The laser cutters can cut materials up to 1/4" thick, although with some denser materials, no thicker than 1/8" is suggested. The following is a list of acceptable materials with some suggested settings for various acceptable material, however, exact settings will vary so a materials test should always be performed. (The settings provided below should be used only as REFERENCE, since they are settings previously used by our team, but won't necessarily work the same way with your own material).
Also take in consideration that due to natural variations in the pressure of the vacuum, it is expected that the laser cutters might lose power over the day. For example, If you cut something in the morning, it might need a little more power if you cut again in the afternoon.
Prohibited Materials
- Lexan
- Polyurethan
- PVC
- Styrene
- Polycarbonate
- Vinyl
- Glass
- Foam Core
- Foam board
- Metal
Use of prohibited materials could result in the material melting to the laser cutter bed or the release of toxic fumes. Due to the severity in risk, cutting prohibited materials will result in loss of lab privileges and possible fines for damages. Please note that the Co-op sells material that looks like acrylic but is made of PVC and styrene.
For more information on materials that can possibly be cut (not all materials listed are approved by SOA IT), please see: http://www.lasercuttingshapes.com/page/materials
Another good resource: http://atxhackerspace.org/wiki/Laser_Cutter_Materials
Acceptable Materials
Generally, speeds below 20 and ppi at 380 are recommended. Please do a materials test before every new cutting session to determine the proper levels for your material by trying a variety of levels to cut and etch.
As a rule, wood products (basswood, paper, chip) should have PPI set to 380. Plastics are generally PPI = 1000, but check the individual material.
| Cut | Score | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Depth | Power | Speed | PPI | Power | Speed | PPI | Quality |
| Acetate* | 25* | 25* | 400 | |||||
| Acrylic | 1/4" | 95 | 2.5 | 1000 | ||||
| Balsa | 1/8" | 85 | 15 | |||||
| Basswood | 1/16" | 40 | 10 | 380 | Charred edges, orange tinting without protective paper masking | |||
| 1/8" | 60 | 5 | ||||||
| Bristol | 2 ply | 40 | 55 | 380 | 10 | 45 | ||
| 4 ply | 70 | 25 | ||||||
| Chip | 1 ply | 90 | 10 | 380 | 45 | 60 | Charred edges | |
| 2 ply | 80 | 20 | 380 | 50 | 50 | 380 | ||
| 4 ply | 90 | 10 | 380 | 80 | 20 | |||
| Cork | 1/8" | 50 | 10 | 380 | ||||
| Cork | 1/4" | 85 | 15 | 380 | ||||
| Corrugated cardboard | 1/8" | 50 | 10 | 380 | ||||
| Crescent | 65 | 20 | 380 | 20 | 40 | |||
| Felt | 1/8" | 80 | 10 | 380 | Natural fibers will have charred edges and a strong smell | |||
| Felt | 1/4" | 85 | 5 | 380 | ||||
| Lucite |
| |||||||
| Masonite | ||||||||
| MDF (medium-density fibreboard) | 1/8" | 95 | 5 | 380 | 50 | 30 | 380 | Use cutting settings and run 3 times |
| Museum Board | 2 ply | 70 | 17 | 380 | White board = charred edges (fun fact: the CNC knife will cut without the charring) | |||
| 4 ply | 85 | 15 | 380 | 40 | 30 | 380 | ||
| Mylar | 60 | 10 | 380 | try higher speeds for lower burn marks | ||||
| Regular Paper | 5 sheets | 90 | 10 | |||||
| PETG | 1/64" | 25 | 12 | 380 | ||||
| Plexi (cut twice) | 3/32" | 70 | 8 (cutx2) | 1000 | ||||
| 0.118 | 70 | 5 (cutx2) | 1000 | |||||
| 1/8" | 100 | 3 | 1000 | 85 | 25 | 500 | ||
| 3/16" | 100 | 2 | 1000 | |||||
| Polyester | ||||||||
| Plywood | 1/2" max | 100 | 1.5 to 4 | 380 | Glue pockets may prevent complete cut through in some areas | |||
| Rubber (no-odor | Must be specially marked for laser cutting | |||||||
| Strathmore | 40 | 25 | 380 | 10 | 25 | 380 | ||
| Vellum | ||||||||
| Mahogany | 1/8" | 85 | 1 | 400 | ||||
| Walnut | 1/8" | 100 | 1 | 400 |
| |||
*Use this setting with caution. Try out a range of settings on a test piece first
ATX Hackerspace also has a good table of materials for laser cutting reference: http://atxhackerspace.org/wiki/Laser_Cutter_Materials#NEVER_CUT_THESE_MATERIALS
