Contents copyright 2005 Davis Multimedia Intl. Inc. all rights reserved.
The following information is presented here courtesy of The Engravers Journal. More information may be available by visiting the EJ web site (www.engraversjournal.com) and checking out EJ’s archive of articles (1975-present). Key word searches may be performed using the EJ Index of Articles, and most back issues (1975-present) are available.

MECHANICAL ENGRAVING—OVERVIEW

Mechanical engraving takes a number of forms, however for the purposes of this discussion, we can consider it to be utilizing a computer controlled engraving system to drive a rotating cutter or end mill which "routs" or machines away portions of the material substrate, in a manner similar to CNC milling machines in that they follow a vector-type cutter path and produce a groove or mark which can be incised as deeply as desired.

 

 

Mechanical engraving can be used to mark a wide range of material substrates including plastic, metal, wood, fiberglass, etc. About the only limiting factor is that the substrate must be "machinable" or "free machining." For UID 2D matrix applications, a rotating cutter produces a round dot, allowing a cutter of appropriate diameter to be used to "drill" round cell dots delineating the 2D matrix.