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Rotary engraving refers to a type of engraving that uses rotating and sometimes non-rotating tools to mark and/or cut into compatible materials. While it’s a classic form of fabrication, it’s certainly not an outdated technique.

What differentiates rotary engraving from other marking technologies is the method used to mark or cut the material. The rotary engraving process utilizes a physical bit rather than a beam of light like with laser technology. The tip of the engraving bit, or tool, physically contacts the surface of the material to carve away and sculpt the material rather than a focused laser beam to vaporize the material. This makes the rotary engraving and cutting technique ideal for a broad range of materials and projects requiring deep and precise cuts. Plus, there’s no worry about fumes off-gassing, material warping, or messy and time-consuming material preparation.

More material types can be fabricated with a rotary engraving system such as materials containing PVC, which are otherwise hazardous and not compatible with laser engraving systems. Rotary engravers can also introduce a “third dimension” to your projects by utilizing bevels on the edges of cut shapes and engraved areas.

There are major features and components on a rotary engraver that are important to understand.

• Spindle: the device that holds and allows the cutter or engraving tool to spin at extremely high RPM’s during the engraving/cutting process.
• Engraving Tool: special cutting device that has specific shapes and angles on the tip to achieve the desired engraving or cutting path on the material.
  • Engraving tools are available in a multitude of specialized shapes, sizes, and tip widths.
  • Tool types may also be differentiated by the material type in which they are designed to be used.
• Work Bed: Platform of the engraver that the material is placed on for engraving and/or cutting.
• Micrometer: Device that is located on the spindle that is used to adjust the engraving or cutting depth on the material.
• Nose Cone: Device that mounts to the micrometer that makes physical contact with the material surface and is responsible for holding the engraving tool tip to the engraving depth set by the micrometer.

Rotary Engraving Setup and Process:

1. Adjust the micrometer to 0.
2. Place the sheet material or substrate onto the bed of the engraver.
   • Option 1: Move the engraver gantry over top of the material and lower the spindle so that the nose cone is touching the surface of the material.
   • Option 2: Hold a small piece of sheet material flat against the surface of the nose cone, making sure that it is sitting flush to the nose cone.
3. Install the rotary tool into the spindle.
4. Use a cutter adjustment wrench to loosen the adjustment screw on the brass collar of the engraving tool.
5. Allow the shaft of the rotary tool to move so that the tip of the tool is touching the surface of the material that is against the nose cone.
6. Retighten the screw until it is snug. The engraving tool tip is now “zeroed” to the micrometer “0” point.
7. Adjust the micrometer to the required depth for the engraving or cutting job.
8. Set the tool parameters (feed rate, spindle speed, etc.) to an appropriate setting for the material.
   • For most engraving jobs with shallow engraving depth (0.003”-0.005” depth), a feed rate of 0.8-1.0 in/sec. and spindle speed of 8,000-12,000 RPM is often a good starting point.
9. Send the job to the engraver.

Rotary engraving refers to a type of engraving that uses rotating and sometimes non-rotating tools to mark and/or cut into compatible materials. While it’s a classic form of fabrication, it’s certainly not an outdated technique.

What differentiates rotary engraving from other marking technologies is the method used to mark or cut the material. The rotary engraving process utilizes a physical bit rather than a beam of light like with laser technology. The tip of the engraving bit, or tool, physically contacts the surface of the material to carve away and sculpt the material rather than a focused laser beam to vaporize the material. This makes the rotary engraving and cutting technique ideal for a broad range of materials and projects requiring deep and precise cuts. Plus, there’s no worry about fumes off-gassing, material warping, or messy and time-consuming material preparation.

More material types can be fabricated with a rotary engraving system such as materials containing PVC, which are otherwise hazardous and not compatible with laser engraving systems. Rotary engravers can also introduce a “third dimension” to your projects by utilizing bevels on the edges of cut shapes and engraved areas.

There are major features and components on a rotary engraver that are important to understand.

• Spindle: the device that holds and allows the cutter or engraving tool to spin at extremely high RPM’s during the engraving/cutting process.
• Engraving Tool: special cutting device that has specific shapes and angles on the tip to achieve the desired engraving or cutting path on the material.
  • Engraving tools are available in a multitude of specialized shapes, sizes, and tip widths.
  • Tool types may also be differentiated by the material type in which they are designed to be used.
• Work Bed: Platform of the engraver that the material is placed on for engraving and/or cutting.
• Micrometer: Device that is located on the spindle that is used to adjust the engraving or cutting depth on the material.
• Nose Cone: Device that mounts to the micrometer that makes physical contact with the material surface and is responsible for holding the engraving tool tip to the engraving depth set by the micrometer.

Rotary Cutting Setup and Process
The rotary cutting process is very similar to the rotary engraving process. Normally slower speeds and sometimes multiple cut passes are needed, especially when cutting materials that are 1/8” thick or more.

1. Adjust the micrometer to 0.
2. Place the sheet material or substrate onto the bed of the engraver.
   • Option 1: Move the engraver gantry over top of the material and lower the spindle so that the nose cone is touching the surface of the material.
   • Option 2: Hold a small piece of sheet material flat against the surface of the nose cone, making sure that it is sitting flush to the nose cone.
3. Install the rotary tool into the spindle.
4. Use a cutter adjustment wrench to loosen the adjustment screw on the brass collar of the engraving tool.
5. Allow the shaft of the rotary tool to move so that the tip of the tool is touching the surface of the material that is against the nose cone.
6. Retighten the screw until it is snug. The engraving tool tip is now “zeroed” to the micrometer “0” point.
7. Adjust the micrometer to the required depth for the engraving or cutting job.
   • When cutting thick material, several passes of the cutting job may be necessary to incrementally cut through the material safely to avoid damaging the tool tip.
   • Adjusting the tool depth for each additional pass is necessary to cut through the entire thickness of the material.
8. Set the tool parameters (feed rate, spindle speed, etc.) to an appropriate setting for the material.
   • For most cutting jobs where the material thickness is 0.125”-0.25” a feed rate of 0.25-0.5” in/sec. and spindle speed of 8,000-10,000 RPM is often a good starting point.
   • On most hard and soft plastics, a cutting depth of 0.025”-0.050” is a good starting point. An additional 0.025”-0.050” depth per additional pass is often a good balance between safely and efficiently cutting through the material while avoiding breaking or damaging the tool tip.
9. Send the job to the engraver.

The rotary engraving bit (or tool) is one of the most important considerations for successful rotary engraving results. Choosing the ideal bit for the engraving job is essential for achieving clean, professional engraving results. Choosing the best tool for the job depends on many factors, such as:

• What kind of material will the engraving be done on?
• Is the purpose of the engraving meant to be informational or decorative? Or both?
• Does the engraving job contain large or small graphics?
• Do the graphics contain small intricate details, or large wide open spaces? Or both?
• Does the design contain text? If so, is it large or small text? Serif or sans-serif type face? Straight or curved “script style” letter strokes? Wide or narrow letter strokes-or both? Etc.
• How deep does the engraving need to be for the type of material used?

Many substrates that are designed for rotary engraving do not require deep engraving. Most engravable sheet products are designed to be engraved at depths ranging from 0.001” to .015”. There are also thicker gauge substrates that allow for deeper engraving if heavy embossed effects or bevels are desired.

There are a number of engraving tool styles available for rotary engraving. Some are meant for hard substrates such as brass, aluminum and stainless steel while others are meant for softer substrates like plastics, acrylics, phenolics and more.

It is common to see terms such as “flute” and “spiral” when selecting a tool. A flute is a groove milled into the side of the tool that creates space for engraved chips to be removed from the tool tip during engraving. Single fluted bits have one opening for chip removal and also only have one cutting edge. Most often single fluted tools are also “straight fluted” in that the groove or opening does not spiral up the tool. It is simply an opening on the side of the tool tip that allows chips to escape while the tool rotates. There are some variations, but generally single fluted tool tips appear like the tip has been cut in half. The missing “half” is the flute.

Single fluted straight tools are great choices for plastics, woods and generally all types of materials because they produce a smooth finish in the engraved areas. They are designed for higher feed rates which help reduce production time. However, the single fluted straight geometry does not lift away chips, therefore a vacuum system attached to the nose cone is highly recommended. If in doubt on which tool to choose or if all others have failed, a single fluted straight tool is a great one to try.

To help narrow down which bit is best to use for your specific engraving job, it is important to understand the different cutter types and their sizes.

• Antares Standard cutters for plastics produce a cut with 30 degree side angle, and come in a variety of tip widths. Available in 1/8” x 4-1/2” solid carbide and 11/64” x 6-1/2” and 1/4” x 6-1/2” carbide tipped sizes.
  • Tip sizes range from 0.005” – 0.250” widths
  • Single-flute tip design makes these tools versatile for a wide range of applications.
  • Smaller tip sizes such as 0.005”- 0.025” are best for fine, intricate details, sharp corners of letters and small graphics. However, engraving time may run longer due to the finer detailed engraving.
  • Larger tip sizes such as 0.030” – 0.250” are best for removing more material per tool pass, where high detail may not be as high of a priority. Engraving time tends to be faster with larger bits due to the wider tools paths created by the wider tool tip widths.
• Antares Parallel cutters produce a cut with straight edges compared to the “V” or angled cut from a standard tool. Available in 1/8” x 4-1/2,” 11/64” x 6-1/2,” and 1/4” x 6-1/2” sizes in .060,” .090,” and .125” tip widths.
  • Tips range from 0.060”- 0.125” widths
  • These tools are best used for cutting applications, where a beveled edge or “V” shaped edge is not desired. However, they can also be used in specific engraving applications where a beveled edge is not desired.
  • These tools can also be used in applications where a deep engraving with no beveled edges is needed.
• Antares 0.005” Profile cutter – a cutter with a narrow profile effective for cutting out shapes. This type of tool is stronger than a parallel cutter that is sharpened less than its diameter and can be used when a slight bevel (15 degrees) is required. Available in 11/64” x 6-1/2” and 1/4” x 6-1/2” sizes.
  • These bits are more conducive for cutting applications and are rarely used for engraving applications.
• Antares .060” Tip Carbide Cutter Beveler cuts out and bevels in one smooth operation. It has a parallel cutting edge which profiles, or cuts through the material, while the angled edge produces a 45 degree bevel for a depth of 1/3 to 1/2 of the material thickness.
  • Most commonly used for cutting applications instead of engraving applications. However it can be used when a deep engraving with beveled edges is needed.

While there are numerous additional cutter types available, the cutters listed here are among the most commonly used for engraving applications. They cover the majority of engraving needs- from shallow engraving depths with high details, to deep engraving needs with or without bevels.

There can be a lot of overlap between engraver or “tool” recommendations for rotary engraving and rotary cutting. Most engraving tools meant for engraving can also be used for rotary cutting as well. Depending on the type of cutting needed, some tool types will work better than others. Choosing the best tool for the job depends on many factors, such as:

• What kind of material?
• Thickness of the material?
• Metals – hard or soft metals?
  • Hard metals require specific tool types rated for hard metal cutting, as well as a liquid cooling system, while soft metals generally do not require cooling.

Rotary cutting differs from rotary engraving in that the cutter runs in a single line to cut out the desired shape, whereas engraving runs the tool in a pattern to engrave out an area on the surface of the material. Cutting on a traditional rotary engraver often requires multiple passes for thicker materials, increasing the cutting depth between each additional cutting pass. In contrast, heavier-duty cutting machines such as CNC routers may not need multiple passes to cut through thick materials due to the higher Tork motors and heavy-duty hardware often used on CNC’s. While it is possible to cut materials on a traditional rotary engraver, it is important to remember that the machine is not necessarily designed for high resistance work and instead is meant for lighter-duty cutting and engraving tasks. When cutting with a rotary engraver, care must be taken to avoid damage to the engraver and cutting tools.

There are a number of engraving tool styles available for rotary engraving with many also able to be used for cutting. Some are meant for hard substrates such as brass, aluminum and stainless steel while others are meant for softer substrates like plastics, acrylics, phenolics and more.

It is common to see terms such as “flute” and “spiral” when selecting a tool. A flute is a groove milled into the side of the tool that creates space for engraved chips to be removed from the tool tip during engraving. Single fluted bits have one opening for chip removal and also only have one cutting edge. Most often single fluted tools are also “straight fluted” in that the groove or opening does not spiral up the tool. It is simply an opening on the side of the tool tip that allows chips to escape while the tool rotates. There are some variations, but generally single fluted tool tips appear like the tip has been cut in half. The missing “half” is the flute.

Single fluted straight tools are great choices for plastics, woods and generally all types of materials because they produce a smooth finish in the engraved areas. They are designed for higher feed rates which help reduce production time. However, the single fluted straight geometry does not lift away chips, therefore a vacuum system attached to the nose cone is highly recommended. If in doubt on which tool to choose or if all others have failed, a single fluted straight tool is a great one to try.

To help narrow down which bit is best to use for your specific cutting job, it is important to understand the different cutter types and their sizes.

• Antares Standard cutters for plastics produce a cut with 30 degree side angle, and come in a variety of tip widths. Available in 1/8” x 4-1/2” solid carbide and 11/64” x 6-1/2” and 1/4” x 6-1/2” carbide tipped sizes.
  • Tip sizes range from 0.005” – 0.250” widths
  • Single-flute tip design makes these tools versatile for a wide range of applications.
  • For cutting purposes, smaller tip sizes such as 0.005”- 0.015 may be best. These tools are best used for cutting thinner materials (1/8” thickness or less) and will leave a beveled edge on the cut lines.
  • Larger tip sizes such as 0.020” – 0.250” may be used in specific cutting situations but usually are not best suited for cutting tasks due to the amount of material they remove. Wider tipped tools often cause higher friction on the cuts and much higher stress on the engraver hardware.
• Antares Parallel cutters produce a cut with straight edges compared to the “V” or angled cut from a standard tool. Available in 1/8” x 4-1/2,” 11/64” x 6-1/2,” and 1/4” x 6-1/2” sizes in .060,” .090,” and .125” tip widths.
  • Tip sizes range from 0.060”- 0.125” widths
  • These tools are best used for cutting applications, where a beveled edge or “V” shaped edge is not desired.
  • To avoid damaging the tool, it is usually best to cut using multiple passes, increasing the cut depth in smaller incremental amounts for each additional pass.
• Antares 0.005” Profile cutter – a cutter with a narrow profile effective for cutting out shapes. This type of tool is stronger than a parallel cutter that is sharpened less than its diameter and can be used when a slight bevel (15 degrees) is required. Available in 11/64” x 6-1/2” and 1/4” x 6-1/2” sizes.
  • These bits are more conducive for cutting applications and produce the smallest cut line width.
  • These bits are best suited for cutting thinner materials that can be cut through in a single pass. When cutting thicker materials using multiple passes, care must be taken to avoid damaging the tool tip. It is often best to increase the additional cutting depths in smaller increments per pass and slowing the feed rate down.
• Antares .060” Tip Carbide Cutter Beveler cuts out and bevels in one smooth operation. It has a parallel cutting edge which profiles, or cuts through the material, while the angled edge produces a 45 degree bevel for a depth of 1/3 to 1/2 of the material thickness.
  • Most commonly used for cutting applications instead of engraving applications.
  • Best suited for cutouts that also require beveled edges on the cutout shapes.

While there are numerous additional cutter types available, the cutters listed here are among the most commonly used for cutting applications. They cover the majority of cutting needs when using a traditional rotary engraving machine.

One of the largest benefits of rotary engraving technology is the diversity of rotary-compatible material. While laser engravers are more popular in the market, there are some materials that either can’t or shouldn’t be laser engraved due to safety and health concerns. A rotary engraver is often the best solution in instances where material needs to be fabricated but cannot be done in a laser. In addition, any material that is rated for laser engraving can inherently also be rotary engraved. This adds greatly to the overall versatility rotary engravers are capable of.

JPPlus sells many types of sheet materials, most of which can be rotary engraved. Product lines that work very well for rotary engraving include:

• All engravable Rowmark sheet materials – laser or rotary rated
• Cast acrylics – solid, translucent, fluorescent, sublimation, etc.
• Solid wood sheets
• Sublimation hardboard
• Soft metal sheets such as sublimation and lacquered aluminum and brass

Sheet materials that should not be laser engraved, or laser cut, but CAN be rotary engraved or cut include:

• PVC sheet material
• Polycarbonate sheet material
• HDPE sheet material
• ABS sheet material
• Metal/Plastic laminated sheet products
• FRP (fiberglass reinforced polymer) sheet products

When engraving or cutting any material on a rotary engraver, it is always extremely important to have a good vacuum chip removal system working to remove the material chips as the engraving or cutting job is running. The chip removal system ensures clean professional results in the engravings or cutting edges, as well as avoids damage to the cutting tool and engraver.

Keep an eye out for the technology icons on our product pages at jpplus.com. Read our blog here to learn more about our technology icons. Each product has been expertly tested to help you understand the best fabrication methods.

When considering what kind of engraving sheet material to choose for your project, consider the type of engraving equipment you have available to work with. In today’s engraving and personalization industries, the CO2 laser engraver is the leading engraving and marking technology with other laser types such as diode and fiber lasers following close behind.

Secondary to lasers would be engraving machines that utilize “physical” engraving bits or tools, such as rotary engravers and CNC routers. Both lasers and engravers/CNC’s have different strengths and weaknesses, depending on the type of engraving that is needed. In a general sense, one major strength of laser engravers is that they can engrave high detail imagery while only needing to remove a very small amount of surface material to achieve the contrasting mark. They are also able to cut materials with impressive thicknesses, up to ¼” or even ½” or more in some cases.

One weakness of laser engravers may be that they can only engrave or cut a more limited variety of material types. This is where rotary and CNC machines can shine. Because rotary machines do not rely on laser radiation to vaporize materials, this allows them to utilize more material types than laser engravers. Rotary and CNC machines are able to fabricate many types of materials that cannot be done on a laser for safety reasons, or simply cannot produce quality engravings and cuts. The main limits to rotary style machines are the sizes and geometries of the bits or tools available for the machines.

When considering engraving material options, it is important to understand some of the fundamental differences between material types. JPPlus recommends Rowmark engravable sheet. When looking at the Rowmark engravable sheet lines, there are two basic types laserable and rotary. The laserable sheet materials are also rated for rotary engraving, while the rotary only materials are rated only for rotary engraving and not laser engraving.

Rowmark defines laserable materials as: Laserable (laser engraving)
Acrylic core materials with thin cap surfaces that can be easily engraved with minimal wattage at increased speeds. ABS materials are not recommended for lasering applications.

Rowmark defines rotary materials as: Rotary-Engravable (rotating carbide engraving)
This marking method uses a single or multiple fluted cutting tool which rotates through the work to remove material, leaving a trough of exposed core. As compared to diamond-drag, rotary engraving may result in deep cutting or the complete cutout of a letter or object. The cutter’s tip size determines the width of the cut. In most applications, the spindle micrometer setting controls the depth of cut. This process is suitable for most commercial and industrial work. Unlike diamond-drag, rotary engraving is the only means of engraving plastic materials with controlled depth.

Looking at the characteristics of laserable sheets vs rotary sheets, the sheet product lines that are rated as laserable usually have a thin cap layer (0.003-0.005” thickness). Some sheet types will have a laminated foil as the tip cap layer, while others will have a very thin modified acrylic layer. The majority of the laserable sheet materials will be made of modified impact acrylic or cast acrylic. These plastic material types are more suited and preferred for laser engraving applications.

Rotary engraving materials are less limited since they do not need to withstand the high temperatures associated with laser engraving. Common plastic materials for rotary engraving include acrylics such as modified impact and cast acrylics, ABS, polycarbonate, and more. Some rotary engraving sheet materials may combine more than one material type in their construction, such as aluminum composite panels (ACM) and wood plastic composites (WPC).

Material selection is one of the most important aspects of planning for your engraving projects. Choosing the best materials for the job is important not only for safety reasons but also for ensuring the best results possible for your projects and customers. Choosing the right materials for the job helps ensure long-lasting products and reduces mistakes, wasting time and money, and preventing material scrap.

For more information on how to choose the best materials for your needs, please visit jpplus.com or give us a call at 800-869-7800.

A Seklema mat is a specific brand of sticky, or hold-down mat. Hold-down mats are used for setting and holding materials steady while rotary engraving and cutting.

The ability to hold the material stable and strong is important for achieving crisp engraving and cutting results. A common economical way to hold sheet materials securely onto a rotary engraving bed is to secure a piece of scrap acrylic sheet using an aggressive double-sided tape. Then the engraving sheet can be secured to the acrylic “sacrificial” sheet using medium-tack double-sided tape, or “table tape.” This link shows an example of an appropriate tape for use on a rotary engraver table: https://www.jpplus.com/engraving-table-tape-ett

While the tape and scrap acrylic method works, we prefer using a Seklema engraving table hold down mat for a smoother workflow. The sticky-mat method is more effective, less clunky, and quicker than having to deal with tapes!

The Seklema engraving table hold down mat is a double-sided tacky mat that is specifically designed to hold flat sheet stock to an engraving table or laser bed to ensure that the engraving sheet doesn’t budge while the rotary bit or laser engraving beam is at work.

Benefits of the Seklema engraving table hold down mat include:

• Superior holding strength to any non-porous sheet material, as well as to the engraver or laser bed surface.
• Strong holding strength is also temporary, allowing the sheet to be easily removed after the engraving job has finished.
• Tacky surface is self-healing- able to withstand the rotary engraving bit to protrude slightly past the engraving stock while not damaging the tacky surface layer.
• The mat is double-sided, allowing the mat to be flipped over to a new side if needed.
• The tacky surface is easily cleaned with water or alcohol, allowing the tackiness of the surface to be restored.
• A Wide range of uses on many types of equipment — rotary engravers, CNC routers, laser engravers, etc.
• The Surface is resistant to UV light — able to be used on UV-LED printer beds.
• UV ink overspray is easily cleaned off the surface using alcohol, while still preserving the tackiness of the mat surface.
• It Can be easily trimmed to any size needed using a utility knife or desktop table shear.

The Seklema engraving table hold down mat is an extremely effective and valuable tool for achieving professional engraving and cutting results. Don’t overlook this simple tool for improving your workflow and engraving results! It’s recommended for all levels of engraving hobbyists and professionals.

Includes: standard, burnisher(non-diamond), quarter round, profiler, parallel, ada cut-out letter, 3-D, rubber stamp, ada braille dot, cutter beveler, bullnose, and dovetail cutters.

• 1-4 cutters: $9.25
• 5-9 cutters: $8.50
• 10+ cutters: $8.00

• 12” Shear Blade Re-sharpening: $35/blade
• Saw Blade Re-sharpening: $30/blade

• Diamond Burnishers (rotating diamonds) re-lapping: $30
• Diamond Graver Re-lapping: $17
• Endmills: $30

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