Stainless Steel Recognition Plaques: Fiber Etched

Stainless steel recognition plaques that are fiber etched have no real end to them, the etching is permanent and as there was no paints or dyes used, information will not fade, crack or peel over time.

The advantage of 304 stainless steel, in this case, it was 11 ga which is roughly 1/8″ or 3 mm thick over wood for instance is the incredible strength it has in all weather situations, there is no need to finish this every few years, seal it or fix it up down the line – all while being extremely thin.

Each of the three stainless steel recognition plaques were etched at CNCROi.com in the same manner using our fiber laser source, the sizing may be different of the overall plaque but the process, regardless of what is being etched, is unchanging.

The bright green light you see in these photos and the video is actually not the laser itself, that’s completely invisible to the naked eye, what you are seeing is the results OF the laser hitting the stainless steel, and the acrylic window on our Austrian CNC laser is green, hence the tint.

Lamacoids make for good plaques as well, though we don’t do too many of them since being able to offer stainless steel and real wood plaques which are more durable, but the major advantage of lamacoids are the endless two color options you have available.

Stainless steel is a very resilient material, CNCROi.com could have made this as well using 316 stainless steel, it would have had an identical aesthetic with an extra bit of corrosion resistance but the higher cost involved and the plaque being in a non-corrosive area negates these extras.

Fiber laser etching these stainless steel recognition plaques is a slow and methodical process, there is no fast way to scratch and temper the surface of the 304 stainless steel.

As you can see in the image below, this is what the finished work looks like but keep in mind, the areas of etching have been super-heated, as such, impurities and dust/debris are released on the surface which give it a brownish look, but this comes right off to reveal the etching underneath.

Once one of the stainless steel recognition plaques is complete, the next one in line is put into our laser to be etched as well, it’s an assembly line of awesome stainless steel etching at CNCROi.com!

Corian is available in a wide variety of colors and endless shape options to customize it however you want.

The advantage of laser vs router work is that CNCROi.com can product far higher resolution work using our laser than possible using our router because we aren’t limited by the diameter of the spinning bit, additionally, the etching process is a non-contact branding method, as such, there is nothing pushing or pulling on the stainless steel recognition plaques.

Laser etching is a process that works with any mix of fonts and black and white imagery, so you aren’t limited as  you would be with a stencil where we are cutting the letters out or paint filling on wood, but what you “lose” you gain in durability and strength.

For this specific set of stainless steel recognition plaques, the holes were made during the cutting to size of it, as such, that can also be cut into any shape you want, and then, of course, fiber etched to any spec you may want, so you aren’t limited to only square or round plaques but literally any shape goes, you want it in the shape of a kangaroo? No problem for CNCROi.com!

Fiber laser etching is a slow but very accurate process, CNCROi.com can achieve the same level of clarity and precision regardless of the material we are working with, wood, plastic or whatever else you may need something made in, we can do it.

Just to give you an idea of images and text possibilities with custom stainless steel plaques, here’s a stainless steel memorial we made for a customer.

These stainless steel recognition plaques can be made at CNCROi.com in any thickness and metal grade you want, whether it’s stainless steel, titanium or anything else you have in mind, cut through or etched as you see in these ones.

The major advantage of laser over just about any other technology out there to brand stainless steel is the permanence and accuracy, even the smallest details are picked-up by the laser and etched PERMANENTLY onto the steel.

These stainless steel recognition plaques are all different, but if you wanted a production run of identical plaques, that makes no difference to our laser, and quantity is also unlimited.

For the best results, CNCROi.com makes sure that the surface of the stainless steel recognition plaques is free of debris, oils or other things that may refract or act as a barrier to the energy being produced by our laser in order to etch the surface, this is a vitally important aspect of the etching process.

Wooden plaques, corian plaques, any and all plaques, can have any information you want, CNCROi.com can make them for you and ship it right to your door!

Of course, after the fiber etching is complete, the stainless steel recognition plaques go through another cleaning process to remove the new debris and other items like dust that are produced during the fiber etching process itself, before being shipped to the customer.

A general rule of thumb is to make plaques at a minimum 12 ga or ~1/8″ or ~3 mm for this type of work but you really want to go thicker if there is a lot of etching or graphics added to the surface of the plate, as the more etching, the more heating, and the higher the possibility of the overall plate bending from the heat generated.

Now that the last of the stainless steel recognition plaques is finished being fiber etched, it’s time to review all three different sized plaques after they have been cleaned-up at CNCROi.com.

Everything is straight, clean and without scratches… and this will last for DECADES if not CENTURIES in any and all elements that can be thrown out.

Need stainless steel recognition plaques? Contact CNCROi.com right now!