About the knowledge of metal engraving, most people know is a variety of precious metals carved out of fine jewelry, such as gold jewelry, silver jewelry. However, the most popular metal engraved jewelry among young people is titanium engraved jewelry. Titanium and its alloy is a lot of brands in the design of trendy fashion items will be used in the material, such as Tiffany’s classic smiley face necklace and Armani’s black waist necklace. This is because of its high mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, hardness and several other beneficial properties. In addition to this, there are many hidden mysteries of titanium engraving. Next, this article will demystify its mysteries.
Specific reasons for the popularity of titanium
Good ductility: it is not limited by the shearing process and can be processed in any way.
Corrosion resistance: titanium jewelry is not easy to rust, can be stored for decades without fading and deformation.
Cheap cost: titanium materials are cheaper to buy than precious metal materials. Even if the engraving process is damaged, it will not incur high costs.
Meet the fashion trend: gold and silver jewelry need to wear formal wear to look good. Titanium jewelry can find the right style to match whatever kind of clothes people wear.
How to engrave titanium?
Because titanium is a hard metal and much harder than gold or silver, it cannot be engraved with hand-operated engraving tools and requires the purchase of an engraving machine. A pneumatic engraving machine or a laser engraving machine can be chosen. In this article, we recommend using a pneumatic engraving machine, which can be used in accordance with the engraver’s idea of free creation. If you use a laser engraver you need to set up a computer program, which is more complicated. Unlike purely manual engraving, pneumatic engraving machines can easily engrave hard materials such as titanium alloys with their high speed engraving heads.
Main Steps in Titanium Engraving
For engravers who are just learning about titanium engraving and have some interest, we have prepared a guide to the main steps of the titanium engraving process.
Step 1: Preparation of materials
First of all, we need to prepare enough materials. The main materials used for titanium engraving are titanium discs (small discs are sufficient), pneumatic engraving machine, engraving head set, stereo microscope and protective equipment.
Step 2: Draft pattern
Design the pattern you want to engrave on the drawing, or a special design you like. It can be anything, logo, signage, letters, numbers or a specific pattern. For error-free engraving results, you can use a marker pen to draw the engraving pattern directly on the small titanium disc after designing the pattern.
Step 3: Setting up the machine
When engraving titanium, if the machine is not set up properly, sparks can easily be generated during the engraving process, causing injury to the operator. Before you begin, turn down the speed setting on your pneumatic engraver. Keep the speed low while engraving the surface of the titanium. As the engraving depth deepens, slowly increase the speed to deepen the engraving marks. Also, set the power, focus and other parameters according to the engraving depth.
Step 4: Engraving Details
Once the machine is set up correctly and the test run is successful, you are ready to engrave as you wish. Please follow the previous step to start engraving with the pneumatic engraving machine. The engraving process involves moving along the drawn markings and engraving the substrate. The high speed rotation of the engraving head creates a concave surface on the material and leaves a permanent engraving mark. Depending on the complexity and depth of the engraving, it may be necessary to deepen the detailed parts of the engraving. This is done with the help of a stereo microscope, which magnifies the engraved surface of the titanium alloy and allows you to find exactly where the detailed engraving needs to be done. Next add some intricate patterns to increase the sophistication of the piece.
Step 5: Cleanup
Once the engraving is complete, use a cleaning brush to remove excess debris and some impurities. Then polish the titanium piece with a polishing paste to add a shine to the metal and smoothness to the engraved lines. In this way a simple titanium small round carving piece is finished.
Uses of Titanium Engraving
Apart from being used for engraving some fashion jewelry, titanium is also used in automotive, aerospace, medical, electronics and many other industries such as branding symbols, logos, emblems, numbers, letters, aesthetic crafts and many more. It is very collectible as it does not fade over time.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
- Is pneumatic engraver engraving similar to laser engraving?
While both processes use a laser beam, they are not the same. Laser engraving changes the color of the material but does not cut into it, whereas engraving removes the material to create a deeper mark.
- What other metals besides titanium can be used for engraving?
You can engrave steel, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, and many other metals and alloys. The only problem is that the variables of engraving (depth, speed, laser source, etc.) will vary depending on the type of metal.
Conclusion
Titanium engraving is a milestone in the development of modern engraving technology, which includes not only the hand engraving inspiration of engravers, but also the use of modern engraving machines. Those who want to catch up with the trend and keep up with the engraving pace of the times can try engraving a piece of titanium with the relevant engraving tools.
