A wood engraving machine is a machine used to engrave or carve a woodblock or board into an artwork, sculpture, model, or furniture decoration. Many hand carvers use hand-carving tools, such as carving knives, files, saws, and electric carving knives. With these tools, the engraving speed is slow, and the output is small. And it requires much craftsmanship.
While in the modern woodworking industry, hand engraving tools can’t meet the mass production demands. More and more individuals and factories choose CNC wood engraving machines to start their wood carving projects.
This article introduces two major types of CNC wood engraving machine that can meet the large productivity demands. It also tells you the things you should consider before buying a wood engraving machine. In case that you have known the basic knowledge, you can also check the wood engraving machines recommended in this article.
Types of CNC wood engraving machine
The CNC wood engraving machine adopts computer numerical control, and the engraving process is completed automatically all by the machine. All you have to do is import the design file into the computer, set the engraving parameters, and put the wood board in place.
Then, what machine do you use to engrave wood?
At present, the most commonly used wood engraving machine mainly includes two categories — CNC router and laser engraving machine. The two types of wood engraving machines have some differences in the principle of action, processing specifications, and applications. But they both provide excellent precision, fast speed, safe and simple operation, and good engraving results.
Wood engraving machine — wood CNC router
The wood CNC router adopts a contact-based engraving and cutting process. Its prominent characteristic is the multiple functions and good flexibility. CNC router machines are good at cutting or engraving materials quickly and accurately. Besides wood, this wood engraving machine for sale can also cut and engrave plastic, foam, composite materials, acrylic, and other materials. With the right power and CNC router bits, it can also cut steel, aluminum, and other thin metal plates into ideal shapes.
The computer gives commands to the CNC router based on the design files to engrave or carve materials accurately. Engraving speed and position are precisely controlled by the computer. The combination of speed, efficiency, and ease of use greatly improves productivity and product quality.
This CNC machine for wood carving is available in many models and specifications. In terms of working path, it has 3-axis, 4-axis, and 5-axis wood engraving machines. It can also equip two, three, four, eight, or even ten spindles to meet the mass production requirements. In the case of over four engraving processes, the wood engraving machine can add an automatic tool change function. This function enables the automatic changing of different CNC router bits for different engraving work.
To see more CNC router machines for wood engraving work, please visit our CNC ROUTER column page.
Wood engraving machine — laser engraving machine for wood
In addition to CNC routers, there are also laser wood engraving machines. The main difference between a laser machine and a CNC wood engraver lies in the way of processing. Laser engraving is a non-contact, heat-based process. The laser engraver for wood uses a focused high-power laser beam to engrave or cut customized shapes and designs. It does not have cutting tools of various shapes and relies on heat to perform precise cutting and engraving. In fact, the engraving work performed by the laser engraving machine for wood is kind of burning.
Through CNC control, the wood laser engraver can mass produce products with more complex engraving designs. With the correct laser power and processing speed, it can produce smooth and clean engraving results. No further cleaning or other treatment is required. Laser engraving helps to improve the level of customization or personalization of wood products. The patterns left on the wood materials are precise and permanent.
The wood laser cutter and engraver uses CO2 laser as the laser source. Besides wood, it is also capable of cutting and engraving other non-metal materials. For instance, plastic, acrylic, paper, cloth, leather, stone, glass, etc. Wood is also divided into many types, and each type has its own characteristics. Some are denser, like hardwoods, which require higher laser power when engraving or cutting. Logs (unprocessed wood) are by far the most commonly used material for laser processing and are easy to engrave and cut. Light-colored wood like birch, cherry, or maple is easily vaporized by the laser and is more suitable for engraving.
The laser wood engraving machine generally does not cut wood deeply. The maximum cutting depth depends on the wood material and the power of the laser. If you want to cut very thick wood, you can slow down the cutting speed. But it may cause the wood to burn. Therefore, for the cutting and engraving of thicker wood panels, we generally recommend CNC routers instead of laser machines.
Click the CO2 LASER MACHINE page to see more laser engraver machines.
What can a wood engraving machine do?
The CNC wood carving machine has a wide range of applications in furniture, decorations, toys, models, advertising, crafts, and other industries. The wood materials processed by the wood engraving machine include:
Solid wood
Particle board, chipboard
Plywood
Melamine board
Fiberboard
Density board
Veneers
Cork
Many of our customers choose the CNC wood engraving machine to process various kinds of products.
This video shows one of our 1325 wood engraving machine carving a round wood stump.
Furniture, especially classical or traditional style furniture, has complicated patterns, inlays, and other decorations. These complex carving patterns can be realized by our CNC wood router machine. We have multi-spindle or ATC wood CNC routers for the 2D engraving patterns. For the patterns on cylindrical furniture such as table legs, railings, etc., we have the rotary axis CNC carving machine.
Many customers use our laser wood engraving machine to engrave or mark wooden boards as store nameplates, signs, and crafts. Customized wooden signs will also attract more customers. Photo-engraving is also a very popular wood project. Engrave a photo of your loved one on mahogany or natural pine as a souvenir. Such special photos can be kept for a long time, which is a perfect way to commemorate the past.
The wood engraving machine can also be used to carve various wood models, such as building models, vehicle models, and ship models. They can help customize products to create unique and special objects with greater significance. For example, personalized wood crafts, skateboards, souvenirs, etc., both beautiful and practical.
How much does a wood engraving machine cost?
The answer to this question can vary greatly based on different types and specifications. Since I mentioned two types of wood engraving machines, I’ll introduce the price respectively.
CNC router wood engraving machines are available in many specifications and configurations. Small or hobby CNC routers, like a 6090, cost about $3,000 without the freight. Medium and large CNC routers start at $5,000. Besides, the more moving axes, the higher the wood engraving machine cost. Also, an ATC CNC router is more expensive than a common three-axis one. Generally, a CNC router wood engraving machine cost ranges from $3,000 to $80,000.
The laser wood engraving machine also has affordable models. A small hobby wood laser engraver costs between $2,500 to $4,000. Machines with a rotary device or other upgraded configurations is slightly higher than the above price. Typically, a CO2 laser engraver can cost $2,500 to $9,000.
Wood engraving machine for sale recommendation
CNC wood engraving machines are available in many sizes, functions, and purposes. The following part lists 4 types of best-selling wood carving machines from Blue Elephant. Here only shows 4 representative CNC machines for wood engraving, and we also have many other models and specifications. If you want to know more, please contact me and get a quote. The table below shows the basic information of these four CNC machines.
| CNC machine | Working size | Features | Price range |
| 1530 4 Axis Wood CNC Router | 1500x3000x200mm | Rotating spindle + rotary device | $12,000 – $16,000 |
| Multi-process CNC Wood Carving Machine | 1300x2500x300mm | 8 rotary devices | $7,000 – $12,000 |
| Cheap CNC Machine for Wood Carving | 1200x1200x140mm | Small size + ball screw-driven | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| Laser wood cutter and engraver | 1300x900mm | CO2 laser + rotary device | $3,000 – $9,000 |
4 axis CNC wood engraving machine for 3D workpieces
The rotating spindle can swing 180 degrees from left to right. So it can engrave the left, top, and right surfaces of a woodblock. Then turn the block by 90 degrees, the front and back surfaces of the block are engraved as well. The rotary device plays an important role when it comes to engraving wood sticks or spindles. The sticks or spindles will be fixed and rotated automatically at a uniform speed during the engraving process. This is very suitable for making wood columns, handrails, statues, trophies, etc.
The video below shows the carving process of a small wood pavilion using a 4 axis 3D wood engraving machine.
Many of our customers use this type of 3D wood engraving machine to make various frame products. For example, door frames, headboards, photo frames, mirror frames, windows, screens, etc. The following video is the real feedback of ELE 1530 4 axis wood CNC router from one of our Kazakhstan customers.
Multi-spindle wood engraving machine for sale
If you don’t want these rotary devices, that’s OK. We also have 8-spindle wood engraving machine models with an aluminum T-slot table or vacuum table. These models can engrave patterns on wooden panels at the same time. This CNC wood engraver is very suitable for the mass production of products carved and cut off from a large wooden board.
Here’s a video showing an 8-spindle CNC wood carving machine engraving patterns on an MDF board. Only 3 spindles are working in this video. The position of the 8 spindles is adjustable. So this CNC machine for wood carving can produce engraved products in multiple sizes.
Except for 8 spindles, Blue Elephant also provides the CNC machine for wood carving with 2, 3, or 4 spindles. The multi-spindle wood engraving machine is more like a simple version of the automatic tool change CNC machine. But the ATC CNC wood engraver can complete more engraving processes than the multi-spindle one.
Hobby or small wood engraving machine for sale
The small wood engraving machine price is relatively cheap. With only 2 or 3 thousand US dollars, you can have a wood CNC router with multiple functions and long service life. Our small CNC wood router machines adopt a ball screw-driven method. The most prominent feature is high precision and accuracy.
This video shows a cost-effective 1212 CNC wood engraving machine engraving simple lines on an MDF board.
Laser engraving machine for wood
The power of this plywood laser cutter is optional of 100W, 130W, 150W, etc. The power is big enough to cut through various non-metal boards up to 20mm. You can also select a honeycomb or blade type worktable for the laser engraving machine for wood. But for processing hard materials, like wood, acrylic boards, we recommend the blade worktable.
The following video shows a 130W wood laser engraver cutting and burning a 3mm plywood board. The engraving process is quick, clean, and neat.
How to choose a wood engraving machine
Before investing in a wood engraving machine, you need to consider several questions. The process of finding answers to these questions helps you make clear your basic requirements on the wood engraving machine.
What are my processing needs?
It is important to understand your processing requirements so that you can obtain the most suitable wood engraving machine. For example, your job is mainly to engrave or carve wood, and the processing depth is not great. Then you can choose a wood laser cutter near me or a CNC router with lower power.
Even if cutting wooden boards that are less than 20mm, the wood laser cutter near me can also complete the task very well. But if you not only carve wood but also cut wood for a long period, such as making cabinets, then we recommend CNC router machines.
What configurations do I prefer?
Processing requirements can also help you determine the configuration of the machine you need. Such as spindle or laser power, machine size, motor power, etc. Generally speaking, the power required for engraving is less than the power required for cutting. The size of the selected wood carving machine should be able to engrave or cut your maximum material. The choice of other configurations is also closely related to the specific processing requirements. For example, if you just make small-sized and thin crafts out of hobby, the 3040 or 3080 desktop laser engraver can meet your demands.
What is my budget?
Knowing how much you can pay (and afford) is very important. The wood engraving machine price varies substantially. There is a desktop laser engraver for wood that costs only two to three hundred dollars. And there are also multi-functional wood engraving machines that cost tens of thousands of dollars. So, you need to know what your budget limit is. And choose a machine that best meets your requirements within your budget. In addition, don’t blindly pursue low prices. A low-priced wood engraving machine may come at the cost of machine quality.
Which brand should I choose?
There are many wood engraving machine manufacturers and machine products on the market. Before purchasing a certain brand of machine, it is necessary to investigate the manufacturer. For example, its R&D and production capacity, delivery capacity, product quality, customer evaluation, etc. You can investigate by checking the manufacturer’s company website, or through customers who have bought its products.
Blue Elephant has been committed to the R&D and production of wood CNC engraving machines and laser machines since its foundation. Its factory covers an area of more than 30,000 square meters and can produce 200 machines per month. Our wood carving machines are exported to more than 130 countries and regions and have also received praise from customers all over the world. In addition, we have a complete service system to solve all problems before, during, and after-sales.
How much space do you have to leave for the wood engraving machine?
In addition to the size of the machine itself, you still need to leave a certain amount of space. Because in addition to the machine, you also need to place the additional dust removal system, water cooler, and other devices. Besides, the engraving machine shall be placed in a well-ventilated space. Because the engraving or cutting process may emit some smoke. Good ventilation can prevent the accumulation of toxic smoke and cause harm to people.
Summary
Compared with other traditional engraving methods, the engraving and cutting of wood through CNC technology produce much less material waste. Less waste means lower material costs. Combining this with increased productivity can save time and money. So CNC wood engraving machine is gaining more popularity.
The CNC wood engraving machine mainly includes the CNC router machines and laser engraving machines. The two are slightly different in processing methods and scope of application. Users should first understand the respective purposes and applications of the CNC wood router and the laser machine. And then choose the most suitable wood engraving machine according to their own needs.
The versatility of the Blue Elephant wood engraving machine has helped customers in many different industries to make exquisite products. From mass production projects to customized projects, it is our machine’s pursuit to be able to produce high-quality wooden workpieces. If you are looking for ways to diversify your products or expand your services, we can provide you with excellent CNC routers and laser engravers.
