted to your needs. Different marking methods are available: Steel laser engraving is done without any contact with the part and does not require any pre-treatment/post-treatment. The result is a permanent, resistant, high-contrast marking with high definition finish and of course without damaging the steel. From the rawest to the most polished steel, steel laser engravers are flexible and offers a lot of marking possibilities, engraving, etching or annealing marking. It is the ideal technology for high-speed for marking & surface engraving on steel.
The Direct part marking by dot peen is performed thanks to a tungsten carbide stylus which comes into contact with the surface and deforms the material into a hollow thanks to a succession of impacts which form the final marking. The result is a legible, resistant, permanent, non-contrasting marking that can be before and after treatment (painting, galvanizing, etc#) Ideal for industrial applications, it is a fast and reliable marking solution ideal for identification & traceability of any steel parts. The scribing technology uses a carbide tip or diamond tip to apply permanent marking directly on the hardest steels (up to 62HRC) with a high lifetime. Unlike dot peen, the tip doesn’t vibrate but slides along the surface, the result is more clear and attractive. This process has the advantage of being very quiet on steel parts with high resonance like tubes, sheets and so on. Rotary engraving is performed with a cutting tool by rotation removing the material slice by slice thanks to a high-speed spindle. The result is a deep engraved text, numbers or logos and is neat and lasting. It can also be used for drilling or light milling.
Discover Gravotech's steel engravers
Our complete range of steel laser engraver will enable you to carry out marking on all type of steel parts, for a permanent result, with excellent quality and contrast.
Integrated laser system to mark and engrave on all metals.
FIBRE laser
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Medium fully automated laser marking station.
LW2
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Large fully automated laser workstation with Fibre, Hybrid or Green sources
LW3
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Small laser engraver for all kind of engravings.
WELASE
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Integrated laser system for high quality marking on plastics and metals.
HYBRID laser
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Integrated laser system for high quality and cold marking on plastics and precious metals.
GREEN laser
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Gravotech’s dot peen marking machine and scribing solutions offer non-contrasted, visible and deep marking obtained by making close impacts on the surface of several type steel. Rotary is a good solution for a neat deep engraving and can do light milling or drilling.
The quiet metal scribing marking machine.
XF510r
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The most precise and consistent electromagnetic dot peen marking machine.
XF510m
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The fastest pneumatic dot peen marking machine.
XF510p
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Medium CNC engraving machine for flat and cylinder engraving on metal and plastic.
IS400 – IS400 Volume
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Large and extra large format CNC engraving machines.
ISx000
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Small and custom engraving machine for all purposes, from perfume bottle to small industrial signage.
M20 X
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Standalone dot peen marking station.
IMPACT
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Small CNC engraving machine for label and small part traceability system.
IS200
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Deep and permanent dot peen marking system.
XF530 p/m
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Lasertrace™ facilitates the traceability and identification of all types of parts.
Steel engraving with laser and rotary technologies
Laser etching
Laser etching occurs when the heat of the beam melts only the surface of the material and does not fully penetrate the material. Thanks to this process, a laser marking a few millimetres deep is made. The high power of steel laser engraver generates high heat to melt only the surface of the material. Oxides sometimes form in engraved areas, making the marks clearer and more visible.
Characteristics of laser etching process: For the marking process to be easily integrated into a production process, laser engraving must meet the requirements of speed. Thanks to the laser, the roughness of the material is directly modified, and the surface becomes contrasted, and the marking generates bumps and relief
Laser engraving
When marked components still require reworking or additional painting and the material is rough, laser engravings need to be applied deeper into the steel. Steel laser engraver creates high heat during the engraving process, which causes the material to vaporise. This creates a cavity in the surface that is perceptible to the eye and to touch. Therefore, it is particularly recommended when the laser marking suffers from post-process stress.
Characteristics of laser engraving process: engraving carried out before treatment, which requires high power and several passes to obtain a marking sufficiently depth marking in the material.
Laser Ablation / Polishing Marking
Partial removal of a thin layer from the surface of the material, which allows for contrasting marking on a dark surface / surface treatment and cleaning: removal of paint, coating, dust and rust to clean surfaces. With the appropriate settings and the right choice of laser technology, marking can be achieved by ablation. A high-speed movement coupled with moderate power is generally used to accurately remove the top surface of the material. The surface to be removed will absorb the laser energy and then vaporise to reveal the surface of the material.
Characteristics of the laser ablation process: Ablative marking has several advantages as it does not penetrate the material or only slightly. There is little heat applied to the material and it can also be added that the surface cleaning process, is non-contact, environmentally friendly, accurate and fast.
See our steel laser engravers.
Micro-impact marking and scribing are perfect for the identification of all metal parts, as they offer permanent and legible marking regardless of the characteristics of the steel, the surface state, dusty or not, oily at the end of machining, cold or hot, thin or thick.
The Dot peen & scribing process has the advantage of not creating any breaking points in the material, whatever the thickness of the marked part. There is no material removal, no oxidation or corrosion.
Dot peen engraving machine allows very deep markings to be made. It resists the surface treatments that will be applied after marking (painting, galvanisation, etc.) and therefore maintains the legibility of the marking.
Requirements of steel milling required to use high-frequency spindles with strong torque and a very sturdy tool holding (collet spindle) to avoid vibrations. Moreover, this application needs tools dedicated to the hardness of steel with a specific sharpening (Percut range for drilling, Twincut range for engraving).
Milling steel creates chips that need to be removed. As steel milling requires lubrication, it is impossible to install a standard chip collector that removes the chips directly. Chips removal can also be carried out by the lubrication system with soluble oil that carries the chips and dust to gather them in a tray. This accessory is part of the offer of Gravotech.
Rotary technology can reach practically any depth, as you can do several passes to remove each time a few layers of material.
