Today’s world of personalization allows awards and gift shops the ability to work with a variety of customer-pleasing processes. Printing methods, digital and others more traditional, are plentiful, and lasers can quickly mark a vast selection of substrates. There is sandcarving and even hot stamping, but no process has put its stamp on this industry quite like engraving.

For a very long time, engraving essentially was personalization. And though it has long been computerized and many other methods have crowded the industry, it’s a safe bet that when most people think of getting a gift or trophy personalized, they imagine a name or message written into metal. And to this day, despite the vast versatility of a laser and the number of printing processes out there, nothing can compete with a rotary engraver when it comes to creating the classic look of engraved metal.

ROTARY ENGRAVERS

Asked about the continued demand for rotary engraving, Fred Schwartz of Quality One Engravers in Rancho Cucamonga, California, says that it has to do with people’s perceptions of engraving.

Schwartz says, “There are a number of items that cannot be engraved with a laser. And, many of these are very traditional engraving materials, metals and standard plastics. Whether you like it or not, many people are living in the past. When they walk up to a DJ at a party, they’ll often request what they consider classic music from their past. It’s the same with engraving. People are very set in their ways as far as trophies and jewelry. People have grown up and always seen diamond drag on a brass or aluminum plate. It’s what the customer is asking for.”

Guy Barone of Xenetech Global Inc., in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, claims that rotary systems offer many advantages for awards retailers just getting started. “These systems mark on a variety of materials, and this enables the retailer to initially offer a wide variety of products: trophies, medals, plaques, signs, silver and other metal gifts. In addition, the rotary is priced so that the retailer can begin with a small initial investment and utilize the machine for 15 years.”

In the ever-increasing green culture, Barone adds there are no environmental or exhaust concerns with rotary engravers. They also have relatively small ongoing maintenance costs.

Will Curtis of Roland DGA in Irvine, California, takes Barone’s earlier point about price further. “Rotary engravers enable awards retailers to offer a wide range of profitable personalized products without breaking the bank.”

Jeff Mathias of Newing-Hall Inc., in Haskins, Ohio, follows up on the diversity of rotary engravers. “For example, rotary engravers give you the ability to easily mark items such as pewter and other bare metals. Rotary machines also require no chemicals to mark these metals and are free of exhaust fumes.”

Natalie Whitehouse of Vision Engraving Systems in Phoenix, Arizona, points out that rotary engravers are able to engrave on uneven surfaces with a nose cone, which allows for uniform engraving over warped or uneven material. Many rotary engravers also have sensors, which constantly adjust to the engraving surface to maintain a constant depth and uniformity. She adds this process is computer controlled and requires no operator input.

Elisha Kaufman of U-Marq USA in Bethel, Connecticut, says that even for shops that already have laser engravers, a rotary engraver “really expands what they can offer and for those selling gifts, it seals the sale. You can’t bring back a gift with your name engraved in.”

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Though they’re not difficult to learn and have continued to become more user-friendly, rotary engravers have been known to have a little learning curve. Because rotary engravers can be a little tricky for fresh engravers, Anthony Harris of Gravograph in Duluth, Georgia, says that the support a supplier provides is critical. He adds that support is about more than tech support for the machine and software. Support is also being able to give sound advice on the best machine for a business plan, specific applications and the company’s region.

Schwartz concurs and says the ability to speak with someone on the phone should be expected as a part of their support. In addition, “I always recommend that they ask the supplier for references from other customers in the area. Users typically won’t find out what the support is like until long after they purchase the engraver, but speaking to a couple of people who have operated the machines for a few years is the best homework that you can do.”

Schwartz adds that the opportunity to share this type of information is one of the greatest benefits of attending trade shows. “There’s nothing quite like talking to someone about a machine as it’s right there in front of you.”

Barone says that first, recognition retailers should look for system productivity. The faster and more consistent a quality engraved product can be produced, the more profitable and successful the retailer will become.

He adds, “I would consider all of the factors that influence productivity: ease of use, engraving speed, construction of the machine, customer support and the like.”

Customer support on a distributor and factory level, Barone goes on to say, is a vital component of the retailer’s productivity and success with the system. Absence of experienced support personnel may spell plenty of downtime, no matter who the manufacturer may be.

Barone also suggests a long, hard look at the technology and upgrade paths. Computers and operating systems are constantly changing. If a system is stagnant, the retailer’s only option is to abandon perfectly good hardware and buy a completely new system when technology changes. Companies that continuously offer software updates and electronics upgrade paths for older systems lessen the chance that the engraver will become obsolete.

Kaufman says that when you’re looking at machine performance, there are a few machines out there that are the top choices.

However, “At the end of the day, I think users are looking for high-speed machines so that their production is quick. They’re looking for precision as well, accuracy that produces a clean, crisp engraving. Finally, they’re looking for versatility, a machine that can perform a large range of applications opposed to a machine that fulfills one primary purpose. That will create more options for customers and therefore more sales,” says Kaufman.

BEST SELLERS

When shopping for any type of product, it’s always a good idea to know what the best sellers are. After all, there’s a reason they are the best-selling unit, right?

For Xenetech, Barone tells us, “Awards retailers interested in good versatility and keeping their capital costs down purchase our Viper 912 or our Viper 912 Jr. Those retailers that believe they will experience higher volumes of work or anticipate more metal engraving will typically purchase the Viper 1313 or the Viper 1625. Retailers that anticipate engraving awards as well as a reasonable volume of gifts, cylindrical pieces and odd-shaped items purchase the Xenetech Gift Engraver.”

Gravograph’s Harris notes that their IS400 is a very popular machine, particularly for engravers looking to get a piece of the gift market. However, he adds that the enhanced spindle for this machine is capable of industrial applications as well, making it a fit for those seeking versatility.

Both Barone and Harris noted that new retailers typically start with smaller machines and soon move on to a larger format.

Schwartz makes a case for those larger-format engravers, informing us that, “Typically, the engravers that make my customers the most amount of money are the flatbeds.” He adds that they’re excellent for high volume and industrial orders. “My recommendation to people is to always have available to them a flatbed machine.”

Whitehouse notes that Vision’s best sellers are their VE810XD, 1624, 2448 and Max Pro.

Roland’s best sellers, says Curtis, are their EGX-30 and EGX-350. He says it’s due to their platform size and ease of use. “We have five machines in the line-up from entry level to benchtop professional series engravers (EGX-20, 30, 350, 400 and 600),” says Curtis.

Mathias notes that Newing-Hall’s most popular model is definitely their 350. “The reason for this is because the powerbase and vise on this machine offer the user the ability to hold an extremely wide variety of items.”

Versatility is an attribute that Kaufman says her customers also seek, though paradoxically, for a specific type of customer. “U-Marq is more in the jewelry world at this point, so our best-selling machine for that world is the RX machine, which is the smallest machine that we have. Among the reasons for its success is that it is one of the smallest, fastest and most affordable on the market right now. It will engrave a number of surfaces: flat; curved; concave; inside and outside rings; and small cylindrical items,” says Kaufman. She adds that the VX (U-Marq’s mid-size version of the RX), is also selling well, and it comes with a 16”x12” flatbed engraving area—yet another example of engravers preferring the options a large table affords.

TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS

Though rotary engravers do not experience updates to their technology as frequently as other processes, and many consider this a good attribute, they have had their fair share of advances over the years.

Whitehouse reels off a list that includes red laser pointers for easy setup and job preview; an electronic surface detection block for non-nosecone engraving; software wizards for easy setup of ADA-compliant Braille signage; automatic insertion of raster Braille beads; surface mapping for engraving on non-flat surfaces; optical cameras for easy alignment of a job on printed materials, and she even mentions Rhinestone heat-transfer application on fabrics—a nice feature for shops who have diversified into personalized apparel.

Curtis mentions this process as well. “Roland rotary engraving has become a popular process in the apparel market for producing customized rhinestone-motif templates for rhinestone apparel and gifts.” He adds that as part of Roland’s R-Wear Apparel Solution, it’s used to produce design templates for heat pressing rhinestones onto T-shirts, handbags and other apparel items.

While versatility is nice, Harris says the general trend has been to make the machines progressively easier to use. He adds there has also been a push to enhance machine capabilities through accessories.

“For instance, we have released a high-frequency spindle that’s a machinist-type spindle that runs at 60,000 RPMs. That allows users to put machining tools on the engraver to do cutouts of things like stainless steel or mill dies for hot stamping, more industrialized cutting and detailed milling applications, even out of their same IS400,” says Harris. “So, we’re taking existing equipment and giving it new capabilities through software advancements and accessories.”

Barone suggests the most significant advancement in rotary engraving technology over the past five years is engraving speed. He notes that Xenetech’s current systems engrave three times faster than the units they produced just five years ago.

“This advancement has enabled retailers to capture more profit in their engraving because they can produce more in less time or just spend less time engraving and more on other tasks. There are also a host of technology advancements that enable greater control of engraving—resizing of plates; auto cutter setting; job monitoring; planning and statistics—that have contributed to greater ease of use and more utility of rotary systems,” says Barone.

Speed is certainly useful, but Mathias says, in his opinion, the biggest changes of recent years have been in the engraving software. “More and more features are being added to software packages, making the engraving process much easier.”

Along those lines, Kaufman mentions that one of the new advancements that U-Marq has come out with is a depth profile, which actually creates a profile of what the user engraves.

“Let’s say you have a champagne flute; this profile will allow the user to engrave all the way from the top of the champagne flute all the way down to the stem all in one job, all without having to stop and start again to change surfaces,” says Kaufman. She adds that they also offer photo engraving.

THE REVERSE

“We’ve seen that most successful awards businesses have the capability to both laser engrave and rotary engrave. Based on the type of material marked and the nature of the job, one system may have advantages over the other. The combination of the two systems in one production facility enables the retailer to respond to all customer demand and opportunities,” says Barone.

It’s safe to say that, though the computerized rotary engraver doesn’t hold the “King of the Hill” title that many once attributed to it, rotary engravers are and will continue to be money makers for the personalization industry.

“Years ago, people getting started in the business would always start with a rotary, and then they would add a laser to the business. Now, people are going the other way. They start with a laser and then realize that they need a rotary to supplement what they can’t do on the laser,” says Schwartz.

With a rotary engraver, you can make sure that your company doesn’t lose out on any business to those whose engraving capabilities are more diverse. It also ensures your company’s ability to offer a “classic” service.

Software For Laser & Rotary Engraving

Many shops with laser engravers are reluctant to add a rotary engraver to the mix because they don’t want to deal with the hassle of a new learning curve. However, with a new product from Condor Graphics Technologies out of Oakland, California, engravers can sidestep perhaps the most time-consuming aspect of that learning curve: software.

Alex Alishoev explains the software his company offers. “Basically there are several manufacturers who make rotary engravers. Some manufacturers have their own software which they use to drive their machines, such as Gravograph and Xenetech. Some engraving companies are using a third-party software like EngraveLab, which is sometimes customized and branded for them and sometimes not,” says Alex.

Condor Graphics Technologies has developed a driver that works with most rotary engraving manufacturers’ machines directly from CorelDraw, because it is the primary engraving software for laser machines.

“A lot of people want to use the same knowledge of setups they have with CorelDraw to drive both their laser and rotary engravers. My driver is customized for specific engraving machines, which makes things simple for users. It allows them to control their machine directly from CorelDraw,” says Alex.

Any user familiar with CorelDraw will be up and running on their new rotary engraver much faster with this driver.

What Cutters Do I Want?

One of the biggest differences between laser and rotary engravers is that the latter is not limited to one size of cutting tool. Rotary engravers have the ability to use many different cutters to create many different effects. How does a shop determine which cutters best suit their needs?

B.J. Audesirk of Antares Inc., in Horsham, Pennsylvania, says that every business personalizes different items, and because there are so many different cutters that achieve a wide range of effects, it’s difficult to suggest a selection of cutters to a general audience. Each business should get in contact with their cutter supplier, discuss the applications for their machine and allow the supplier to suggest a selection of cutters based on that information.

However, there are some basic cutters Audesirk believes each engraver should have at their disposal, “I believe everybody should have at least a profiling cutter and a couple of standards because they’ll be enough to get through very general work. But, for anything more specific than that, I need to speak with them to get a feel for what they’ll need. The first questions I ask are, ‘What is the application? What is it exactly that you think you’re going to be doing, or what is it you want to do, for you business?’”

Come up with as detailed a plan as possible for your rotary engraver and determine what items your shop intends to engrave. The more detailed your plan, the more specific Antares will be able to be in suggesting cutters that can create the results you and your customers desire.