Engraving Tools & Cutting Tools.
Engraving, Workholding & Industrial Products.

Most Frequently Asked Questions - Spring Loaded Engraving Tools

1. How much travel does a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool have?
    
2. What size letters can I engrave using a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool?
    
3. What do I set my Z at?
    
4. Why do I rapid into the part, instead of feeding slowly like a rigid toolholder?
    
5. How do I control the engraving depth?
    
6. How deep will the engraving be?
    
7. How do I get a deeper engraving?
    
8. When do I need a Depth Control Nosepiece?

* The Spring Loaded Engraving Tool is covered by U.S. Patents 6,834,434, 7,093,368 and a pending utility patent application.

1.  How much travel does a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool have?

• 0.40".

2.  What size letters can I engrave using a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool?

• Generally .085" and larger. (Smaller letters may be engraved with technical assistance from 2L.)

3.  What do I set my Z at?

• Set the Z0 plane at the top surface of the workpiece.
• Set the plunge depth to Z-0.025" for normal engraving on relatively flat workpieces.
• Set the plunge depth deeper if the workpiece tolerances are greater.
   

4.  Why do I rapid into the part, instead of feeding slowly like a rigid toolholder?

• Feeding slowly into the workpiece will cause the toolbit to drill down into the material. This may cause the tip of the toolbit to break prematurely. We recommend plunging at a feedrate of 200ipm or more.
• Plunging the tool rapidly into the workpiece instead of feeding slow reduces the overall cycle time of the engraving job and increases the life of the engraving toolbit.
• View speeds and feeds here.
   

5.  How do I control the engraving depth?

• By adjusting the spindle speed and feedrate (speeds and feeds).  The faster the feedrate, the less deep the tool will engrave. The slower the feedrate, the deeper the engraving.
• Spring Loaded Engraving Tool Feedrates are approximately 3–5x faster than using a rigid tool.
• View speeds and feeds here.
   

6.  How deep will the engraving be?

• When engraving aluminum with a standard toolbit and a light spring, approximately 0.005" - 0.010" per pass.
• Steel, stainless steel, and harder materials - approximately 0.003" - 0.005" per pass using a Tough Tip Engraving Tool.
• Greater depths per pass can also be obtained with stronger springs.
• The engraving obtained depends greatly on the toolbit used. 2L produces toolbits for different materials and for both shallow and deeper engraving.
  • View most popular engraving tools here.
  • View all engraving tools here.
     

7.  How do I get a deeper engraving?

• Make a second pass (remember: engraving with a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool is much faster than with a rigid toolholder, so making multiple passes is still faster than using a rigid tool).
• Slow down the feedrate. Slower feedrates give the tool more time to cut and produces deeper engraving. (Or increase the spindle speed if the machine is capable - this has the same effect and won’t alter the cycle time.)
• Use a sharper toolbit (Special toolbits are available for digging deeper in steels and aluminums).
  • View most popular tools here.
  • View all engraving tools here.
• Use a stronger tension spring (stronger springs wear tools more quickly). Depths of up to 0.025" per pass can be obtained in steel but with a reduced tool-life.
  • View Springs here.

8.  When do I need a Depth Control Nosepiece?

• Typically only when engraving very soft materials, such as plastics, or if you require very precise engraving depths.
• The nosepiece is adjustable in 0.001" increments.
• View nosepieces here.