MECHANICAL ENGRAVING
Industrial Mechanical Engraving and Rotary Marking
In an era of digital manufacturing, traditional Mechanical Engraving (Rotary Engraving) remains the gold standard for permanence. While laser technology has its place, certain industrial applications demand a mark that is physically carved into the material, not just burned onto the surface. Graphie offers high-precision CNC mechanical engraving services from our facility in La Pocatière, Quebec, providing unalterable identification solutions to clients in the energy, transport, and manufacturing sectors.
Our mechanical engraving services include rotary engraving for industrial nameplates, Lamacoids, and permanent metal identification.
We combine rugged tradition with modern CNC precision. Our rotary engraving systems physically remove material to create deep, tactile lettering and graphics that withstand the harshest environments where printed labels would fail.
Based in La Pocatière, Quebec, we support manufacturers across Canada and the United States with permanent industrial identification solutions.
The Power of Physical Depth
The defining characteristic of mechanical engraving is depth. Unlike laser marking which affects the surface, a rotary cutter penetrates the material. This physical incision offers unique benefits for industrial identification:
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Ultimate Durability: Because the characters are carved into the substrate, the information remains legible even if the tag is painted over, scratched, or subjected to intense abrasion.
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Paint Filling: We can engrave deep into stainless steel, aluminum, or brass and then fill the recessed characters with industrial-grade enamel paint. This creates a high-contrast, multi-colored mark that is both legible and prestigious.
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Tactile Identification: In certain safety applications or low-visibility environments, tactile (raised or recessed) lettering is a requirement. Mechanical engraving is the primary method for producing ADA-compliant signage.
Mechanical engraving is commonly specified for ADA-compliant signage and industrial safety identification where tactile readability is required.
Lamacoids: The Standard for Electrical Identification
A core specialty of Graphie’s mechanical engraving department is the production of Industrial Lamacoids (Lamicoids / Traffolyte).
What are Lamacoids?
These are identification tags made from 2-ply or 3-ply rigid plastic. The top layer is one color (e.g., black) and the core is a contrasting color (e.g., white). When the rotary cutter engraves through the top layer, it reveals the core color, creating high-contrast text without the need for ink.
Applications
We manufacture thousands of these tags for:
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Electrical Panels: Push-button labels, voltage warnings, and breaker identification.
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Pipe Marking: Valve tags and flow direction arrows.
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Control Rooms: Mimic diagrams and operator consoles.
We stock a wide variety of color combinations (Red/White, Blue/White, Yellow/Black) to meet industry safety codes.
Mechanical Engraving vs. Laser Marking
As a vertically integrated shop offering both technologies, Graphie provides unbiased advice on which method is best for your project.
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Choose Mechanical Engraving When: You need deep cuts, specific color fills, plastic Lamacoids, or if the tag will be subjected to extreme abrasive wear (sandblasting, heavy friction).
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Choose Laser Marking When: You need high-speed serialization, complex barcodes or QR codes, or markings on hardened steel where a rotary cutter would break.
Integrated Manufacturing of Custom Tags
Graphie is not just an engraving shop; we are a manufacturer. We produce the blank tags in-house using our Laser Cutting or Shearing equipment.
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Custom Shapes: We are not limited to standard rectangles. We can laser cut a stainless steel tag in the shape of your logo or with specific mounting holes, and then mechanically engrave it.
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Turnkey Service: For equipment manufacturers, we can deliver your machine chassis and the matching set of engraved identification plates in a single shipment, sorted and ready for installation.
Engraving programs, cutter selection, and tool paths are standardized to ensure consistency across recurring production runs.
