Posted on: January 13, 2010 | No responses

Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Engraved Bricks
On this page, we answer some of the basic questions you may have about the laser engraving process, including:

1) What is a “LASER”?
2) What are the benefits of laser engraving?
3) How are bricks engraved with a laser?

Applications for laser technology are ubiquitous and range from the familiar such as video recorders and eye surgery to the esoteric such as nuclear fusion. Laser welding, cutting and engraving are the most common industrial uses and Laser Impressions, Inc. has specialized in laser engraving for the electronic, medical and general metalworking market for 20 years.

For engraving bricks, we use a high power laser beam to selectively melt portions of a brick or tile to yield a high contrast, hard glass mark that resists fading, cracking, or discoloration for the life of the brick. The laser results will amaze you and the benefits of the laser mark far outweigh those of traditional sandblasting, stamping, and backfilling processes.

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1) What is a “LASER”?

“LASER” is an acronym that stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

The distinguishing feature of this type of light beam is that, unlike the light you get from a house lamp or the light from the sun, laser light is composed of a single wavelength where all the beams are in phase. You get a coherent beam of very high energy that can be focused, using glass mirrors and lenses, to a spot no bigger than 0.002 inches. The resulting power of this beam is immense. When a laser beam strikes an object its energy is converted to heat and either melts or vaporizes the object’s surface.

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2) What are the benefits of laser engraving?

Laser engraving is the ideal method for brick engraving projects, offering …

Speed.Laser engraving is a very fast process providing quick turn-around on your projects.

Flexibility. Our process is PC-driven and offers complete flexibility of text and logo changes if necessary. No stencils, molds or casts are required. Any style lettering, company logo, signature, drawing, or photo can be engraved, with 20-30 characters on a single line.

Visibility. Our laser mark appears in high-contrast to the brick color. The actual color of the mark will depend on the brick or tile color.

Permanence. The lettering will not fade, erode or chip away. The laser mark is actually harder than the brick, and will outlast the brick itself. This is in contrast to soft epoxy or paint-filled marks which can become brittle and chip away in a harsh outdoor environment.

Easy Maintenance. Unlike traditional sandblasted or stamped brick marks, there are no engraved “valleys” or “canyons” to capture environmental debris. Dirt and debris are easily washed away.

Marked for the life of your brick, guaranteed!

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3) How are bricks engraved with a laser?

To engrave a brick, a laser is carefully adjusted to melt select parts of the brick’s surface. These portions of the brick are converted into a hard black glass that is several times harder than the brick itself. The depth to which this glass surface extends into the brick is a function of the laser’s power and how fast its beam moves across the surface. Even with a shallow engraved depth, the mark is permanent because the laser process forms a graded or welded seal between the brick and the glass.

While engraving a message, the laser beam is moved across the brick’s surface by two computer-controlled mirrors and focused onto the brick with a 12″ diameter flat-field lens. This combination means that we can engrave alphanumeric characters, company logos, signatures and even photos without having to move the brick. Our laser engraving system is essentially a very specialized, monochromatic printer. Anything that can be printed on paper can be engraved on a brick.