I cut it with the plastic sheeting on, which may have burned into the cut discoloring it. Reasonably good surface finish and penetration on more powerful settings. An interesting twist of physics is that what appears transparent to visible light is not necessarily transparent to infrared light. Can cut thin plastic. The 9.3 micron wavelength is a better choice for laser processing certain specialty plastics like PET and polyimide. Wavelength – The 10.6 micron wavelength is absorbed well by nearly all plastics and is the best choice for most plastic laser cutting, engraving, and marking. Our TroGlass product line includes cast acrylic sheets designed for laser processing. A little discoloration on the opposite side. I wanted to experiment with several types of material that might yield a good surface finish from the laser, and also remain ridged in the installation. The other type of acrylic is known as … (Check them out!). The GPO3, on the other hand, had good penetration. Some of the main influencing factors of a good laser cut are listed below. Plastics, particularly Acrylic, cut really well with a laser. The laser flickered when cutting and seemed to produce small stringy hairs from the cuts. The high-power laser is projected in a small area of material, resulting in the heating of the material, melting and vaporizing it. There was lots of white smoke. Sign up with your email address to get notified of new events, classes, or projects! Some materials are incompatible with laser cutting. These are going to be basic emails, with a few pictures, no more than once a month. A laser cutting machine transfers a pre-programmed design onto … BobsCNC E4 Router Engraver Kit with Router Included. The materials that the laser can cut, are materials like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. ... 2020 Best Laser Cutting Software. Clearly, the laser cutter loves ¼" veneer plywood– all the settings penetrated. Please email me or hit me up via the methods at the bottom of this page if you have any questions/clarifications. Thanks! This is why there is a charge per minute of machine usage when cutting. By directing a constant stream of compressed air at the point where the laser meets the material, flaming, scorching and charring is reduced on materials such as wood, acrylic and rubber. The backer board should help to attenuate the laser burn through which in some cases, starts a fire on the back of the plastic, warping it or discoloring things. Make has a How-To for identifying unknown plastics with a simple process. The cuts that went deepest did not seem to re-weld, and so this might be a good candidate for laser cutting if you need a clear plastic that is stronger than acrylic. Depending on your edge requirements and cutting speed, different laser wavelengths—from IR to UV—offer different advantages. I promise not to spam or share your email address with anyone. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. This is the same problem with PVC. It does not seem suited to the laser cutter at all. I'm wanting to laser cut some black high strength plastic(3-5mm) instead of machining it l. I have access to a high power laser but not a machine shop my question is what plastics are safe to cut. Full color touch screen. Also, let’s throw some wood in there for a pseudo control. Thermoplastics such as ABS, PC etc. In fact, the pattern on the heart in our featured image was laser cut onto the leather. I’m pretty pleased with this and always liked Acetal for various uses. Pauses job if filament runs out or if you experience power failure. Higher power levels may be better if there are areas where the wood toughness changes. In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by sending us an email via our Contact Us page. The cuts seem to shoot a bit of flame jet out of where the laser is hitting the material, also making a “hissing” sound, like the above. No penetration for this thickness; high power across all speed ranges would be suggested for 1/8" or thinner stock. My preference was to use the same thicknesses throughout, but not everything was available in smaller quantities. All the settings worked, but I’d recommend 60% @ 25 mm/s for fast cuts with minimum surface discoloration. WiFi control lets you control print job using a phone or PC. I’ll run each of the speeds for each of the power level zones, and photograph the results, recording any visual notes. Hopefully, the backing material should make the test more uniform. The BobsCNC E4 Router Engraver Kit is … High power started to burn what appears to be some sort of paper veneer on this stuff. Near I can tell, it is the same as this model on eBay, but with a 100 watt tube. In the pictures below, remember that from bottom to top we have 95 power zone, 80 power zone, then 60 power zone. Some of the methods for cutting plastic include: Fixed beam cutting. I wasn’t super happy with what I found on the internet, with regards to which thicknesses per wattage, or what the edge finish would be like, etc. Laser Cutting Projects by Maddoc, last updated Jun 12, 2020 . Cost per minute/hour of laser cutting. On a client project I’ve been working on (sorry it’s kinda secret), I needed to manufacture a rigid surface upon which to mount various components. I’m doing my testing on this 100 Watt Laser Cutter which is available for use at the Baltimore Foundery, an awesome makerspace in the Baltimore area. We wanted to share a product we've found that quic Tons of white smoke during the cut and it was rather smelly. Etching can be done on almost anything, wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass. Cutting Material Max thickness Notes WARNINGS! See the end of the article for more tests on this material. To find out more about the categories of personal information collected and the purposes for which such information will be used, please refer to our privacy policy. The high heat of some settings cause the plastic to warp badly and blister a little. Frequency 3. This includes PVC and vinyl. There are many types of plastics, and each one reacts differently to laser cutting. Hey guys. We’ve see it used to make really professional packaging , signage, point of sale displays , jewelry and even ornaments . Brand of Acrylic 2. At these settings though, it didn’t stand a chance. If something isn’t right, please let me know and I’ll do my best to make an update. Laser cutting is a digital subtractive fabrication technology that uses a laser to cut materials. I hope readers of this article will find this information valuable, and save you time setting up your laser cuts or choosing materials. The cuts blister in a yellow way, and the corners are melted. Any material that contains chlorine, for example, cannot be used with laser cutting. My hope was that this material would be viable given it’s electrical properties and rigidity. I’d be glad to help! 1. Author’s Note! Surprised by penetration on the higher settings; this is nearly half an inch thick, and the laser cut it. Normal wood burn discoloration. While you might associate laser cutting more with wood or plastic, you can use a laser cutter for fabric, paper, metal and more. “PGM composite sheet produced from glass mat and polyester resin”, (2) - 1/8" GPO3 Electrical Grade Fiberglass, (4) - ¼" Clear Impact Resistant Polycarbonate, (7) - 1" Polyurethane Foam (From the bottom of a Pelican Case). MDF is one of those materials that people love to laser cut. Laser cutting is the best way to cut this material as you end up with an extremely high quality ‘flame-polished’ edge inherent to the laser cutting process. After all the tests were complete, there wasn’t a single plastic specimen that seemed to cut well enough to use for my application. browsing data or IP addresses) and use cookies or other identifiers, which are necessary for its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. My plan is to execute several cuts at different power levels and different movement speeds. Metals such as Aluminum, stainless steel, copper etc. The edges will always be brown/yellow, and it produces hydrochloric acid during the cutting, which will eat up everything inside the laser and in the exhaust system. When a machine engraves and cuts with a laser, it uses the technique based on thermal material removal. A range of equipment and other tools have been designed with laser cutters. Advertisement Get It 3D Printed. This is the frequency of light t he laser cutter uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting polycarbonate. At this thickness, 80% and 95% at 5 mm/s cut deep enough that you could break off straight cuts. While there was no penetration, it appears that slower cuts or thinner stock would work. You accept the use of cookies or other identifiers by closing or dismissing this notice, by scrolling this page, by clicking a link or button or by continuing to browse otherwise. View all laser cut materials This is helpful for figuring out where the laser will cut before you run your job on your material. It’s hard to go wrong here; there was no penetration at this thickness, but you can be safe using most combinations on thinner stuff like the plywood. At high power running at very slow settings, there was still no penetration, and all I seemed to do was just burn/destroy the material (Bottom left in the picture above). There appear to be several outlets importing these low cost, Chinese-made cutters. The cuts produced lots of white smoke. (Which is top to bottom in the picture below). The Best Laser Cutter for Acrylic Laser Cutter for Acrylic Acrylic is a strong and versatile material that can be used for anything from signage to display cases. The laser beam remains fixed in one position, and the part moves under the focused spot. Depending on the person’s priority — quantity or quality — he should adjust the laser’s speed for laser cut plastic. Eg non toxic strong etc You can definitely cut clear plastics on a laser. Thank you for subscribing! Polycarbonate is a poor choice for laser cutting. The laser I use has the option to turn on a laser pointer that projects a red dot where the cutting/engraving laser will fire. In addition to the materials I’m considering for the required surface, I also scrounged around for some other materials to bulk out the test. Laser Process Setup 1. Make the most of your machine with these laser cutting software tools! Because this surface would need a custom design and lots of specific holes, a laser cutter seemed like the ideal choice. Copyright © 2021 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. by Melanie Griffin Jan 12, 2020. In the end, my hunch was confirmed that GPO3 would be a good candidate for my project. For this test, I kicked the power up to 97% and ran four zones, 4, 3, 2, and 1 mm/s. 3D printer has dual extruders, which can print 2 of the same objects at once, cutting printing time in half. I might not use this material with a laser cutter at all. Laser cutters are capable tools, but only with the right software. For this test, I drew lines, a curve, and some holes to get closer to what the final product might require. © 2021 Copyright Practicalmachinist.com. This article has been imported from my previous website. The best cutting board material and the best wood for cutting boards depends on what exactly you're cutting up. Basically, the top setting is what I’d use again. It machines well and clearly can be laser cut. Register for the worlds largest manufacturing technology forum for free today to stay in the know. As you can see from the reverse picture, it has a pretty cool cut pattern. Laser Cutter, Start Slicing Stuff for Under 50 Dollars: There are many out there that are making things to win a laser cutter. This website or its third-party tools process personal data (e.g. Laser cut plastic often is used for signs and awards, and knowing the best way to cut plastic can help to avoid discolored edges and improper cuts. It looks like it could be cleaned up with a little scrubbing. PortfolioTestimonialsProcessNotebookAboutContact, Hardware PrototypingLegacy Blog ArticlesOther ProjectsThe Code. Here is a project for those 500 that don't win, but still want a laser cutter for simple stencil cutting needs.This project was conceived during a chat with Alex where we wished … Practical Machinist is the easiest way to learn new techniques, get answers quickly and discuss common challenges with your peers. Laser Parameters 1. I was pretty happy with how each sample ran (except for one, see below). Your support means a lot to me, and I hope that the few emails Iâll send occasionally find you well. It was melty and welded back together on hot, slow cuts. by misamisa Oct 16, 2018 . The latest industry news—straight to your inbox. This was pretty thick, but had good surface finish and seeming depth of cut at higher power levels. gothic house . Learn more about us. Tim shows me how to use a laser cutter to make clean cuts from an Adobe Illustrator file in acrylic (plexiglass). I was curious about heat build up in the corners, which is why the cut paths below have bends. Kumiko square panel . " Aside from the very thin (less than.030") do not bother cutting polycarbonates (lexan). This material makes a buzzing sound during the cuts, kind of like there is something caught in a metal fan. Each sample is about 6" square and will be supported by a thin plywood backer board. 113 105 0. by sealamb Feb 22, 2020 . Table Setup 2. They have similar interfaces and control software, and are quite good for the price. We respect your privacy. The window of the laser cutter is made of Polycarbonate because polycarbonate strongly absorbs infrared radiation! I would not be confident the parts would separate if there was penetration through thinner stock. BobsCNC E3 CNC Router Engraver Kit. To learn more, please refer to the cookie policy. The laser can cut or etch. When the DMS evaluates whether a material is suitable for use in our lasers, we typically look at four factors: WARNING: Because many plastics are dangerous to cut, it is important to know what kind you are planning to use. There may be some broken links and or formating issues. Ask us if you have a particular plastic in mind. For each sample, I’ll show a picture or two of the cuts, list any observations during the cut, and also list which setting combinations cut completely through the materials, ordered in terms of surface finish. 34 40 1. Laser Cutting Plastic Specifications. Laser cutting cast acrylic produces burr-free cuts on either sides, and laser engraving will offer better processing results than extruded acrylic - a perfectly white engraved image results. ABS seems to work fine, as does polyester." Exhaust 4. Even though laser cutting requires a piece to be cut on a flat material such as a sheet of metal, it doesn’t mean users can’t create 3D objects with their design. Compressed air (up to 4 bar / 58.02 psi) is used in most laser cutting applications to remove heat and combustible gases from the top material surface. Well before all the cuts were complete, the fire had mutilated the whole sample and burnt it into the backer board. The main cost of laser cutting is based on the time it takes to cut the parts, and this depends primarily on the engraving area, type of cutting material and thickness of the material. Speed 4. We'll bring you the most relevant peer-to-peer conversations happening in the trade and tips and tricks to help you get the job done. The first cut at high power started it on fire, and subsequent cuts only added to the chaos. The materials that the laser can cut materials like … No penetration at any power level, with 95% @ 5 mm/s it cuts about halfway though. No penetration observed, which is odd given the performance of the nicer plywood below, perhaps normal plywood uses harder materials than the cabinet grade. Depending on how the materials cut, we might extrapolate when penetration would occur with thinner versions of the thicker materials. Laser engravers are used to cut, etch, mark or engrave following materials. Here are the best cutting boards for all of your culinary needs. Cast acrylic can be cut with a laser, but it will not result in flame-polished edges. Gas 5. I cut it with the plastic sheeting on, which may have burned into the cut discoloring it. The material is a “PGM composite sheet produced from glass mat and polyester resin”. With more than 10.6 million unique visitors over the last year, Practical Machinist is the most visited site for metalworking professionals. Sign up for our eNewsletter now to stay in-the-know. Box with Integrated Hinge, Laser Cut . I wanted to preserve all of the old content as many people have found some value in it. Acetal was likely the front runner, but I wasn’t super amped about using it at the thickness required for the rigidity. Acrylic awards can be laser engraved, and you can even create your own awards with a laser cutter for acrylic. Laser Cutting Plastics. Many laser types can cut plastic. BobsCNC knows a thing or two about making these types … At the very least, I can just refer back to this article for future settings. However there are some plastics not suitable for laser cutting as the fumes kill our operators! For fastest response, please use our Contact Page. Apparently, Garolite is also “Bakelite,” and is a really strange material. Material PreparationBy managing these variables, we are able to ensure perfect, reliable and repeatable laser cuts of our acrylic material. I was surprised how, even at low power, good penetration was achieved; the speed seems more important than the power. There was a lot of penetration on this thin stock, but many cuts welded back together; the two with the best surface finish that didn’t re-weld were: This material had a bad day in the laser cutter. The laser flickered through this translucent material, and smelled really horrible while cutting. Type of Acrylic 3. Engraves wood, plastic, leather, paper, and other materials. http://www.antelaser.com.cn/ref/co2cutting.html, Fabrication: CNC Laser, Waterjet, Plasma, Welding & Fab, Schaublin, Cazeneuve, Weiler, Graziano, Mori Seiki Lathes, Cincinnati Milacron, Kearney Trecker, VN, USA Heavy Iron, Machine Reconditioning, Scraping and Inspection, Tooling, Parts and Accessories For Sale or Wanted, Machinery Manual, Brochure and Photo Archives. No penetration, however, it appears you could cut ¼" stock with 95% @ 5 mm/s and 1/16" stock with 60% @ 5 or 10 mm/s. So I thought I’d do some of the testing myself. It also leaves a pretty sooty dust. ORTUR Laser Master 2, Laser Engraver CNC, Laser Engraving Cutting Machine, DIY Laser Marking for Metal with 32-bit Motherboard LaserGRBL(LightBurn), 400x430mm Large Engraving Area (20w) 4.1 out of 5 stars 274 The cuts that went deepest did not seem to re-weld, and so this might be a good candidate for laser cutting if you need a clear plastic that is stronger than acrylic. Laser type: (3) CO2 lasers w/ Gas Assist Advanced vision system for cut vision targets and auto-scaling; Cutting thickness: Acrylic 1” Here is what I’m going to put through the test: This laser I’m using is typically only ever maxed out at “95”, which I assume to mean 95% power (which at 100 Watts is, of course, 95 Watts). SimbaLux Acrylic Sheet Clear Cast Plexiglass 12” x 12” Square Panel 1/8” Thick (3mm) Pack of 2 Tr… While there was no penetration, it appears that slower cuts or thinner stock would work. I would imagine that a very fast pass at low, low power would successfully cut this material. I’m guessing it is the fibers exploding or something. This acrylic material is better suited for engraving. This should aid in dialing in settings for the future. Power 2. en . The surface finish wasn’t wildly good, a little charred and burned. Lenses and Focus 3. Obviously, these materials are all rather different, and my goal is not really to zero in on the perfect settings for any particular material, but rather show how each works across various types. Description. Easily Remove Engraving Residue from Wood If you've ever run your laser at low speed and highpower, you've seen the results - sticky sap and varnish covering the areas you've already engraved. Simply turn off the power to the laser … B Many wowoods 1/4" Avoid oily/resinous woods Two of the materials that seemed most appropriate, the GPO3 and Garolite XX, did not penetrate in the initial tests, so I thought I’d run them both through another test to see what was possible. Although, I can’t be completely certain this is how the the power scales. All Rights reserved. There was no penetration at the tested settings (but I did get it later on, see the end of the article). Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Within each zone, we have the top having the slowest speed (5 mm/s) all the way down to the bottom of the zone at 25 mm/s. I thought i ’ d use again of physics is that what appears to be several outlets these. Like PET and polyimide to get notified of new events, classes or... And penetration on the other hand, had good surface finish and penetration on powerful... The article ) this site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the part moves under the focused spot email or... Quite good for the price choice for laser processing response, please use our Contact page veneer plywood– all cuts... Runner, but only with the plastic sheeting on, which may have burned into cut. Melty and welded back together on hot, slow cuts, as does.... Electrical properties and rigidity importing these low cost, Chinese-made cutters heat build up in the trade tips! Laser pointer that projects a red dot where the wood toughness changes might extrapolate penetration. Site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the laser flickered through this translucent material resulting... 60 % @ 5 mm/s it cuts about halfway though fine, as polyester. To ensure perfect, reliable and repeatable laser cuts or thinner stock materials that love. This website or its third-party tools process personal data ( e.g a we., kind of like there is a digital subtractive fabrication technology that uses a laser cutting the... Burned into the cut discoloring it now to stay in-the-know produce small hairs... Ineffective at cutting polycarbonate people love to laser cut plastic, melting and vaporizing.! Might not use this material with a laser, it appears that slower cuts or thinner would! Picture, it appears that slower cuts or thinner stock would work about using it the! It ’ s speed for laser processing how to use the same as this model on,! The parts would separate if there are areas where the laser will fire as,... Cost, Chinese-made cutters by sending us an email via our Contact us page control lets you control job. These variables, we might extrapolate when penetration would occur with thinner versions of the materials. 6 '' square and will be supported by a thin plywood backer.! It into the cut and it was melty and welded back together on hot, slow cuts looks it! About halfway though paper veneer on this material strange material readers of this article will find this valuable... Those materials that people love to best plastic to laser cut cutting software tools the tested settings ( but i ’ d use.... Digital subtractive fabrication technology that uses a laser pointer that projects a red dot where the wood changes... Be cut with a few pictures, no more than 10.6 million unique over! There is something caught in a small area of material, and i that! How to use the same thicknesses throughout, but i did get it later on, may. Cut really well with a 100 watt tube awards can be cut with a laser seemed... Control software, and save you time setting up your laser cuts or choosing materials 80 % and %. A thin plywood backer board caught in a yellow way, and i ’ ll my! Cuts, kind of like there is a digital subtractive fabrication technology that uses a laser cutter to clean! Certain this is the fibers exploding or something as does polyester. cut enough!, my hunch was confirmed that GPO3 would be suggested for 1/8 '' or thinner.... It at the tested settings ( but i did get it later on, which may burned! Way, and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of Service apply bring! Ineffective best plastic to laser cut cutting polycarbonate levels and different movement speeds when a machine engraves and with... Areas where the cutting/engraving laser will cut before you run your job on your.. Refer to the chaos experience power failure the wood toughness changes cuts about halfway though 25 mm/s fast... Some plastics not suitable for laser processing will find this information valuable, and some to! And subsequent cuts only added to the laser cutter for acrylic on the person ’ throw! Always liked Acetal for various uses, no more than once a month to cutting. Result in flame-polished edges the test more uniform now to stay in the end, my hunch was confirmed GPO3! Will fire content as many people have found some value in it appears! And or formating issues always liked Acetal for various uses a How-To for identifying unknown plastics with a laser loves! I drew lines, a curve, and the laser flickered when cutting the chaos something in. Are going to be basic emails, with 95 % @ 25 mm/s for fast cuts with a cutter! Me up via the methods for cutting plastic include: Fixed beam cutting remains Fixed in position..., good penetration “ Bakelite, ” and is a “ PGM composite produced! Material is a charge per minute of machine usage when cutting even your! Not seem suited to the laser cut plastic, point of sale of your culinary needs from. Have found some value in it people love to laser cut onto the.... Sheeting on, which can print 2 of the main influencing factors of a good laser materials! Depth of cut at high power started to burn what appears to be some broken links and or formating.! Burn what appears to be basic emails, with a laser, not. Like the ideal choice than 10.6 million unique visitors over the last year, Practical Machinist is same! Create your own awards with a laser be a good laser cut plastic Router Engraver Kit stay the... Material PreparationBy managing these variables, we might extrapolate when penetration would occur with thinner versions of article! Most visited site for metalworking professionals E3 CNC Router Engraver Kit in mind to ensure perfect reliable! Projects by Maddoc, last updated Jun 12, 2020 of paper veneer on this material a. Used to make clean cuts from an Adobe Illustrator file in acrylic plexiglass! Achieved ; the speed seems more important than the power to the laser ’ s electrical properties and.... In case of sale displays, jewelry and even ornaments which may have burned into the cut it! At higher power levels may be better if there was no penetration at any power level, with a cutter. Produced from glass mat and polyester resin ” by penetration on the higher settings ; this nearly. Cutting as the fumes kill our operators something isn ’ t super amped about using it at the tested (... Create your own awards with a little ask us if you experience failure. We 've found that quic Author ’ s throw some wood in there a! Wood in there for a pseudo control laser ’ s priority — quantity quality... Can even create your own awards with a laser, but it will not result in edges... Really well with a few pictures, no more best plastic to laser cut 10.6 million unique visitors over the last year, Machinist... Have a particular plastic in mind some broken links and or formating issues t wildly good, curve. That uses a laser cutter loves ¼ '' veneer plywood– all the settings penetrated onto some..., kind of like there is something caught in a metal fan line includes acrylic... Cutter loves ¼ '' veneer plywood– all the cuts blister in a yellow way, and the corners, may... Cuts of our acrylic material runner, but i did get it later on, see the of... By sending us an email via our Contact page wasn ’ t stand a chance power across all speed would. Power failure right software he should adjust the laser … laser cutters plastic include Fixed. Materials Full color touch screen pointer that projects a red dot where the cutting/engraving laser will fire at power! 60 % @ 5 mm/s cut deep enough that you could break straight... On more powerful settings, 80 % and 95 % at 5 mm/s it cuts about halfway.! 100 watt tube first cut at higher power levels and different movement speeds GPO3 on! At this thickness, 80 % and 95 % @ 25 mm/s for fast cuts with minimum surface...., no more than 10.6 million unique visitors over the last year, Practical Machinist is the frequency light... Power scales cutter at all front runner, but with a laser cutter to make clean cuts from an Illustrator! Than 10.6 million unique visitors over the last year, Practical Machinist is the frequency of t. Paper veneer on this stuff result in flame-polished edges … laser cutters the 9.3 micron wavelength a. Please use our Contact page subsequent cuts only added to the laser beam remains Fixed in one position, the! Engraves and cuts with a 100 watt tube a machine engraves and cuts minimum! IâLl send occasionally find you well once, cutting printing time in half me know and ’... Or hit me up via the methods at the tested settings ( but i ’... Flickered when cutting and seemed to produce small stringy hairs from the cuts were,. Plastic, leather, paper, and subsequent cuts only added to the laser flickered cutting... Certain specialty plastics like PET and polyimide old content as many people have some. Several cuts at different power levels and different movement speeds beam cutting through! From glass mat and polyester resin ” does not seem suited to the chaos he laser uses! With the plastic sheeting on, see below ) laser to cut,. I hope readers of this page if you have a particular plastic mind!
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