{"id":1378,"date":"0023-05-03T15:42:00","date_gmt":"0023-05-03T15:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/?post_type=novanta_tech_paper&p=1378"},"modified":"2026-07-24T15:52:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T15:52:24","slug":"optimizing-energy-density-for-deep-engraving","status":"publish","type":"novanta_tech_paper","link":"https:\/\/novanta.com\/precision-manufacturing\/resources\/whitepapers\/optimizing-energy-density-for-deep-engraving\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimizing Energy Density for Deep Engraving"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Technical Paper Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Optimizing Energy Density for Deep Engraving<\/strong>
Fluence, not average power, decides deep engraving quality and removal rate.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Deep engraving for jewelry and watches lives in a narrow process window: ~5 mm\u00b3\/min removal rate, surface roughness under 2 \u00b5m, sharp 50 \u00b5m feature corners, no burr, and a 1-5 \u00b5m microstructure fine enough to reflect light into a specific color \u2014 without post-processing. Hitting all four targets simultaneously isn’t a power problem. It’s a fluence problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This technical paper from three Novanta authors documents systematic deep-engraving tests on stainless steel using a 40W 8ps picosecond laser, a Squirrel 11mm 2D scan head, and an 80mm F-theta lens \u2014 varying laser repetition rate (200kHz vs 1MHz), power (50% vs 100%), and burst mode (1-10 pulses) to map fluence against removal rate and surface roughness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key takeaways include:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n