The laser cutters can cut materials up to 1/2" 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
- Polyurethane
- PVC*
Styrene
- Polycarbonate
- Vinyl
- Glass
- Foam Core
- Foam board
- Metal*
Chloride-based materials
Questionable Materials - Consult with Tech Desk Staff for approval
Wood, ie. plywood with potentially flammable adhesives
Soft materials like leather
Reflective materials
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.
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 DPI at 300 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 DPI set to 300. Plastics are generally DPI = 300 but check the individual material.
| Cut/Vector | Score/Etch/Engrave/Raster | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Depth | Power | Speed | Frequency | Power | Speed | DPI | Quality & Safety Notes |
| 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 | |||
| Basswood | 1/8" | 60 | 5 | |||||
| Basswood | 3/16" | 90 | 5 | |||||
| Bristol | 2 ply | 40 | 55 | 380 | 10 | 45 | ||
| Bristol | 4 ply | 70 | 25 | |||||
| Chip | 1 ply | 90 | 10 | 380 | 45 | 60 | Charred edges | |
| Chip | 2 ply | 80 | 20 | 380 | 50 | 50 | 380 | |
| Chip | 4 ply | 95 | 5 | 380 | 80 | 20 | ||
| Cork | 1/8" | 50 | 10 | 380 | ||||
| Cork | 1/4" | 85 | 15 | 380 | ||||
| Corrugated cardboard | 1/8" | 50 | 10 | 380 | ||||
| Corrugated cardboard | 1/4" | 50 | 8 | 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) | |||
| Museum Board | 4 ply | 85 | 15 | 380 | 40 | 30 | 380 | |
| Mylar | 45 | 55 | 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 | ||||
| Plexi (cut twice) | 0.118 | 70 | 5 (cutx2) | 1000 | ||||
| Plexi (cut twice) | 1/8" | 100 | 3 | 1000 | 85 | 25 | 500 | |
| Plexi (cut twice) | 3/16" | 100 | 2 | 1000 | ||||
| Polyester | ||||||||
| Plywood | 1/4" max | 100 | 1.5 to 4 | 380 | Recent incidents of fire indicate that this material requires caution and additional supervision if cutting is attempted. Additionally, 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
