List of laser cuttables...?

[Ken Smith]

Does anyone have a good detailed list of cuttables/engravables for CO2 laser systems?

I know to stay away from PVC.
I know acrylic, nylon, acetal, and mylar are OK.
I understand that polycarbonate has some issues, but will it cause corrosion?
I know that most thin magnet material contains some PVC.

But what about HDPE?
What about synthetic rubbers, urethanes, etc?

Thanks,
KS

[Dan Hintz]

This has been brought up before on several occasions. Most materials are safe to (at least try to) cut in our machines... whether they actually cut with an acceptable result is another story. PC is fine, as well as HDPE.

[Doug Griffith]

Here are a few websites that give their thoughts on the subject:
http://www.pololu.com/docs/0J24/3
http://www.bostonlasers.com/materials/

[Stuart Orrell]

Hi Ken,

I usually work with wood and acrylic, so nothing new to add for these.

However, regarding PC. Not the best of experiences for me. The fumes marked the the workpiece with a yellowish brown stain in the cut areas and left a lot of residue on my table that was difficult to clean up.

I'm currently thinking of cutting Neoprene. If anyone has any advice for Neoprene that they'd like to share, please do.

[Ken Smith]

Thanks for responses.

Doug, those sites are exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again.

Ken

[Lee DeRaud]

I've found that, it isn't so much a question of finding out whether a given material is laserable, as it is a question of finding out what material something is made from in the first place. My long-running pet peeve is 'Contact' brand self-adhesive shelf paper: I have no idea whether it contains PVC or not, and repeated attempts to contact (no pun intended) the manufacturer for that information have been totally futile.

[Mike Null]

Ken

You might have a look at the Synrad website under applications.

[Richard Rumancik]

I have found lists of "laserable" materials on the Internet but lists in themselves are not very useful. Mike's idea of looking at the Synrad site is a good one, because they show photos of the results. On the other hand, they often show results using galvo systems which are not directly applicable and sometimes they show results using alternate gases for assist.

Whether something is "laserable" is quite subjective and based on the application. I have cut control panel windows out of polycarbonate, and the edges were hidden behind a bezel and glued into place. So the black rough edge was not a problem for the customer. But if it was a visible part, it would not likely pass.

The polyethylenes and polypropylenes will cut, but the edges might look terrible.

So the lists tend to be just a starting point as to what might be possible but I would not make a promise to a customer until you (and the customer) saw the results.

[Dan Hintz]

And their metal stuff is 90%+ for high-power lasers (400W+).

[Tom Bull]

I have cut thin neoprene, 1/16, to make hinge parts for shower doors. It was hard to cut (slow speed high power) and pretty darn smelly but the end result was exactly what I needed.

[Bill Cunningham]

Hi Ken,

I usually work with wood and acrylic, so nothing new to add for these.

However, regarding PC. Not the best of experiences for me. The fumes marked the the workpiece with a yellowish brown stain in the cut areas and left a lot of residue on my table that was difficult to clean up.

I'm currently thinking of cutting Neoprene. If anyone has any advice for Neoprene that they'd like to share, please do.

If the neoprene you are cutting is a foam type i.e. gas blown G231N or a chemically blown material it cuts fine and quick, even with the nylon backing.. I had some old Rubatex G231N wetsuit material, as well as a bunch of old chem blown neoprene mouse pads, and all cut fine.. I was making cushions for the butt end of pistol mags. My Para has plastic bases on the mags, and sometimes get damaged on the concrete floor at the range during a IPSC shoot and mag change. The neoprene makes a good cushion, and soft enough so the mags don't bounce when the hit the floor..