Creating Organic Wood Textures With a Laser Machine

We live in a time where technology is growing at exponential speeds. At a recent woodworking show, I stumbled across the idea of laser technology and furniture for a simple low-cost way of creating texture. The laser has been used in laboratories since the 1960s and continues to amaze the mind with new unique applications as the decades go by.

Rather than using a traditional ink printer, a laser machine uses the power of the laser to precisely burn or engrave depth into a material. The process starts by capturing a digital photo of the surface material you want to replicate. A simple picture taken with any smartphone device will have more than enough resolution to easily store a quality high-resolution image. If you are not a photographer than a quick search on internet will locate hundreds of patterns, textures and wood grain prints.

A remarkable material for this laser engraving process is medium density fiberboard (MDF). The surface of MDF is flat, smooth, dense and free of knots and grain patterns. The homogenous density profile of MDF allows intricate and precise laser machining and finishing. This material is widely used in the manufacture of furniture, kitchen cabinets, signage, store fixtures, paneling, and other millwork applications. MDF is the perfect solid wood substitute. The stability, strength, and cost allow for an increasing number of applications.

Many MDF panels today are using computer numerical control (CNC) router technology to produce complex geometry and patterns on the surface. Kern Laser Systems is combining software and co2 lasers to produce realistic wood grain depths and patterns. Their large format laser engravers use a high-speed scanning head to laser engrave a true 3D surface texture depth. It's possible to supply an endless library of images into the machine. The MDF panels can be specifically laser machined as an effective alternative to solid wood components. They can be used in place of expensive, hard-to-source exotic woods.

Another growing technology today includes 3D printers as a way of manufacturing almost any model or prototype. Through plastics powder or filament spools, you will be able to create your product from the ground up. Although this is a fascinating field, the production of wood panels and other surfaces would take an extremely long time to manufacture. High-speed laser engraving on a manufactured substrate like MDF will produce a much higher volume and a much larger panel size.

Written by Eric Johnson, Sales Consultant at Kern Laser Systems in Wadena, Minnesota (US).