Gerber Sabre Engraver Option, Manual

Page: 14 / 29

Engraving Basics 9
The feed rate also contributes to the smoothness of the engraving cuts. At a
given rpm, a slower feed rate usually produces smaller cuts and finer finishes.
You set the feed rate in the ART Path

program as described in the ART Path
user's manual.
Surface layer thickness and tool depth
Most standard flexible or plastic engraving material has a surface layer
approximately 0.010" (.254 mm) thick. To cut through the surface layer to
expose the bottom layer, you:
„
generate tool paths in ART Path specifying a total depth and a depth per
pass slightly deeper than the surface layer (approximately .013" (.33 mm) in
this example)
„
engrave in float mode as described on page 14
„
set the engraver micrometer to the depth specified in ART Path
Use deeper settings for materials with a thicker surface layer.
Tool width and engraving types
The width of the tool you install depends on the type of engraving you are doing.
Single line engraving (also called single stroke) is a
type of engraving when the cutting tool is "drawing a
line" on the material rather than removing large
single line
amounts of material. The general rule is that the tool width is approximately 12%
of the letter height. For example, for a letter 1/2" high, the cutter tool is .060"
diameter.
Note: Single line engraving is usually performed in the float mode as described
on page 14.
Clean out engraving is when the cutting tool is either
routing out all the material within a letter (as in the
top example) or all the material around a letter to
create raised letters (as in the bottom example). The
general rule is that the tool width is approximately
6% of the letter height. For example, for a letter 1"
high, the cutter tool is .060" diameter.
clean out
clean out