Frequently Asked Questions

Additional FAQs will be added and updated as we are asked, so check back from time to time!

General

Why Choose Laser My Wheels?

Simply put, we are the one and only company in the world that has succeeded in developing a working process specifically designed to process automotive wheels in a laser engraving application!

Looking back at the journey to get here, it is entirely obvious to us as to why it did not happen until we came along:

  • No laser equipment manufacturer had any machine that was designed, or engineered with this application in mind.
  • We had to purchase a base model laser system, and then modify the hardware to be able to handle wheels.
  • There are no online tutorials, white papers, or other similar information on how to approach the file handling and development to be able to process wheels in laser equipment.
  • The type of laser machinery that is capable of performing this work is very costly.
  • The entire process had to be developed from scratch.
  • This means we (quite literally) wrote the book on laser engraving wheels!

With a custom laser solution now being available as an option through manufacturers, businesses that are interested in laser engraving very large automotive parts (like wheels!) now have an option to acquire the required equipment to make that happen!

For clients who are interested in purchasing the equipment and would like to receive formal training in processing wheels in their laser engraving equipment, we offer formal Process Training Services to train businesses who are serious about wanting to add laser engraved wheels to their service portfolio!

Does LMW Manufacture Laser Equipment?

We are currently in the middle of development of our own Laser Workstation solution that is specifically engineered to handle and process automotive wheels in a laser engraving application!

We anticipate that prototyping and testing will be complete sometime in Q4 2024, or Q1 2025.

Immediately after that we will begin marketing, and open pre-orders for our machines with projected delivery to begin in Q2/Q3 2025!

Do These Lasers Engrave More Than Wheels?

Absolutely!

The rotary device can be moved away from the workspace, and with the provided table insert, you can set the laser system up to conduct flat work.

Clients who are interested in custom engraving on automotive parts will find a lot of versatility in this class of laser marking/engraving equipment!

How Quickly Can We Be Up and Running?

Our Laser Workstations are currently in the prototyping phase.

Once we have entered our manufacturing phase, we anticipate a 1-2 month manufacturing lead time on our workstations.

Does Laser My Wheels Offer Laser Engraving Services?

We have no plans to offer wheel engraving services to the public, for a number of very important reasons.

Reason #1: Doing so would put us in direct conflict with the manufacturers, retailers, and custom builders that we are setting up with our process.

It would be a conflict of interest, and we will never put ourself in the position of competing with our own clients.

Reason #2: Our production capabilities are not set up to be able to offer engraving services. We have shifted into manufacturing of our own equipment, and as such, even if we wanted to, we simply do not have the space to offer such services.

Reason #3: The logistics in shipping wheels back and forth for us to engrave make far less sense than bringing the capabilities to do this directly to businesses that already operate within the Automotive Customization and Wheel & Tire industries.

Because of these reasons, opening engraving services to the general public would minimize and take away the quality of services that we are offering to our customer base.

What Services Does Laser My Wheels Sell?

What we are offering is the manufacture, sales, training, support, and marketing assistance to our world-first process, and equipment, so that your company can bring these next-level customization services, in-house!

We have put together a simple, straightforward equipment and service options that will let us equip, train, and support your company, no matter where you are in the world, giving your company access to a totally brand new, and unique service that will absolutely give you an advantage over your competition!

Review our Equipment & Services page, Process Training page, or Contact us today for more information!

Laser vs. CNC Mill Engraving

Some companies have been able to offer engraved designs on wheels using CNC milling machines, but currently, virtually all of this sort of customization is offered by businesses that do hand engraving work.

Laser engraving wheels has many distinct advantages over CNC milling:

  • Simpler setup
  • Simpler programming
  • Simpler fixturing
  • Zero contact with the part
  • More intricate designs
  • Faster throughput
  • No consumables
  • Lower operating cost (the primary laser system consumes only 1.4kwH)
  • Much smaller equipment footprint

How Much Can Laser Engraved Wheels Retail For?

We have developed an ROI calculator that can provide you with some assistance in determining potential profitability.

That depends on a myriad of factors, which would be covered through a free consultation, but generally speaking, the main drivers of retail pricing for engraving services will be determined by:

  • The market you serve
  • Wheel dimensions
  • Complexity of design
  • The amount of surface area being engraved
  • Post-engraving finishes

You could be looking at a little as $300.00/wheel for some light-duty, fast turnaround type work, or as much as $10,000.00+/wheel for some much more intensive custom work.

It ultimately depends on your customers, and what they are looking for.

We generally advise our clients to develop a product catalog with a variety of design options that covers a wide range of prices, so that you can maximize the exposure of these services to your customer base.

Do You Sell Wheels & Tires?

No.

We are a small laser engraving company that is offering businesses in the Wheel & Tire industry a one-of-a-kind opportunity to add a brand new, cool, unique, and highly profitable service with incredible built-in marketing to their existing service portfolio!

With our unique, world first process, companies can easily add these services to their facilities to give themselves a competitive edge in the Automotive Customization industry.

Do You Have a Showroom?

No, but that is certainly a part of our early expansion plans, once we hit specific milestones.

We are simply a laser engraving company that had a crazy idea that we developed into a commercially viable solution for automotive wheel customization.

Can This Process Only Be Applied To Crazy Full Wrap Designs?

No, absolutely not!

We wanted to showcase designs that took advantage of the entire lip space, to give you an idea of what is absolutely possible when implementing our process.

Your designs can absolutely be scaled down to be more simple, subdued, or conservative.

You can do simple logos, full crazy wrap work, and everything in between!

This process is flexible, and very versatile, which means you will be able to serve the widest range of customers in your market.

Equipment & Services

What Training Will Be Provided?

In the run-up to release of our Laser Workstations, we will develop and publish a free familiarity training video series that will be posted on popular video sharing platforms like Rumble, and YouTube.

The planned video training will include information on topics like use procedures of the equipment and hardware, as well as basic graphic development and programming procedures.

Are There Plans For A Certified Training Program?

This is something that is being explored.

At this time, we cannot state whether or not a formal certification program will exist, however, it is something that we have an interest in.

Do I Have To Purchase Process Training Services In Order To Laser Engrave Wheels?

Absolutely not!

When you order these Laser Workstations from us, you will have all of the required tools to be capable of laser engraving wheels.

That being said, if you do not order Certified Training Services, then you (or your company) will have to develop your own internal processes for laser engraving automotive wheels using our laser system.

Certified Training Services can be ordered at any time, so if your company wants to go its own way, and develop its own process for engraving wheels, that’s just fine by us!

However, if your company runs into trouble with its process development efforts, then that will be where our optional Certified Training Services will come into play.

Do I Have To Purchase Process Training Services In Order To Purchase These Lasers?

Certified Training Services are not required as a condition of equipment sales!

This exciting development has more to do with the fact that we are now able to offer our clients an out-of-the-box solution for processing very large, and heavy objects (like automotive wheels) in a laser engraving system.

That means that our clients now have the cost-saving option of figuring out for themselves how to laser engrave automotive wheels, without getting hung up on figuring out how to configure the hardware.

That all being said, the machinery is definitely the smallest hurdle to overcome in this process, but if clients want to take on the challenge in figuring out how to engrave wheels on their own accord, then they will find it easier to do so now than before.

Clients who elect to receive direct training from the people that successfully developed the first process for processing automotive wheels in a laser engraving system, then we still very much offer that as a service!

How Much Does It Cost To Set Up Services?

Equipment Sales are completely separate from Certified Training Services, however, in order to be eligible to receive Certified Trainingyour company must own one of our laser workstations.

Some big takeaways that our clients should take with this recent change are:

Who Can Attend The Certified Training Seminar?

Clients who order Certified Training Services are given 3 seats for company representatives attend the 2-week seminar.

Typical composition for the seminar attendees will be:

  • 1 - Company Owner, CEO, or President
  • 1 - Designer, or Engineer
  • 1 - Production, or Equipment Operator

Additional seats* can be ordered. Pricing TBA.

*Attendees for our Certified Training seminar are required to be Client's employees.

Are There Any Financing, or Lease To Own Options?

No financing options are available at this time.

Is A Down Payment Required?

Yes.

A minimum 25% deposit is required before your machine can be manufactured.

Current anticipated manufacturing lead times are 1-2 months from the date of purchase.

Orders must be paid in full prior to any equipment shipping from our factory.

Why Did LMW's Equipment & Services Pricing Change?

We arrived at the conclusion (in recent months) that relying on 3rd party manufacturing partnerships was completely unworkable with regard to offering customers an out of the box solution.

The pricing structures that we were able to put in front of our customers were directly impacted by the pricing that the 3rd party companies were quoting us, which resulted in some very outrageous pricing that was well outside of the realm of affordability for most small businesses.

This realization prompted us to go back to the drawing board, and rework our strategy, ultimately arriving at the conclusion that we just needed to make our own machines.

Now that we have a design approved for prototyping and testing, we are progressing through prototyping, and will be entering testing shortly thereafter.

What Are Some Equipment and Service Fees That Should I Expect?

The minimum required equipment to perform laser engraving of wheels is as follows:

  • $59,999.00 is the base MSRP for the fully-equipped Laser Workstation.
  • $29,999.00 is the base MSRP for the Laser Workstation that is not equipped with a laser system, or rotary device option.
  • Fully-equipped base model workstations come equipped with a 200W JPT M7 Fiber Laser System, and a Stage 1 Rotary Device

Businesses will have the option to receive formal training through our Certified Training Services, or alternately they can work through figuring out the application on their own with the assistance of video training modules that will be posted on our website, and video sharing platforms!

Clients who want to receive formal training are encouraged to visit our Certified Training Services page for more information.

Process

Does This Process Completely Eliminate Handwork?

Generally speaking, yes.

In most cases, our process eliminates most, if not all hand engraving work.

That being said, there are still some instances where some minor hand engraving may be required after the Primary engraving operation.

Users who are just starting out, and are not very experienced will more likely find themselves having to do some minor blending, and tie-in work, followed by some light surface etching on the laser through a secondary operation.

We advise all users to expect there to be some degree of light hand engraving as a part of their post-processing work.

How Quickly Can Wheels Be Engraved?

Laser engraving wheels can be done by orders of magnitude faster than can possibly be achieved by hand engraving alone.

That being said, there are many variables that will directly impact how quickly any engraving project can be completed:

  • Wheel dimensions
  • Laser parameters
  • Laser power
  • Surface area engraved
  • Number of surfaces engraved
  • Surface marking, or deep engraving
  • Complexity of the design
  • Complexity of the program

The one thing you can be assured of though, is that you will be able to have your completed wheels on your customers' favorite ride in a matter of days, or even hours, as opposed to many, MANY weeks, or months (as is the case with 100% hand-engraved services).

Because of the high-turnaround that is offered through laser engraving, it is something that can easily be scaled up as your business demand increases.

What Type Of Wheels Can Be Laser Engraved?

Base Material: Aluminum wheels will be the easiest to work with, but alloys and steel wheels can be processed as well.

Finish: Painted or powder coated wheels, brushed finish, or polished chrome can all be laser engraved.

Wheel Structure or Build: monoblock, 2-, or 3-piece wheels can easily be laser engraved using this process. Wheels that are comprised of multiple components may require custom fixturing to attach to the rotary device.

Does This Process Require A Background In Laser Equipment Operation To Succeed?

Absolutely not!

Between our planned training video series, and our Certified Training Services and Support options, your company will have all of the required tools and training that will allow you to assign an operator to the station(s), and have the best chance of success!

We take all of the guesswork out so that you can focus on the rest of your operation with as little delay and interruption as possible.

What Type Of Software Is Required?

The Primary Laser Station utilizes a software program called LightBurn. There is a small annual subscription fee involved.

A 1-year subscription to LightBurn is included with each workstation purchase.

With regard to file development, the backend software that is used to develop the files to be engraved into the wheels has a wide range of options, and it will come down to the preference of your designer, or design team.

Additional seats and subscriptions for all software are available for purchase through LMW.

Do We Have To Provide Our Own Graphic Software?

No, absolutely not!

Every Certified Training Service includes a 1-seat license for the included software suite.

That initial license is good for 1-year, and can be renewed (optionally) through LMW.

Additional seats can be ordered if required.

The software suite that we include will be all that you will need in order to process the graphics that you will end up engraving on your wheels.

Training in the software suite is covered pretty extensively during the 2-week onsite visit.

How User Friendly Is This Process?

After training is complete, your company will know how to set up engraving jobs, from start to finish (though we will still be a resource to assist if needed).

That being said, similar to CNC milling, the most involved and time intensive step in this process lies in the initial setup and programming.

Once the program has been developed, this process becomes as simple as loading the program at the work station, fixturing and positioning the part, and running the job.

After the part has been loaded, and the job has been executed, no further need for human input is required until the job is complete, and another part is to be loaded.

The following factors make this process very friendly in production environments, and even friendlier for companies who want to scale these services up:

  • Small physical footprint
  • Low energy cost
  • Low human input
  • High quality
  • High repeatability
  • High throughput

Can This Process Be Automated?

There are some required steps to properly, and safely fixture/position the wheel in the machine that also require human interaction to complete.

There is also a requirement for direct human involvement during the Detailing operation that there is currently no workaround for.

That is not to say that automation could not be a reality at some point in the future, but there are some Quality Control checks, and Process Steps that must be made by a human being at specific intervals throughout the entire process.

Once the primary operation is underway, and the machine is executing the program, there is no need for human interaction until the unloading/reloading step, so in a sense, that part of the production phase is inherently automated.

Are LMW's machines, or process under patent?

We will be pursuing a patent for our workstation.

Equipment/Hardware

Is The Engraving Equipment Leased, or Owned?

The laser engraving machines that are ordered from us are purchased, not leased.

They are yours to keep.

Can The Laser Engraving Machines Only Do Rotary Work?

Absolutely not!

The rotary device can easily be removed from the machine to do flat work on the motorized table (Y-axis).

The system has an X-, Y-, and Z-axis, and can effortlessly be set up to do flat work.

Do The Engraving Systems Come With Fume Extractors?

Fume extractors are available as an optional purchase.

How Large Are The Machines?

The footprint for the Laser Workstation is 42in x 40in, and is 60in tall (when equipped with our 200W fiber laser).

Technical

Is Engraving Limited Only To The Outer Lip?

Absolutely not!

The rotary device can be fixtured at 0 to 90 degrees, or taken out of the machine to allow for flatwork engraving.

There is a lot of versatility in this process which translates to a lot of creativity to make this process unique to your company/brand.

Can Powder Coated Wheels Be Laser Engraved?

Yes, but not all powders/paints are created equal.

The process of laser engraving does generate heat, and some formulations may not stand up so well when being laser engraved.

You will want to ensure that the paint/powder used on the wheels you are lasering will be a good candidate for being processed in a laser engraving application.

What Wheel Sizes Can Be Engraved?

The smallest wheel diameter that can be processed in our Laser Workstation is 14" (35.56cm).

The largest wheel diameter that can be processed in our Laser Workstation is currently 32" (381.28cm).

There are two components that have a direct effect on how small, or how large of a work piece your machine will be able to handle:

Rotary Devices:

  • Stage 1 Rotary (included) for handling 14" (35.56cm) through 18 (45.72cm) wheel diameters
  • Stage 2 Rotary (+$9,999.00) for handling 14" (35.56cm) through 24 (60.96cm) wheel diameters
  • Stage 3 Rotary (+$19,999.00) for handling 14" (35.56cm) through 32 (81.28cm) wheel diameters

All 3 rotary device options are capable of working with the smallest wheel size, but there are limits to the maximum size that the rotary devices will be able to handle.

Users who do work with larger diameter wheels will be advised to consider upgrading to the Stage 2, or Stage 3 rotary device option.

Focal Lenses:

The focal lenses have a focal heigh that determines how far off of the surface of the workpiece the scan head is required to be.

Wheels in the smaller diameter ranges will be limited to working with smaller lens work areas.

Both variables will be covered extensively in our video training series.

What Is The Deepest Lip Depth That Can Be Engraved?

Outer Lip depths up to 12" can be laser engraved with this process.

What Designs Can Be Laser Engraved?

Literally anything you want!

It can be artistic designs.

It can be logos.

It can be branding.

There really is no limitation on what can be engraved through this process.

The sky is the limit, and you have as much room in this process to be as creative as you want!

How Deep Can The Engraving Be?

That is simply a matter of programming, which is covered in the training for this service.

Generally speaking though, you can go as deep, or as shallow as you need to, based on the program settings.

In aluminum wheels, hitting depths of 0.007in-0.010in (0.1778mm-0.254mm) is very easy to do, but if you need to go deeper than that, then making adjustments in your program to hit the depth you are after is all that would be required.

Is The Laser Engraving Permanent?

Yes, absolutely!

Whether you are making a basic surface mark, or etching for depth, the mark is permanent, and will not come off!

Is Painting/Finishing Wheels Required?

That ultimately depends on your customers and the market you are serving.

There are a lot of ways that you can choose to finish laser engraved wheels, but that is mostly being driven by the base material of the wheel itself.

For example, you might sell polished aluminum wheels, in which case some time in a polishing tumbler may be all that is needed, or perhaps just a clearcoat to preserve the engraved vs. polished aesthetic.

Or, maybe you are engraving mild steel, in which case some form of coating protection will absolutely be required to prevent rust.

Support

What Are General Support Services?

General Support consists of Technical Bulletins and ongoing General Process Support. If you: 

  • Have a question about any topic that is covered during training
  • Run into a process or technical issue where advisement/remote support is needed
  • Have a process idea or application you need tested
  • Require remote troubleshooting assistance

General Support and Technical Bulletin Access are included for 2 years with every Process Training Service.

After 2 years, access to both GS and TBA are only available with an annual subscription plan.

What Are Technical Support Services?

Technical Support Services greatly differ from General Support in that Technical Support Services are provided directly by the laser system manufacturer, in order to troubleshoot and address hardware, and software issues on their laser system.

Laser My Wheels does offer a concierge-type of Technical Support Callout service that is designed to assist with its Process Training Services.

Under a Technical Service Callout, Laser My Wheels will dispatch a technician to the Client's facility to provide direct, hands-on assistance with troubleshooting any aspect of our Process Training Services.

Technical Service Callouts are available without a service agreement, however, when not under a Technical Services Agreement, each service call has a minimum charge that is billed per incident.

TSC rates will vary depending on location, as travel, lodging, and meals will be impacted by numerous factors.

Why Would I Need A Technical Services Extension?

A Technical Services Extension Agreement effectively secures Laser My Wheels as a consultant, available for onsite support callouts to directly assist with the management, implementation, and execution of all aspects of our process at your facility, or place of business.

There are some restrictions and limitations with these services, as they are not intended to serve as LMW providing your company with a full-time employee to your facility for the full deployment of this process.

Signatories are required to provide their own employees to implement and execute this process, however we do offer direct support services in the capacity of an onsite consultant under a Technical Services Agreement.

While under an active Technical Services Agreement, only travel and accommodations are billable for TS callouts, with no additional service fees.

By contrast, Technical Service callouts placed while not under an Agreement are fully billable, with a very high minimum per-incident service charge, plus travel and accommodations.

This is a much different program, and completely separate from the included 2-years of General Support and Technical Bulletin Services that is included with each equipment order.

How Long Am I Eligible To Receive Technical Bulletins?

Access to Technical Bulletins are included with each Process Training Service, for up to 2-years, from the date of purchase.

After the expiration date, if no additional equipment has been ordered, then access to Technical Bulletins will no longer be available without an annual subscription.

Subjects that may be covered under a Technical Bulletin include:

  • Process improvements
  • Technology improvements
  • Hardware improvements
  • Fixturing improvements