TroLase Thins - Flexible, Lightweight, and Tough
TroLase Thins are considered 'thin-gauge' materials. Based on the extremely versatile nature of these sheet products, engravers are given many opportunities to broaden their product offering. As an added bonus, TroLase Thins can also be embossed, screen printed, hot stamped, pad printed and even sand blasted. Typical applications include:
- Personal identification
- Industrial and non-industrial labelling
- Plaques and plates
- Labelling of curved surfaces
- Bookmarks, bottle labels, business cards, luggage tags
- Personalisation of trophies
Engraving thinner laminates
What makes this product special is that it is thinner and more flexible than traditional engraving stock. TroLase Thins are a micro surfaced material with a 0.5 mm (.020") core layer. The cap is very thin, permitting fine detailed engraving and can be lasered with minimal residue. The TroLase Thins product line can be engraved using traditional rotary engravers, as well as laser engraving systems.
The cap layer is so thin, in fact, that these materials can be either cut by a carbide cutter or engraved by using traditional methods. These features allow engravers to be flexible if they require the option of switching between marking processes. TroLase Thins are also available in metallic finishes and offer very attractive alternative to engraving metal.
To engrave TroLase Thins, laser engraving is probably the most efficient solution as depth control is imperative and rotary engraving may not offer high accuracy. Laser engraving is faster in many cases and can allow more detailed graphics than deep cutting with a carbide tool in many applications.
Start with a flat engraving area, optionally tape your material down from the top. This will eliminate any engraving voids. After you become more confident with the material, you can switch to rotary cutting. Any standard rotary carbide tool will do the job. Nothing special is required when engraving; however, it's recommended that a vacuum system is used.
If you plan to rotary cut, it is important to note that the material may be thinner than what you have worked with before. Therefore, using a nose cone and proper depth control is important. First, zero the cutter. Then follow the instructions on the correct cutting depth. A cutting depth of 0.025 mm – 0.08 mm (.001"- .003") will expose the core colour in the TroLase Thins range. If you are required to cut a very intricate logo with lots of detail, you will appreciate that a fine line can be achieved on this material. Almost anything that is done with regular engraving stock can be done created with the TroLase Thins line of lightweight materials.