The time it takes to laser engrave can range from a few seconds to several hours, depending on several factors such as the complexity of the design, the material being engraved, and the power of the laser.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Design Complexity: Simple designs can be completed in a matter of seconds, while more intricate designs require several minutes or more. For instance, a simple text logo on a 2x3 inch sized piece of aluminum using a 50 to 100W laser may only take a few minutes, but engraving a complex image on a larger piece of wood can take significantly longer.
- Material Type: Different materials may have different engraving times. For example, it was found that engraving on stainless steel took about 8 seconds, while dark marking on aluminum took between 6.3 to 9.6 seconds depending on the background color used.
- Laser Power: High-power laser engravers will take less time to engrave a given design compared to lower power ones. A high-power laser engraver, for instance, will take a few minutes to engrave a small-sized design on a single flat surface.
- Size of the Design: Larger designs will naturally take longer to engrave compared to smaller ones. The bigger the surface area to be engraved, the longer it will take, especially if the design is also complex.
- Equipment Quality: Better quality laser engraving machines might work faster and more efficiently. Like, a source mentioned laser engraving could take up to 5 minutes, but this could vary widely based on the equipment used.
