MAGNUS (TM) Diamond Etching Machine

We've spent 6 years looking for this machine and finally we've found one that produces excellent results and yet is easy to set up and use. The Granite(tm) Diamond Etching Machine from Economical Solutions has been specifically designed for engraving highly detailed ornamentation and lettering onto headstones. Many masons have an inbuilt fear of automatic etching machines, particularly lasers. They are concerned about the complicated nature and set-up involved and of their of their own ability, or perhaps inability, to produce the digital artwork needed to produce the designs. Economical Solutions meet these fears head-on.

Unlike laser engraving machines these new machines do not require the stone to be ideally black, level or flat. The diamond needle they use penetrates the stone much deeper than laser, mimicking the process of manual etching. As a result, the image is much brighter and shows up well even on coloured granites. A gap sensor automatically maintains an optimum distance between the stone and the etching head to compensate for any uneveness in the surface.

Setting the etcher up before starting the each engraving is very easy. There is no need to position the stone such that it is in precisely the same plane as the machine and there is no requirement to adjust the focus of the machine; simply place the stone on the bed or, in the case of the Compact, the bed on the stone, and press start.

As with anything that relies on computer generated images, garbage in equals garbage out and it is the process of producing the images which masons who are more familiar with the intricacies of the hammer and chisel will perhaps experience the most difficulty. To get over this hurdle, we are able to offer a very economical image processing service. Email us with your artwork and we will provide you with an enhanced digital file that you can download directly to the etching machine to give you a superb representation of the image on stone.

There are three machines to choose from, the largest being capable of engraving images up to 124x64cm (48.8”x25.2”) in size. The machine we will be demonstrating on the stand is the smallest one and the one we think will be most popular with the average memorial mason. Unlike its’ bigger brothers which are freestanding machines, the Compact 4060 is a portable unit that can be placed on top of the stone to be etched if required. As its’ name suggests, it has a working area of 40x60cm – 15.7”x23.6”. At a fraction of the cost of a laser, with fewer working parts to go wrong and a much easier set-up, we think this has to be a strong contender as the next serious purchase for many memorial businesses.

More infomation about the machine can be found in the brochure here...And a customer testimonial can be found on our YouTube channel here...