Designing a laser engraving machine

From the first sketch to the finished trade show highlight

A compact engraving machine that customises advertising materials and signs live was developed for mobile use at trade shows. The aim of the design: High reliability, low maintenance and rapid spare parts supply through the use of standard components.

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⚙️ Technical design & functioning principle

The machine is designed as a classic gantry system (portal design). With external dimensions of ca.. 400 x 400 x 400 mm, it is optimal for transport, but still offers a working area of 200 x 200 mm.

The 3-axis system

• X and Y axis: These axes control horizontal positioning. The drive is via NEMA17 stepper motors and toothed belts (HTD 3M profile), which enables speeds of up to 330 mm/s.

• Z axis: Used for precise laser focusing. A ball screw with a 2 mm pitch is used here which, due to the motor torque is self-holding when still.

The laser system

An Atomstack R30 V2 infrared fibre laser is installed. This works without contact and is suitable for a wide range of materials (metals, plastics, glass, wood). With a service life of up to 100,000 hours, the system is practically maintenance-free.

The machine shows that industrial quality can be achieved through the consistent use of standard parts without having to rely on custom-made products. This not only simplifies the initial design, but also ensures long-term maintenance and spare parts procurement.

"Standard components make maintenance easier - a decisive factor for devices that have to withstand continuous operation at trade shows."

Nico,°Project Manager Product Development

💻 Design & CAD integration

A significant part of the development time was saved through the use of CAD with Autodesk Inventor. As norelem provides dimensionally accurate 3D data sets for almost all components, manual modelling of the standard parts was no longer necessary.

Advantages for project planning

• Collision check: Direct control of the movement spaces in the digital model.

• Parts lists: Automated creation for error-free procurement.

• Fitting test: Ensuring the assembly capability before the first order.

You can also use our free CAD downloads directly in your design tool. This reduces error sources right from the planning phase and gets your projects off the ground faster.