THE ARTIFACT

First, the material.

Black aluminum cards, prepared to receive the design that will turn them into AETERNA artifacts.

THE MATERIAL

Light. Precise. Aluminum.

Matte black aluminum, 0.45 mm thick, in an 86 × 54 mm format and weighing just 3 grams. Its smooth, matte surface is prepared to receive the design through engraving.

86 × 54 mm
0.45 mm
3 g
Matte black aluminum

Matte black aluminum card showing its thin metallic edge

PRECISION BEFORE ENGRAVING

The piece changes. The position does not.

Twelve 3D-printed fixtures cover the working area and keep the cards in defined, repeatable positions. Each recess includes enough clearance to allow for the slight expansion of the aluminum during engraving and to make each piece easy to remove and replace.

The cutting bed is fixed to the machine with additional 3D-printed stops. This means that even if the assembly is accidentally moved, the machine and the bed move as a single unit and the reference remains unchanged.

Mounted on the aluminum-profile structure, a camera remains fixed relative to the working area and completes the alignment system.

Overhead view of AETERNA's engraving matrix

Template matrix prepared for the engraving process

360 × 360 mm: Working area
3 × 4: Fixture matrix
12 cards: Per batch
8 batches: One complete deck, front and back

ENGRAVING

The design moves onto metal.

In the software, the 360 × 360 mm work area reproduces the physical matrix of the twelve templates. The corresponding SVG files for each design are positioned on it, aligning the digital space with the real position of each card.

With the pieces in place and the reference established, the laser transfers the design onto the aluminum surface. The system is designed to engrave up to twelve cards in a single batch and repeat the process in a controlled way.

Template design prepared in LightBurn before engraving — Demonstration image. The parameters shown are for illustrative purposes only and should not be used as a reference for the engraving process.

NEJE A40640 12 W blue diode laser module — NEJE A40640 · 12 W blue diode laser module

THE MARK

Precision becomes visible.

The laser removes the thin layer of paint and exposes the aluminum. The result is not perceived as an indentation, but as a change in the surface: matte black gives way to matte gray, with a slightly rougher texture to the touch.

The precision of the 12W NEJE module makes it possible to reproduce lines and details with great definition on a surface just 0.45 mm thick.

THE RESULT

Matter takes form.

The design remains on the metal. A piece conceived to be used, preserved and passed on. A physical object for what deserves to endure.