Based on the principles of mold laser engraving technology, this article explores its advantages and development trends in mold surface processing.
Using laser beams to engrave precise patterns and textures on mold surfaces has been proven to significantly improve the surface quality and performance of products and increase production efficiency while providing environmental protection benefits.
1. Introduction
Molds are an indispensable tool in industrial production, widely used in the manufacture of household appliances, automobiles, electronic devices and medical instruments. The texture and pattern on the surface of molds play a crucial role in the quality and appearance of products.
With the rise of consumer standards, traditional die engraving methods have limitations and cannot meet the requirements for fineness and complexity of textures in high-quality products. The emergence of laser engraving technology for molds has introduced new possibilities for mold surface treatment.
2. Comparison of die engraving processes
Traditional engraving relies heavily on manual techniques, resulting in low repeatability. Due to the complexity of the process, engraving services typically only offer standard textures for customers to choose from, leading to a lack of individuality in the product.
Many textures are beyond its capabilities and, even with the use of appropriate photochemical films, it is difficult to avoid wrinkles, requiring expensive and meticulous post-processing.
Furthermore, the raw materials and waste generated by the recording process significantly pollute the environment.
Laser engraving technology combines highly digitized texture designs with precise five-axis laser machining equipment, making it possible to achieve looks that conventional engraving methods cannot.
From digitally designing textures on computers to creating machining programs, this technology ensures accurate reproduction of any complex graphic texture, which is then transferred to high-precision laser equipment for ultra-fine processing, resulting in a distinctive product appearance. .
Laser engraving is a relatively new processing technique that generates only metal powder, which can be vacuumed up and does not produce liquid residue, mud or debris. It enables efficient and repeatable processing, recording and microstructuring, as well as complex two- or three-dimensional marking on objects.
Since chemical etching can only process 3-5 levels of texture, while laser technology can handle more than 10, laser processing can create multi-level textures, better and more refined surface quality. The mold laser engraving process is shown in Figure 1.
At present, the mold laser engraving industry is developing rapidly. By using laser beams to engrave precise patterns and textures on mold surfaces, this technology adds greater value and aesthetic appeal to products.
With the continuous advancement of the manufacturing industry and the increasing demand for high-quality products, the scale of this industry is expanding annually.
Die laser engraving technology is now widely applied in various fields, including automobiles, electronic devices, medical instruments and household products. Due to its precision, efficiency and repeatability, laser engraving is expected to gradually replace traditional mechanical engraving and chemical engraving methods.
Modern laser engraving equipment features higher levels of automation and intelligent features, leading to greater production efficiency and quality. Additionally, as laser technology continues to evolve and costs decrease, the laser die engraving industry is expected to continue growing.
Overall, the industry demonstrates significant development potential and broad market prospects. With technological advancements and market demands driving progress, the industry is poised for robust growth in the future.
3. Principles of mold laser engraving technology
3.1 Laser Emission
A laser generates a high-intensity, high-energy beam of light. These laser beams are typically produced using laser diodes, solid-state lasers, or gas lasers.
3.2 Laser Focusing
The laser beam is focused to a very fine point through an optical system such as lenses or mirrors. The focused energy density determines the depth and precision of the recording.
3.3 Mold Surface Irradiation
The focused laser beam is irradiated on specific areas of the mold surface. The interaction between the laser beam and the mold surface causes the material to melt, evaporate or peel, forming the desired patterns and textures.
3.4 Movement and Control
The mold is generally combined with CNC machine tools or laser engraving machines, controlling the relative movement of the laser beam and the mold to achieve engraving on the mold surface. These movements may include rotation, translation or tilting of the mold.
3.5 Coordination and Control
Advanced computer control systems coordinate and control the laser source, optical system and mold movement. This allows the laser engraving process to be carried out with high precision and repeatability.
Mold laser engraving technology uses the high energy of laser beams and precise control to achieve high-precision engraving on mold surfaces, forming fine patterns and textures. This non-contact processing method offers advantages in efficiency, precision and repeatability, gradually becoming an important technology in mold processing.
4. Applications of laser engraving technology on molds
4.1 Automotive Industry
The automotive industry is one of the significant application areas for mold laser engraving technology. It is used for surface texture processing on automotive interior components, steering wheels, dashboards, door panels and seats.
Laser engraving creates various fine textures, improving the quality and aesthetics of car interiors, thereby improving the overall appearance and comfort of the vehicle. The effect of laser engraving the mold is shown in Figure 2.
4.2 Electronic Products
In high-end electronic products, in-mold laser engraving technology is often used for processing patterns and textures on the outside of smartphones, monitors, projectors, tablets and laptops. These patterns and textures not only add visual appeal but also provide better grip and slip resistance.
The appearance textures of electronic products significantly improve the user experience.
In-mold laser engraving technology can create delicate and uniform textures on electronic product casings, buttons and displays, improving the visual and tactile quality of the product and effectively increasing its competitiveness among countless options.
4.3 Medical Equipment
The surface texture of medical equipment significantly affects the hygiene and usability of the product. In-mold laser engraving technology can create microfine textures on the surfaces of medical equipment components during manufacturing.
This makes the equipment more comfortable to handle for medical professionals and easier to clean, while the delicate laser textures effectively enhance the product's antibacterial properties.
4.4 Home Furniture
The application of laser engraving technology to molds in home furniture is also gaining attention. For example, applying textures to the surfaces of furniture, lamps and kitchenware increases their tactile quality and artistic value. The effect of jewelry laser engraving is shown in Figure 3.
Overall, laser engraving technology on molds has a wide range of applications in high-quality products, adding unique design elements and improving the visual appeal and added value of products. With continuous technological advancements and innovations, its applications in high-quality product sectors will continue to expand.
5. Features of mold laser engraving technology
In-mold laser engraving technology has several advantages:
- High precision: Laser engraving allows for extremely high precision and detail, achieving micron-level engraving to create highly precise and complex patterns and textures.
- High flexibility: This technology is highly adaptable, capable of engraving on various types of metal surfaces. It is also suitable for molds of all shapes and sizes, meeting the diverse needs of different products.
- High efficiency: Laser engraving is a fast and efficient processing method. Compared with traditional mechanical etching and chemical etching, it can significantly reduce processing time and support highly automated production flows.
- Reproducibility: With its high reproducibility, laser engraving ensures that each product has the same pattern and texture, eliminating variations due to human factors.
- Continuity: The laser texturing process allows precise control over the direction and size of details, achieving uniform texture effects between joined pieces without deviations.
- Cost reduction: This technology can precisely control the texture formation process, replacing mechanical cutting and achieving surface textures unattainable with chemical etching, thus substantially reducing production costs.
- Non-contact processing: As a non-contact processing method, laser engraving does not physically damage or deform surfaces, which is critical for applications that require high surface integrity.
- Environmental and Energy Efficiency: Compared with conventional mechanical and chemical engraving, laser engraving does not require chemical substances, reducing environmental pollution and energy consumption.
In summary, laser engraving technology on dies, with its precision, flexibility, efficiency, reproducibility, non-contact and environmentally friendly nature, is an ideal choice in various industries.
6. Development trends of mold laser engraving technology
Laser engraving technology on molds is trending towards greater precision, multifunctionality, speed, intelligent control and environmental friendliness.
- High-precision processing: As laser technology advances, laser engraving on molds will achieve higher processing precision and additional processing layers, improving the surface quality and service life of molds.
- Multifunctional processing: The technology is expected to enable multifunctional processing, allowing different forms of recording in a single procedure. This will greatly improve production efficiency and simplify processing.
- Fast processing: With continuous developments in laser technology, the speed of laser engraving will increase further, increasing production efficiency, shortening processing cycles and reducing costs.
- Intelligent Control: Gradually, mold laser engraving will achieve intelligent control. By interconnecting computers and sensors, it will enable automated control and monitoring of the process, improving stability and consistency, whilst minimizing human error.
- Green and environmentally friendly: Laser engraving is a pollution-free and waste-free technology. As environmental awareness and regulations strengthen, laser engraving will find wider application, replacing traditional chemical engraving methods.
With continued technological advancements, laser mold engraving technology is expected to play an increasingly significant role in mold manufacturing.
7. Future perspectives of laser engraving technology on molds
(1) Technological Innovation:
As laser technology continues to evolve and innovate, laser engraving technology on dies will also be improved and refined. In the future, more efficient, precise and controllable laser engraving techniques may emerge, leading to even more detailed and refined engraving effects.
(2) Applications of expanded materials:
At present, mold laser engraving technology is mainly used in metal and plastic molds. However, with the advent of new materials such as ceramics and composites, laser engraving will gradually be applied to the creation of these new material molds, offering better surface treatment methods.
( 3) Automated Production:
With the advancement of industrial automation, mold laser engraving technology will also develop in an automated direction. By integrating with robots and automated equipment, automated engraving processes for molds can be carried out, thus increasing production efficiency and quality.
(4) Expanded fields of application:
Mold laser engraving technology can be applied not only in the mold industry but also expanded to other fields. For example, it can be used for surface treatment of aerospace parts and surface processing of automotive components. As the demand for surface treatment grows across various industries, in-mold laser engraving technology will have a wider range of applications.
8. Conclusion
Laser engraving technology on molds is an innovative technique that uses the high energy density of lasers to treat the surface of molds. Through laser irradiation, small laser ablations are produced on the surface of the mold, forming complex textures or patterns.
This technology offers high detail accuracy, fast processing speed, good temperature control, excellent engraving effects and wide applicability. This article introduced the principles, advantages and development trends of laser mold engraving technology.
Through application analysis and processing verification, it can significantly improve surface quality and production efficiency. This technology has substantial value in the mold industry, improving the precision and efficiency of mold manufacturing while making mold surfaces more aesthetically pleasing and artistic.
Laser engraving technology on molds, with its vast potential for development, innovation and expansion of applications, is expected to become an important surface treatment technique in the mold industry, bringing greater production efficiency and product quality to the manufacturing of molds and related sectors.
