For decades, laser engraving technologies have been used to elevate the quality of consumer products, personalise gifts, and even support practical applications across a wide variety of industries. Today, laser engraving is still used for all these purposes and more – but with growing demand for smarter, greener, and more agile manufacturing processes, we’re also seeing more diversity in experimentations with laser engraving.
Our laser engraving technicians here at Vector & Raster Laser Services have facilitated engraving projects with dynamic goals and objectives. We’ve also been privileged enough to work across a wide catalogue of laser engraving materials, creating everything from laser engraved traffolyte signage for industrial environments, to striking laser engraved timber displays.
Over the course of our 20+ years of experience, we’ve seen laser technologies evolve at a rapid-fire rate, adapting to new CNC and CAD programs for computer-aided designing, and laser machinery manufacturers themselves revisiting their hardware designs to create more energy-efficient, smarter machines that integrate easier within digital device networks.
So what can we expect from the future of laser engraving technology based on today’s current and emerging industry trends? Our technicians are here to answer just that question for you, by diving deeper into the evolution of laser engraving technology and unpacking how we’ve arrived at where we’re at today.
The Evolution of Laser Engraving Technology to Date
As an alternative manufacturing process to your run of the mill factory lines, laser engraving services have basically supported small and medium sized enterprises in retaining access to production technologies. In much the same way as laser cutting has demonstrably revolutionised small business manufacturing, laser engraving technologies have allowed entrepreneurs, self-funded design studios and even hobbyists in creating a wide gamut of customisable products and items, including but not limited to engraved signage, branded furnishings, personalised gift items, and even company nametags.
The sheer applicability of laser engraving technologies have resulted in the development of engraving machines of various sizes and scopes. For example, our own high-end German laser engraving machines here at Vector & Raster Laser Services, can work on materials of varying sizes, thicknesses, and densities. We can even laser engrave paper on the same machines we use for working with fabrics, woods, and metal materials.
And speaking of laser engraving paper and fabrics, laser-based production methods were also proving to be a lot more versatile in comparison to CNC engraving, mainly because CNC machines use drill bits to physically carve into harder materials. For those looking to engrave leather, paper, and other less hard-wearing surfaces, laser engraving technologies finally made this possible.
So to recap, here are some of the driving forces behind the development of laser engraving technology to date:
- Improved accessibility to independent manufacturers, and small businesses
- Improved versatility to include processing capabilities for softer materials (i.e. papers, fabrics, etc.)
- Advancements in laser engraving machines to accommodate larger, thicker, and denser materials
5 Emerging Trends Shaping Innovations in Laser Engraving
So how else can we expect laser engraving technology to evolve in response to the unique industrial challenges and demands of today and the wider digital age (aka, all that’s yet to come!)?
Here are the top emerging trends that our laser engraving technicians at Vector & Raster Laser Services predict will be the most prominent driving forces for continuing innovation.
1. Integration with Smart Manufacturing & Industry 4.0
Laser engraving machines have already integrated with CNC and AutoCAD technologies in a few different ways – so it stands to reason that the next frontier will be joining the IIoT (or the Industrial Internet of Things).
The key defining factor of facilitating production lines under Industry 4.0 seems to be integrated machinery and equipment with centralised management software. Nowadays, we’re seeing more of our clients working with cloud-based management systems to track performance metrics like their environmental stats (i.e. emissions, resource consumption, air quality, waste management, etc.).
For enterprises with environmental goals, using eco-friendly production methods is naturally going to be a gamechanger. Thankfully, our laser engraving processes deliver on these environmental and other smart manufacturing goals, allowing for cleaner processing, faster turnover times, and swifter movements from workflow to workflow across wider Industry 4.0 production processes.
2. Expanding Material Capabilities
With the growing popularity of other new agile production methods like 3D printing, we’ve also started to see new printing mediums pop up on the market. This includes reels of plastic filament that you see in 3D printing studios, but also other materials designed specifically to deliver high-quality results with laser engraving technologies.
A great example here are two-toned acrylic sheets, which can be used to create laser engraved designs that boast multiple colourways. We’re also seeing more laser-friendly wood veneers, introducing greater variety in finishes and design styles for wood laser engraving.
Sustainability is also becoming a greater focus when it comes to materials innovation. Nowadays, you can even find organic, sustainably sourced cork materials for laser engraving, and harder wearing metal materials like anodised aluminium and laser-specific metallics that are suitable not only for producing high-contrast markings but also for capturing finer details with improved precision.
3. Personalisation & Mass Customisation
With more materials becoming available, laser engraving specialists are able to take on even more customisation projects, working with their clients to personalise production projects at every level of development, from materials selection and design finalisation, to finishes and treatments.
For those looking to prepare a wood laser engraving project for instance, there are many solid hardwood, softwood, and composite wood materials available to choose from. Selections can be made based on the intended application of the final product (i.e. hardwood may be better for objects that can expect to accrue a few dings and scrapes, for instance), or even based on budget, with composite wood materials generally offering improved cost efficiency.
4. Greener & More Sustainable Practices
We’ve already touched on growing focus on sustainable production processes, from the introduction of more sustainable materials to the integration of laser engraving machinery into IIoT systems to support environmental performance monitoring. Alongside introducing this greener infrastructure for laser engraving production chains, we’re also starting to see more laser engraving equipment being powered by clean energy.
For instance, our studios at Vector & Raster Laser Services have actually been powered by 100% green energy for years now – and whilst we’ve been proud to be ahead of the curve here, we’re also glad to see this particular trend kicking off worldwide.
Alongside utilising cleaner energy, advancements in laser engraving machinery are also allowing for reduced materials waste, both by rectifying risks of errors that result in failed projects, and allowing for more concise laser head pathways that help produce smaller, fewer offcuts.
5. Software Advancements & AI Integration
Finally, all hardware updates are effectively supported by software and algorithmic updates. We’re seeing more advancements in CNC and AutoCAD software offerings not only for laser engravers but also a wide variety of other agile manufacturing methods like 3D printing and even CNC sewing and embroidery machines. Updates across these software offerings are allowing creators to complete more complex projects (i.e. projects that combine different coloured materials, or require highly precise uniform final products).
Integration of laser engraving equipment into IIoT software is also making it possible for enterprises to create automated workflows across other devices and their laser engraving hardware. For instance, using design software to finalise a design can then trigger a workflow to send that design down the production line and towards manufacturing personnel. For enterprises who are looking to manufacture laser engraved products en masse, the integration of AI automation could be just what they need to facilitate seamless, sustainable production chains.
The Future Outlook for Laser Engraving Tech
Even with all these commercial advancements, laser engraving is still very much an accessible manufacturing process that’s utilised by independent makers and creators above all else. The innovations we’ve outlined above not only make laser engraving a more diverse production process, but are also geared towards making sure that these agile production methods stay accessible to independent creators.
And considering that Australia’s business landscape is composed of a majority of small business owners, our team at Vector & Raster Laser Services are proud to support our small business partners in taking full advantage of the many benefits of accessible laser engraving technologies for their business.
If you’d like to experience all the magic of modern laser engraving for yourself for either a business project or personal pursuit, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of expert laser engravers at Vector & Raster Laser Services. We’re always keen to take on projects of all scopes and sizes – from limited run jewellery production to personalised wedding favours.
Share On:
