Metal cups such as Yeti mugs are popular drinkware products known for their durability and customizability. Customization is achievable by marking methods such as laser, inkjet, and chemical etching, each with unique properties. However, for permanent markings, laser engraving is the most recommended method.
Laser engraving metal cups and mugs also depend on understanding the marking system, material compatibility, the available laser mug marking machines, and cost. Have you seen some adorable designs on metal cups? Do you wonder how to make those precious gems? This article discusses laser engraving, tumbler laser engraving machines, and how you can engrave on metal cups.
Recommended Laser Engraving Machine For Metals
Laser engraving metal cups such as the Yeti cup is only possible using a fiber laser mug marking machinesuch as the50W fiber laser marking machine. Fiber laser mug marking machinesare betteras they are highly efficient, long-lasting options, especially for stainless steel materials. Two laser marking machines you can consider include:
HS-FL30A Laser Mug Marking Machine
The HS-FL30A fiber laser engraver is easy to use and functionally capable of marking metal cups, mugs, and tumblers. It has an autofocus design and an output laser power of 30W, making it a top mug, cup, and tumbler laser engraver in several industries.
A summary of the features of the marking machine include:
- Output laser power – 30W
- Marking Area – 110mm x 110mm (additional options available)
- Marking Speed – up to 7000mm/s
- Marking Depth – ≤0.2 mm (per material)
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HS-FL50 Laser Mug Engraving Machine
The HS-FL50 is a 50W JPT Fiber Laser Engraver with Rotary Axis. It is suitable for deep engraving or big area marking on metal products such as cups, mugs, and tumblers.
Features of the machine include:
- Output laser power – 50W
- Engraving Area – 110mm x 110mm (additional options available)
- Engraving Speeds – up to 9000mm/s
- Marking Depth – ≤0.5 mm (per engraver materials)
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Should You Invest in Travel Cup Engraving
Travel mugs are in vogue, especially in the US and Canada. As a result, these stainless steel cups are becoming an attractive option for picnics and tours. Hence, small businesses and DIY enthusiasts may want to invest in laser cup engraving machines, engrave cups and sell them to people who love personalized things or want to surprise their loved ones with carefully marked souvenirs.
Is Laser Engraving the Better Option?
Laser engraving is an excellent option compared to other marking systems because of its various advantages.
–Ease of Use/Operation
You can use a laser mug engraving machine with no prior experience. Theselaser engraving machinesoperate just like a normal printer connected to a computer, with very few differences. All you need to master is what parameters to vary for each engraving operation. Then, hopefully, all the settings and parameters used to match the engraving work will be saved and debugged into the factory’s laser engraving software.
–Permanent Markings
Laser engraving delivers permanent markings, which makes it suitable for any environment. However, laser engravings have lesser contrast compared to other markings, such as the inkjet marking system.
–Easier to Scale
You can easily scale up your business with themetalcup, mug, or tumbler engraving machines. Aside from that, you can learn how to work with your designs if you choose a supplierwho gives after-sale advice on how to do it.
Laser Engraving Yeti Cups
Yeti cups are pieces of drinkware regarded as the cups of the moment, especially in the US and Canada around the festive seasons.
–What are Yeti Cups?
The cups have double-wall vacuum insulation and kitchen-grade stainless steel. As a result, they are rust and puncture resistant. The cups can keep hot and cold drinks, making them desirable for outdoor convenience.
Yeti mugs can be the perfect gifts of choice for friends and families, and most outdoor enthusiasts love them. They are practical and economical. Made of stainless steel, they are perfect candidates for customizable patterns like personalized numbers, names, logos, or images.
In previous posts, we demonstrated how versatilelaser etchingis for metal etching. And we will show you how themetal etching processis usable on metal cups. The main way in which you can achieve good laser engraving is through fiber laser
Choosing The Best Fiber Laser Engraver For Yeti Cups (Metal Cups)
Chinese fiber laser machine markers likeHeatSigngiveflexible optionsfor machines that can do this marking.
Depending on what type of cups you want to engrave;
–Contact Your Supplier
Tell the supplier what kind of cups you want to engrave. For example, what is the material and size of your cup? This will allow them to give you the right options for speed, engraving depth, and patterns you want to achieve.
–Number of Pieces You Will Work With
You should specify the number of pieces you want to do per shift to allow them to select the right machine.
–Make A Price Comparison
Make a price and feature comparison for several options online before you purchase. Is your return on investment going to be possible when you want?
–Payment and Shipping
Look at the payment, shipping, and after-sale options your supplier gives.
How To Engrave the Mugs?
You want to start your work right away when you get your machines. However, there are a few things you need. Below are the steps to engrave the mug using a laser marking machine.
·Materials You Need
To do great designs, you should have the following;
- The fiber laser marking machine fitted a rotary axis to achieve good marking.
- Youryeti or other travel mugs
- CerMark Metal Marking Spray (12OZ).
- Denatured alcohol or any other organic cleaning solvent
- Towel or cloth.
- Mask and gloves (Personal Protective Equipment).
Engraving the Cup Process
Follow the steps below to engrave the cup:
–Step 1: Clean the Cup
Dip your towel or cloth in the alcohol and thoroughly clean the outside of your cups. This is so that you can remove any fingerprints, oily smudges, or dirt scratches that may undermine the quality of the laser mark.
–Step 2: Spray with CerMark Spray
Apply the CerMark, ensuring you shake the can well to homogenize the spray mix. You must apply the CerMark Spray well to the design area to achieve the best results.
–Step 3: Allow to Dry
Leave the cups to dry for 20-30 minutes.
–Step 4: Load the Design
Load the design you want to use to personalize the cup onto the computer.
–Step 5: Laser Engrave the Cup
Place the cup onto the rotary axis, and press the start button to start the marking. After the printer finishes, release the cup, check your marking, and set the cup aside.
–Step 6: Post-Engraving Process
Rinse your cups to remove the excess CerMark spray, which should easily come off, and pack them ready for delivery.
Ensure that your supplier has given you the right guidance on the amount of laser power and speed you need to achieve the marking depth you want without damaging your cups.
Some Marketing Tips for Your Engraving Work
After mastering the engraving laser machine operation, you can always run your business byselling customized metal cupsonline to your friends. This can be a challenge. However, there are several things you can do.
–Try outsourcing
If you get more extensive scale laser engraving tasks as you go, the cost of service can always be lowered through outsourcing.
–Social Media Presence
It is also possible to develop other selling and marketing channels to help boost your metal mugs customization business by creating a blog or social media platform to showcase your work, marketing, and personal selling.
Conclusion
With the popularity of engraved cups on the rise, you need to know the essential things concerning laser engraving for metal cups. This article explained how laser technology is best suited for these types of engraving jobs and how you can create designs for a good business in this niche.
Most importantly, you now know how to select the best fiber laser engraver for your specific needs.If you are interested in the laser engraving machine for metal cups, contactHeatSign.
Check the Laser Marking Machine for Metal Bottles
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Author:Rex Hang
Experts specializing in industrial marking machines for more than 10 years, specializing in various solutions for providing laser marking machines and dot peen marking machines.Good at marking solutions in the energy, aerospace, automotive, electronics, metal processing, medical industries etc.
FAQs
What do you need to laser engrave tumblers? ›
As mentioned earlier, if you want to engrave directly onto a stainless steel tumbler, you will need a laser cutter that has a rotary tumbler.
What is needed to laser engrave metal? ›A laser system powerful enough to laser engrave metal (preferably a fiber laser system) Laser safety goggles. Metal marking spray or paste (only if not using a fiber laser system) Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol for cleaning.
What wattage laser to engrave tumblers? ›For engraving tumblers, the 5W is the best, and then comes the 10W module. The laser spot of the 5W module measures only 0.08 x 0.06 mm, which gives ultimate attention to the fine details. The 10W laser module comes next, and it also has an extra fine laser spot of 0.08 x 0.08 mm.
What speed do you need to engrave tumblers? ›Step 4: Coated Yeti Tumbler Laser Engraving Settings
The power will automatically be set at 100% and speed at 70 mm/sec.
At least 50 watts of Fiber laser power is recommended for metal laser cutting or engraving. Forty or 50 Watts of Fiber laser power can be used for direct laser marking metals. Twenty-five to 150 Watts of CO2 laser power is recommended for direct marking of metals.
What tool do I need to engrave metal? ›Engraving tools, called gravers, are precise instruments. They must be made from top quality steel, shaped and sharpened to specific angles, and fitted into handles that provide comfort and control. Commercially available gravers are made from a highly refined fine grained tool steel.
What should you not laser engrave? ›- Leather and artificial leather that contains chromium (VI)
- Carbon fibers (Carbon)
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
- Polyvinyl butyrale (PVB)
- Polytetrafluoroethylenes (PTFE /Teflon)
- Beryllium oxide.
Size and Power. The two main issues I would focus on when it comes to picking a machine are the size of the bed and the power of the laser. The machines bed size will determine how big a piece of material you can fit in the machine to cut or engrave.
What is the easiest metal to laser engrave? ›The Best Metals for Laser Engraving
Aluminum is one of the best and most common metals used with metal engraving machines, while brass and copper are also ideal because both copper and brass have good thermal transfer capabilities.
Undoubtedly, you can make money with a laser engraver. Nowadays, laser engraving is in great demand and being used for multiple purposes. It is an excellent business idea that beginners can start with low investment. There is a massive market for laser engraving.
Should I use air assist when engraving tumblers? ›
Air assist can speed up your whole engraving operation. This is proven by laser engraving experiments on the complete spectrum of materials and thickness.
How do I choose a laser engraving machine? ›If the laser is primarily used for engraving, you will achieve good results with laser powers between 25 and 80 watts. For laser cutting or for very high speed applications, we recommend a laser power of more than 80 watts. Depending on the type of material, a different laser power will lead to the optimum result.
Can I laser engrave stainless steel? ›To mark stainless steel, the laser must be pulsed at a lower energy than fiber laser engraving. Increasing the laser power could indeed damage the material. Laser annealing is one of the only marking solutions for stainless steel.
Does etching cream work on metal tumblers? ›Can I use etching cream on metal? The answer is no. The etching cream is and acid that attacks the glass but it does not work the same way on stainless steel and other metals.
How do you clean powder coated tumblers after laser engraving? ›After you engrave a powder-coated item, you simply spray the engraved portion with Blū, wipe the area with a “magic” eraser or sponge, and rinse the area with water. Voila!
What is the difference between laser etching and laser engraving? ›The main difference between laser etching and laser engraving is that etching melts the micro surface to create raised marks, whereas engraving removes material to create deep marks. Both processes use high heat to create permanent markings on metal surfaces. Both processes are heavily used for part traceability.
Does laser engraving on metal wear off? ›Yes, laser etching is permanent. A laser etched mark will remain readable for the part's useful life with better readability than other direct part marking technologies.
Can a 100w CO2 laser engrave metal? ›A CO2 laser cutter can engrave wood, plastic, and metals, including stainless steel. However, a CO2 laser cannot engrave the metal directly as the laser beam reflects from the surface. In order to engrave stainless steel, the material must first be pre-treated with a marking solution such as CerMark or LaserBond.
What is the best metal to practice engraving? ›Copper: Copper is soft and easy to cut. This is a good material for beginners, because the graver point is less likely to break in this material.
What is the best metal to engrave on? ›Aluminum is the best metal to laser engrave because aluminum has a relatively low vaporization temperature (4221°F/2327.2°C compared to other metals. Bare aluminum, anodized aluminum, and powder-coated aluminum all readily absorb wavelengths from the main types of lasers including fiber, CO2, and diode.
What is the difference between etched and engraved metal? ›
The primary difference between them is that engraving is a physical process, and etching is a chemical process. An engraver uses sharp tools to cut lines directly into a surface, while an etcher burns lines into a surface with acid.
What cups can you laser engrave? ›Cup Material
A fiber or diode laser can make the engraving if the cup is made of plastic or metal. But a diode laser can't engrave on a bare metal surface. It can only engrave on coated metals.
Antiquing: This paint-like process is very simple yet effective if you want to just touch up your engraving and make it a bit darker in order for it to stand out. The jeweler simply rubs the antiquing formula over the engraving, and lets it fill in the carving.
Can you laser engrave a stainless steel tumbler? ›Spray the stainless steel tumblers: Spray the desired engraving area of the tumblers with an even coat of metal marking compound. If you have a fiber laser, you can skip the pre-treating step, as these systems were designed for bare-metal marking.
How do you laser engrave stainless steel? ›- Clean the Surface. Cleaning the surface of stainless steel is very important, and people usually ignore it. ...
- Adjust the Focus. ...
- Power-Speed Test. ...
- Apply Laser Marking Spray. ...
- Try on a Cheap and Spare Material.
Calculate your desired hourly rate - mine started at $120/hour and was usually 2-3 times that, and then divide that by the number of tumblers you can do an hour. Add in a "perceived value" and you have your price.
Which type of laser is the best for steel metal engraving? ›Laser Type: Fiber lasers are commonly used for metal engraving due to their high precision and versatility across various metals. CO2 lasers are less effective on metal but may be suitable for specific applications like anodized aluminum.
What liquid for etching metal? ›Nitric acid – Works well on most metals. Mix it with water at a rate of 1 part acid per 3 parts water. Or it can be mixed at a 1:1 ratio with acetic acid (vinegar). Sulfuric acid – Works well on most metals.
What grit for etching? ›Most etching these days is done with grit sizes of 120, 150 or finer, to give a beautiful, smooth finish to the etching. For awards and gifts, 180 to 220 is common. (The higher the number, the finer the grit.) The best abrasive you can use is silicon carbide.