The Science Of 3d Engraving

The art of 3D engraving in glass involves not only a set of finely honed design skills

, but also a range of highly specialised scientific equipment, making it one of the most striking examples of how human and machine abilities can combine to create visual forms. To reach the end result - an image made up of tiny white dots seemingly frozen inside a piece of glass - there are a number of stages requiring a variety of technical processes. Read on for an overview of the science behind these beautiful objects.

Lasers: How Do They Work?

The technology at the heart of 3D engraving is the laser an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Discovered in the 1960s, lasers use electricity to excite electrons to high energy levels, which then revert to their original energy levels and emit photons in the process. The photons are amplified into a hyper-focused beam that has the power to alter materials it comes into contact with. Using lasers is a highly efficient and cost-effective way of engraving certain materials, as it does not require non-renewable components such as ink or tool bits. It also has the advantage of minimising the probability damage in the material from contact with machinery. Many materials are vaporised by strong lasers, but not glass; instead, focusing a laser below the surface of glass can create tiny fractures and this is how images can be engraved inside a glass block.

Sub Surface Laser Engraving

3D engraving in glass, also called sub surface laser engraving or SSLE, is achieved by creating an arrangement of many small fractures. As well as the laser source itself, there are several important components that usually combine to make the engraving machine: a body containing the laser equipment and the surface on which the glass is placed, a laser focusing unit, and a computer that controls the whole lot. Following the information that has been loaded into the computer, the laser focusing unit sends the required points within the glass creating dot-like fractures wherever it is focused, but leaving the rest of the glass intact. The laser needs to build up energy between dots and so is released in a pulse, with the computer controlling its speed and motion and adjusting the focus when a new layer is started, as is necessary when building a 3D image.

Modelling the Design

While the process described above is dependent on machines, human skill is vital at the design stage. While three dimensional modelling programmes are used take a logo or picture and convert them into a 3D image, it takes the eye of a skilled designer to ensure that the model will translate into a glass image that looks right by arranging and spacing the dots appropriately. This design is then transferred to the 3D engravingmachine and used to produce the final product.

by: Antony Shaw

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