US 6,407,361 B1Granted

Method of three dimensional laser engraving

AssigneeHigh Tech Polishing, Inc.

InventorMark S. C. Williams

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method for laser engraving a three-dimensional image into a workpiece includes providing a plurality of pieces of artwork which form a composite three-dimensional image. Each piece of artwork corresponds to a particular layer of material to be removed from the workpiece. The pieces of artwork are sequentially read by laser system program software which translates the lines on each piece of artwork into signals corresponding to laser paths. The signals are received by the laser system control assembly for directing the laser beam along the workpiece in a layer-by-layer relationship corresponding to the sequentially read pieces of artwork. The use of the plurality of pieces of artwork allows for a layer-by-layer removal of material in the workpiece such that the power of the laser need not be continuously adjusted according to the depth of penetration into the workpiece. The method allows for various engraved images to be presented having various sloped surfaces therein.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a laser system having a laser beam, a control assembly for directing the laser beam along a workpiece, system program adapted to translate artwork into control assembly signals corresponding to laser paths along the workpiece, a method of engraving a three-dimensional image into the workpiece comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of component pieces of artwork for depicting a three-dimensional image to be engraved into the workpiece, each component piece of artwork having portions of said image thereon to be engraved into a selected layer of the workpiece, each selected layer having a thickness less than the thickness of the workpiece;
(b) designating a first selected layer of the workpiece for penetration by the laser beam, said first layer having a thickness less than a thickness of said workpiece;
(c) designating on a first component piece of said component pieces of artwork portions of the image on said first component piece artwork to be engraved into said designated first layer of the workpiece;
(d) communicating said designated portions on said first component piece of artwork to the system program for translating said designated artwork portions into control assembly signals corresponding to laser paths along the workpiece;
(e) communicating said control signals to the laser system control assembly for directing the laser beam along said laser paths, the interaction of the laser beam with the workpiece removing material from the workpiece in said first layer along said laser paths;
(f) designating a subsequent selected layer of the workpiece for penetration by the laser beam, said subsequent layer adjacent a layer of the workpiece having previously undergone said interaction with said laser beam, said subsequent layer having a thickness less than the thickness of said workpiece;
(g) designating on another of one of said component pieces of artwork portions of the image on said component piece of artwork for engraving into said layer of the workpiece designated in step (f);
(h) communicating said component piece of artwork having said designated portions designated in step (g) to the system program for translating said designated artwork portions in step (g) into control assembly signals corresponding to laser paths along the workpiece;
(i) communicating said control signals to the laser system control assembly for directing the laser beam along said laser paths in step (h), the interaction of the laser beam with said workpiece removing material from said workpiece in said designated layer of step (f) along said laser paths of step (h);
(j) repeating steps (f)-(i) for each subsequent layer of said workpiece until the image is engraved in the workpiece.

7 more elements

In a laser system having a laser beam assembly having means for translating lines on artwork into laser paths for a laser beam along a workpiece, a method of engraving a three-dimensional image into a workpiece comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of component pieces of artwork depicting a composite three-dimensional image to be engraved into the workpiece;
(b) designating a layer of the workpiece to be penetrated by the laser beam;
(c) designating one of said component pieces of artwork to be engraved into said designated layer of the workpiece, said designated component piece of artwork having lines thereon in correspondence with desired laser paths for said designated layer of the workpiece;
(d) communicating said designated component piece of said artwork in step (c) associated with said designated layer of step (b) to the laser beam assembly for translating the lines on said designated component piece of artwork of step (c) into laser paths;
(e) communicating said step (d) laser paths to the beam assembly for directing the laser beam along said workpiece in correspondence to said laser paths, the interaction of said laser beam with said workpiece removing material from said workpiece in said designated layer along said laser paths;
(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) for each subsequent layer of material in the workpiece until the total image is engraved in the workpiece.

3 more elements

In a laser system having a laser beam, a laser control assembly, program software adapted for converting images on a piece of artwork to control signals for delivery to the control assembly, the control assembly directing the laser beam over a separate workpiece in correspondence to images on the artwork, a method of engraving a three-dimensional image into the workpiece comprising:

(a) preparing a three-dimensional piece of artwork corresponding to the desired image to be engraved into the workpiece;
(b) selecting the deepest point of the image to be engraved into the workpiece;
(c) determining the distance between the surface of the workpiece and said deepest point to be engraved into the workpiece;
(d) selecting a constant dimension for a thickness of a layer of the workpiece to be penetrated by the laser beam;
(e) dividing said layer thickness into said distance to determine the number of material layers between the workpiece surface and said deepest point of the engraving in the workpiece;
(f) selecting the layer of material to be removed from the workpiece;
(g) providing a component piece of said artwork comprising selected portions of said image, said component piece of artwork designating the material to be removed from the selected layer (f) in the workpiece;
(h) communicating said component piece of artwork in step (g) to the laser system program software, said software directing the laser beam along the workpiece in correspondence to the image on said step (g) artwork for removing from the selected layer of the workpiece material in correspondence thereto;
(i) repeating steps (f)-(h) for a subsequent inferior layer of the workpiece until the image is engraved in the workpiece.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.