Fall 2007
Lasers provide photo-realistic engravings in natural stone
At a total of 450 square feet, these laser engravings on Pennsylvania Black Slate were created in four sections, representing Penn State's Mineral Science and Engineering departments.
Photo courtesy of Aquarius Laser Etching and Design
By Cory Sekine-Pettite
The technology for laser engraving (or laser etching as the process also is commonly known) has advanced exponentially from its humble beginnings in the 1980s and 1990s. No longer the underground tool of technologically-savvy artists and trophy makers, laser etching machinery — and the design professionals who use them — have come a long way. Now, laser etching in natural stone through computer-controlled systems is a burgeoning market. From public and government projects to residential jobs, laser etching is a wonderful way to install a creative and personal element into your projects. This article discusses the various tools and equipment options available, how they work, and the amazing accomplishments in natural stone.
Among the leading North American manufacturers of laser etching machines are VyTek, Universal Laser Systems Inc., and CAM Tech International. There are different types of lasers available on the market, but the carbon dioxide gas (CO2) lasers are the most effective and widely used for laser etching in stone. "The CO2 laser is a very powerful type of laser. It has the power to permanently mark or engrave the surface of all kinds of natural and synthetic stone," said David Wilhite, marketing communications specialist for Universal Laser Systems in Scottsdale, Ariz. Examples include brick pavers, quarry tile, granite and slate, but black marble is by far the most popular stone because of the remarkable contrast it provides.
According to Laser Imaging & Design, the Middletown Veterans Memorial is the largest all-laser-etched memorial in the world. It stretches more than 56 feet wide and stands eight feet tall.
Photo courtesy of Laser Imaging & Design Inc.
Generally, and for obvious reasons, these engraving machines are enclosed to prevent the beams from reflecting off any other surfaces and to prevent interaction with people. (They can burn!) For example, Universal's lasers are available with up to 400 watts of power. Of course, for most jobs, a designer wouldn't need that much "juice." Wilhite said that 30 to 35 watts would be more typical.
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Artistic accessories, such as wall art, are a great way to incorporate laser-engraved stone into a home. And photo-realistic images, such as this waterfall, will have people turning their heads in amazement.
Photo courtesy of
Aquarius Laser Etching and Design |
The way Universal's laser systems work, Wilhite explained, is by using a flat bed, "Z-axis" height motorized surface; the stone is placed on the work table. The laser is always in a fixed "Z-height" position, but it can move on the X-Y axis. "The way that works is: it has two operations. It either goes left to right and drops down one line at a time like an old, dot matrix printer [a raster operation] ... or it can follow a complex path [a vector operation], such as circles or stars, or whatever the computer tells it to do," he said, noting that his company manufactures both the laser systems and the lasers themselves — a feature unique in the industry.
The laser system's functions are computer-driven. Universal's laser engraving machines run on Windows-compatible software. The advantage here, Wilhite said, is that one does not have to learn proprietary software. For example, he uses AutoCAD, a program that most clients are familiar with and it puts them "in a comfort zone," he said. Another distinctive element Universal offers is a materials-based print driver. All you have to do is tell the software what you want to engrave or "print" as well as the material thickness, and it will automatically adjust power settings according to material type.
Software preference is a user comfort issue and can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, he added, saying that one software system is not necessarily better than another.
Etched Stone: National Monuments
A recent book from the National Geographic Society and author Ryan Coonerty celebrates the many etched stone monuments found throughout the United States with a particular emphasis on inscriptions and sentiments. Coonerty describes these words as "lasting testimonies to what our nation was, is, or aspires to be."
The book, "Etched in Stone: Enduring Words from Our Nation's Monuments," features 50 of this country's best known monuments, separated into four categories: In Praise of Public Lives, featuring some of our greatest leaders and thinkers; Ordinary Heroes, featuring monuments to our soldiers; Bearing Witness, featuring monuments to our history that are meant to remind us and educate us about tragic events; and A More Perfect Union, featuring monuments that extol the best ideals and aspirations of the United States.
FDR memorial
"What is most impressive about 'Etched in Stone' is to see how creative and elegiac the United States has been in memorializing its heritage. ... All the memorials ... live up to our nation's highest ideals. They are lasting tributes to the very best instincts we have as a nation: proper reflection for the vicissitudes of the past," writes historian Douglas Brinkley in the book's foreword.
Of course, being a National Geographic publication, "Etched in Stone" wouldn't be complete without an impressive collection of photographs. Well-known architecture photographer Carol M. Highsmith provides the stirring and inspirational images, which are crucial to Coonerty's tome.
For more information on the book, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.
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So, who can benefit from using these magnificent machines? Fabricators, installers, quarriers, contractors, architects, designers and builders can incorporate laser-etched features into their work.
With some laser etching systems capable of handling stone slabs as large as six feet by 10 feet and up to 20 inches thick, a true artistic renaissance is taking place within the design and building industries, and a few American companies are emerging as leaders of this movement. Laser Imaging & Design Inc. of Lebanon, Ohio, is one such company. Jim Smith, CEO, started the design firm after spending 10 years building his artistic muscles at a monument company in Lebanon. "I liked the idea of creating artwork in stone — something that is going to last much longer than something that is printed on a paper cup or put in a magazine that's going to be thrown in a trash can," he said.
This one-of-a-kind, laser-engraved and hand-painted mural is a tribute to Manuel Pacheco and all his dedicated efforts for the Integrated Learning Center Project on the University of Arizona campus.
Photo courtesy of Aquarius Laser Etching and Design
Smith discovered the laser systems a few years before starting Laser Imaging & Design. He was intrigued immediately, but said the early systems were very slow and the results were not any better than what could be produced with hand etching. But the potential of the technology captivated him, so he watched the industry mature a bit before stepping out on his own. He even told his employer of his plans.
That company welcomed his idea, and even offered to be his first client. "I was afraid [my boss] was going to view me as a competitor in the beginning, but he said I'm actually willing to let you do all of our etchings if you're going to get this deep into [the technology]. If you prove yourself, we'll give you our entire account,'" Smith recalled. And although that monument business eventually was sold to a larger company, it is still Smith's largest client. "The granite that they move is phenomenal for a monument company," he said.
Laser engraving on granite for outdoor signs will hold up in the worst of conditions for decades to come. The durability is unmatched.
Photo courtesy of Aquarius Laser Etching and Design
Currently, only about 10 percent of Smith's business is outside of the monument realm; Laser Imaging & Design has cut a niche for itself doing war memorials and other civic projects. Smith said he is usually so busy with monument work (1,300 different projects last year) that he hasn't marketed his services much in other fields. However, his new facility — opened last December — features a showcase of possibilities of laser etching for residential and other applications. "We built our new building with a nice-sized showroom ... that has an actual full bathroom, full kitchen and a living room area to give people ideas of what could be done [with laser etching]," Smith said. "But we've been wholesale for so long that it has been a little bit of a struggle to tap that market. We're still trying to get out there and meet with builders and interior designers, and so forth."
One design firm already thriving in residential projects is Aquarius Laser Etching and Design of Woodland, Calif. Owner Hans Hartmann said laser etching can easily be incorporated into current design schemes or can be the inspiration for a new look. Kitchen backsplashes are a common place to feature laser-etched stone, and a small way to incorporate this artistic work if you're a little skittish. In kitchens, the granite can handle the heat and any cooking grease or other debris. Additionally, Hartmann said the etched stone doesn't require a special coating, and only pure stone cleaners are needed when cleaning up. Hartmann recommends StoneTech Revitalizer.
Floor medallions are a popular way for homeowners to add laser-engraved stone into their homes. This map motif (shown preinstalled) reflects the owner's love for Italy.
Photo courtesy of Aquarius Laser Etching and Design
Another good use of laser-etched stone in home design — particularly for the more adventurous — is floor medallions. And artistic tile accessories, as opposed to hanging a painting, for example, are becoming more common as well. Hartmann often displays at industry trade shows some of his work that depicts a waterfall scene. The attendees' reactions are always the same. "It's amazing how many people come up to us and ask Is that real water running over that?' That's how real it looks. ... When you see it in real life, even the splashes at the base of the rocks, you can almost hear it."
Photo-realism is the goal, after all, and the ultimate attraction for owners. Another company that has tapped the residential and commercial markets with its impressive laser etching is Etched By Design of Gilbert, Ariz. Co-owner Scott West said a large percentage of his clients are residential and commercial builders. Some of his clients already know him because of his 21 years as a tile contractor and granite fabricator, but a majority of West's etching customers are new. "Our website has been our steam engine; it's everything to us," he said. Most clients find him, as opposed to other way around. "We're starting to get good recognition on a global scale," he added. Case in point: The Hard Days Night Hotel, which is scheduled to open later this year.
The granite veneer inlaid panels of this backsplash will endure all the heat and cooking grease or other debris that result from a well-used kitchen.
Photo courtesy of Laser Imaging & Design Inc.
This Beatles-themed boutique hotel in Liverpool, England, will feature West's work on its exterior in the form of laser-etched granite murals depicting a timeline of the Beatles' history.
West uses a CAM Tech laser etching system. He said the machine would etch four-foot by eight-foot stone pieces in one sitting, adding that as far as he knows, this is the largest laser etching machine in use in Arizona. The advances the industry has made just during the past five or six years have been tremendous, he said, from the quality of the machinery to the power of the lasers to the design software used. But the industry is still viewed as new, West added, saying that many potential clients are still afraid or apprehensive of the technology and the laser etching process.
Universal's Professional Series of CO2 lasers provide an unbeatable combination of high power; three platform sizes; and an advanced, materials-based print driver.
Photo courtesy of Universal Laser Systems Inc.
Smith attributes some of this apprehension to a growing group of inexperienced operators trying to get into the laser etching business. Unsure whether this somewhat negative trend is the result of people chasing money, or because of over-marketing of the equipment, Smith is sure of one thing: "It really takes a designer and someone who has a lot of background in computers to run a proper laser etching business," he said. "It also takes someone who is very knowledgeable about stone. There are a lot of different black granites that when you line them up, they look comparable to each other, but they do not laser etch the same in any regard. There is a lot more to be learned than meets the eye with these systems."
Hartmann and Aquarius are undoubtedly doing it right. The company's slogan is: "Any image. Any size." For commercial projects, Aquarius tends to specialize in lobbies and entranceways. For example, Hartmann currently is working on a project for the lobby of Pacific Life Insurance Company's new building. When completed, the project will feature four curved granite panels. "As far as I know, we're the only ones who bend granite," Hartmann said. "We developed our own system here."
Outdoor corporate or commercial signage is a common yet effective way to get a business noticed along busy streets. Not only do the laser-engraved granite or marble signs look great, but they are completely durable against the elements.
Photo courtesy of Laser Imaging & Design Inc.
Originally, when Pacific Life approached Hartmann with a design idea for a black granite mural that included a curved wall (11-foot radius), he proposed supplying two-foot sections of granite panels to give the company the curve they were after for the 16-foot-long mural. It wasn't until a few months later that an idea came to this former steel fabricator about how he might be able to bend the granite panels. So he started experimenting, including fabricating his own jigs for the process. Hartmann estimates that the project will take 20,000 pounds to 30,000 pounds of force to bend the panels, but the process remains a closely guarded secret.
Aquarius' less complicated work includes many public art projects and memorials. For example, the company's ongoing war on terrorism memorial for the California Military Museum, which measure 20 feet long and eight feet tall.
Sea creatures are a favorite subject matter for many home owners looking to add laser-engraved art into their homes. These black granite tiles provide the perfect backdrop on which to bring these whales to life.
Photo courtesy of Aquarius Laser Etching and Design
Additionally, the company recently completed two projects for state universities. At the University of Arizona in Tucson, Aquarius produced what Hartmann said is the world's largest laser-etched mural. This tribute to past University President Manuel Pacheco measures 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. This outdoor application consists of thin slab granite panels measuring 7 12 feet tall each. "The colors that we used do not have UV inhibitors in them, so we applied a special coating — available on the market — to the surface," Hartmann said.
The other university project was produced for The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). This indoor, space-themed mural was installed in the Department of Mineral Sciences and Engineering Museum. It features Pennsylvania Black Slate tiles with a total measured dimension of 450 square feet (three sections at 7 12 feet tall by 10 feet long, and one section at 7 12 feet by 30 feet).
Photorealistic laser engravings, such as this decorative art piece on 12-inch granite tiles in the Valley Wide Dental office in Palmdale, Calif., make for quite a conversation piece. The owners chose this subject matter to commemorate an actual scuba diving experience.
Photo courtesy of Aquarius Laser Etching and Design
It took Aquarius about two months to complete the job. There were some problems to overcome, including the fact that some of the tiles were out of square and others were not uniform in size. "We had to take the bad ones and put them on the outside. ... Eventually, we got it and they were very happy with the outcome," Hartmann said.
Professionals in our industry tend to have a keen eye for detail. Thus, the remarkable detail and creativity possible through laser-etched stone should appeal to your sensibilities. The technology behind the equipment and the imagination of the artists creating the designs not only is impressive today, but surely will progress as the industry matures. Contact any of the companies mentioned in this article to find out how laser-etched stone can be added to your repertoire.
This backsplash is the focal point of this Auburn, Calif., home, reflecting the owner's love for olive trees.
Photo courtesy of Aquarius Laser Etching and Design
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