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Engraving 3D: Application for Control of Engraving Machine

User interface fig.1 

Options fig.2 

3D view fig.3

Laser engraving process is very useful for a number of things, but mostly it is used for marking products or creating three dimensional shapes inside transparent medium. To perform engraving, one needs the hardware setup and the software application. The software will handle the complex task of sample's precise positioning and laser exposure control. It should be user friendly and be able to perform engraving in a timely manner.

Engraving 3D from XInstruments is a cost effective application that turns almost any three linear stages and laser into an engraving facility. It possesses a user friendly interface and allows complex tasks to be completed in a matter of a few clicks.

Contour for engraving is loaded from a DXF file, which can be generated by Autocad, Solidworks or any other similar program. Engraving 3D has a number of special options which can be used while loading the contour, helping to eliminate the possible flaws in the contour's drawings and increase the speed of engraving. For instance, the “Advanced Contouring” option will run a script to determine the optimal (in terms of minimal required time) path for engraving. After the contour has been loaded, the user can see it in 2D and 3D modes. It is also possible to view each layer of the contour independently. This way one can easily control the integrity of the drawings.

Engraving itself is made at the following way: (1) the sample is moved by 3D stage along the contour's path with a constant speed; (2) when it is needed shutter opens allowing laser to burn the segment of the contour; (3) when moving between different contours or layers shutter is closed. A header tab allows one to monitor the progress of the process.

Overall, Engraving 3D application (made by XInstruments ) allows one to automate a small engraving facility. It uses standard DXF files to obtain contours information in a user friendly manner.

If you are interested in custom software, please contact us. If you want to know more about our work, please look into our Projects folder.