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Gord Cowie
06-07-2016, 3:06 PM
Hi,

New member here, and I joined to ask how these small (2 to 6 inches in length) acrylic items are made. I have been going around in circles trying to figure this out.

338763

I first assumed they were laser engraved, but the text and symbols appear to be "raised" (embossed?) but frosted on the surface. So I guess they are either laser engraved or cnc routed?

If I wanted to make such an item myself, what sort of set up would I need to use?

Thanks for your assistance,


Gord

Ross Moshinsky
06-07-2016, 3:42 PM
"Any" CO2 laser can cut and engrave those. Looks like 2069 acrylic.

Jerome Stanek
06-07-2016, 3:52 PM
"Any" CO2 laser can cut and engrave those. Looks like 2069 acrylic.

The circles and text look like they are raised not engraved. the rest looks to be plexi that has not been touched

David Somers
06-07-2016, 4:02 PM
Gord....can you confirm if those are raised or engraved? To me it looks to be engraved lightly, not going deeply into the acrylic. I dont see any raised lettering. But that is just my eyes.

Gord Cowie
06-07-2016, 4:40 PM
Thanks for all the quick responses. Unfortunately I can't confirm if the are engraved or raised, as they are no longer manufactured and I can't get a hold of even one.

To my eye, and it is probably worse than yours David, they do appear to be raised, but that is what confused me, as the surface of the acrylic looks untouched. I initially thought they might be reverse engraved, giving a raised appearance, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

I guess if I wanted to make something similar (they don't have to be exact), laser etched would be the easiest way to go?

Ross Moshinsky
06-07-2016, 4:48 PM
The circles and text look like they are raised not engraved. the rest looks to be plexi that has not been touched

Nah, it's transparent acrylic engraved on the face and then cut. Even has the banding on the circle make me 99% confident it's laser engraved.

Mayo Pardo
06-07-2016, 4:52 PM
They look to be laser engraved to me also, however, if they ARE raised, the most likely method would be that they were printed with a printer capable of using UV cured inks. There are several of them on the market but be prepared to have deep pockets - the technology is still new enough that they feel the need to charge over 10X the cost of any other similar sized printers only capable of solvent or dye based prints.

I went to a demo for one brand of these and it could produce raised prints, braille dots, and clear dome effects but it was not fast, and the inks had a somewhat sickening chemical smell that lingered for weeks on the sample print I had done.

Lee DeRaud
06-07-2016, 5:00 PM
The circles and text look like they are raised not engraved.It's the shadow from the flash on the background showing through the clear bits...makes it look like a shadow from raised lettering on the surface.

Kev Williams
06-07-2016, 5:12 PM
Yup. The same shadow shows up along the right edge as it rolls up and away from the camera, and also the left edge is casting a shadow on whatever the plex is sitting on...

David Somers
06-07-2016, 6:37 PM
Gord,

If we are all correct and this is just an engraving then you are golden. An easy thing for a Co2 laser to do. Your main decision then becomes what to buy? Tons and tons of discussions about that here. Decide on the bed size, Z height and power you need for this job and anything else you can envision yourself doing. Then decide if you want to buy a western laser (trotec/ULS/Epilog) or if you want to buy an imported Chinese laser that is spiffied up in the US (BOSS, Rabbit Laser USA, Automation Technology, etc) or if you are willing to do a very similar machine imported direct from China.

Dave

Bert Kemp
06-07-2016, 6:43 PM
I'd just like to know what they are?:rolleyes:

Edit: the letters are engraved for sure but I'm not so sure about the circles.

Dave Stevens-Vegas
06-07-2016, 6:59 PM
I'd just like to know what they are?:rolleyes:

Why, they are engraved pieces of acrylic... :D

They look like board pieces for a combat board game. It looks to be the vessel name with the characteristics of the vessel on the bottom line.

Lee DeRaud
06-07-2016, 7:44 PM
They look like board pieces for a combat board game. It looks to be the vessel name with the characteristics of the vessel on the bottom line.Google makes this stuff too easy sometimes:
http://warship-girls.wikia.com/wiki/Ugolino_Vivaldi

Bert Kemp
06-07-2016, 8:13 PM
I don't get your link , what does it have to do with this thread?


Google makes this stuff too easy sometimes:
http://warship-girls.wikia.com/wiki/Ugolino_Vivaldi

Matt McCoy
06-07-2016, 8:17 PM
Why, they are engraved pieces of acrylic... :D

They look like board pieces for a combat board game. It looks to be the vessel name with the characteristics of the vessel on the bottom line.


Google makes this stuff too easy sometimes:
http://warship-girls.wikia.com/wiki/Ugolino_Vivaldi

Dave has it right. It's something for a game. Here's a link:

http://aaminis.myfastforum.org/ftopic25732-0.php


(http://aaminis.myfastforum.org/ftopic25732-0.php)

Lee DeRaud
06-07-2016, 8:43 PM
I don't get your link , what does it have to do with this thread?It's the description of the ship piece for the game...scroll down, it talks about the same attributes printed in the piece.

(I suspect there are several versions of this game, both online and as a board game. Don't know for sure, not really my thing.)

Bert Kemp
06-07-2016, 11:11 PM
Sorry Lee I wasn't reading I was looking for picture of the piece , Matt s post shows the piece Thanks both


It's the description of the ship piece for the game...scroll down, it talks about the same attributes printed in the piece.

(I suspect there are several versions of this game, both online and as a board game. Don't know for sure, not really my thing.)

Patrick Gardner
06-08-2016, 10:35 AM
If the logo and text are raised then it is probably thermo compressed blue tinted plex. We do this process in making ADA signage. We can achieve a 1 piece ADA sign with a true domed braille. It a really neat process. Much more durable than photopolymer. Our signs look just like this only the plex is clear.

John Blazy
06-08-2016, 12:31 PM
So all you professionals can guess this? Its textured clear vinyl stuck to acrylic - real simple, and it explains why it appears "raised" like the OP said. My graphics guy does this all the time. He has a CNC knife that cuts the PSA clear texture vinyl (see lots of it at decorativefilms.com) then weeds out the liner and laminates to acrylic, then weeds out the waste. Somewhat more production efficient than lasering, although laser engraving is perfect.

Ross Moshinsky
06-08-2016, 1:38 PM
There is clear banding on the product which is indicative of laser engraving. This is a laser engraved translucent cast acrylic. I'm honestly perplexed how anyone could think it's anything different.

Rich Harman
06-08-2016, 1:41 PM
There is clear banding on the product which is indicative of laser engraving. This is a laser engraved translucent cast acrylic. I'm honestly perplexed how anyone could think it's anything different.

Yup, I agree, it is engraved. The raised appearance is an illusion.

Lee DeRaud
06-08-2016, 1:52 PM
So all you professionals can guess this? Its textured clear vinyl stuck to acrylic - real simple, and it explains why it appears "raised" like the OP said. My graphics guy does this all the time. He has a CNC knife that cuts the PSA clear texture vinyl (see lots of it at decorativefilms.com) then weeds out the liner and laminates to acrylic, then weeds out the waste. Somewhat more production efficient than lasering, although laser engraving is perfect.Not a bad way to make them if they were much larger, say 6"x24", and you had to make a handful of them. These are more like 1"x4": your graphics guy would be cursing your name the whole time if you asked him to weed the tiny lettering on a couple hundred of these.

Gary Hair
06-08-2016, 2:22 PM
If you don't have a sample to match then who cares exactly how it's done? I'd throw some acrylic in my laser and go to town on it - done.

tommy suriady
06-09-2016, 7:33 AM
Maybe it is marked with a MOPA fiber laser,or just plain fiber laser. Though fiber laser wavelenght doesnt affect plexiglass, it may react with its colorant.
The laser heats up the pigment, resulting in subsurface bubble that looks white due to the way tye bubbles are reflecting light.
Fiber laser does this sub surface bubbling thing with many plastic colorants. Just slight rise on the surface without surface ruptures.

Tommy