Can ceramic carving be done with laser engraving? This article tells you the truth!

Ceramic materials inherently possess characteristics such as high hardness, high brittleness, and high temperature resistance. Traditional mechanical engraving methods are inefficient and result in rapid tool wear. In contrast, laser engraving, with its advantages of non-contact processing, high precision, and high speed, has become an increasingly popular processing method in recent years.

However, not all lasers can be used to engrave ceramics. Laser engraving of ceramics requires high-energy-density, short-pulse lasers (such as fiber lasers or CO₂ lasers) to burn, discolor, or create engraved patterns on the ceramic surface through instantaneous high temperatures.

Surface Color-Changing Engraving

Utilizing the instantaneous high temperature of a laser to change the color of the ceramic glaze, creating patterns or text.

Commonly used for ceramic nameplates, decorative ceramic tiles, instrument panels, etc.

Features: Clear, aesthetically pleasing, and non-contact wear.

Shallow etching engraving

Shallow engravings are created by ablating the surface with a high-energy laser.

Commonly used for coding, QR codes, and logo markings on industrial ceramic parts.

Features: Permanent markings that do not affect the overall performance of the ceramic.

Deep carving or cutting

Higher-energy lasers can perform localized cutting or deep cutting, but power must be carefully controlled to avoid microcracks.

They are commonly used for alumina ceramic sheets, silicon nitride backing plates, and zirconium oxide crafts.

✅Non-contact processing: No mechanical stress, and will not damage the ceramic structure.

✅ High precision: The pattern is clear and the lines are delicate.

✅Environmentally friendly and consumable-free: No ink or cutting tools are required.

✅Can be automated in batches: suitable for industrial production lines.

Control the laser power and frequency to prevent thermal cracking.

After carving, the surface can be cleaned or polished to enhance the visual effect.

For zirconia ceramics with high reflectivity, surface roughening or sandblasting can be performed first to improve the absorption rate.

Ceramic carving is no longer just an art form; it is becoming an important processing step in fields such as precision manufacturing, electronics, medical devices, and semiconductors.

The advent of laser engraving has made markings on ceramic surfaces more precise, aesthetically pleasing, and durable.

As industry insiders say:

“Laser engraving gives ceramics a soul.”

This article was originally published by Dongguan Haikun New Materials Co., Ltd.

Haikun specializes in the processing of precision ceramic structural parts, with 20 years of production experience, and provides non-standard customized services such as zirconia ceramics, alumina ceramics, and silicon nitride ceramics.

We support the entire process of laser engraving, precision marking, polishing, grinding, forming, and sintering, and are widely used in semiconductor, new energy, machinery, medical and other fields.