Will PTEG plastic cut good with a Laser?

[Joe Peacock]

I have been looking for a plastic to cut templates from. On the forum someone suggested that I look for cellulose acetate butyrate and it is hard to find. I am now told that there is only one mfg. left that makes it in sheet form. My contact at Calsak Plastics says that "Vivak" is the equivilant. It is PTEG plastic and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with Vivak or PTEG on a laser.
Thanks,
Joe

[Rodne Gold]

I assume you mean PETG...I use it up to about 1.5mm , it cuts very well.
One good property is that you can bend it and use that bend as a hinge without it cracking or fatiguing quickly.

[Joe Peacock]

I assume you mean PETG...I use it up to about 1.5mm , it cuts very well.
One good property is that you can bend it and use that bend as a hinge without it cracking or fatiguing quickly.
Rodney,
Thanks for the input. Do you have any suggestions for the parameters for a 30w VeraLaser VL-200, speed, power, DPI? Also are there any bad fume smells from cutting PETG?
Joe

[George Brown]

Rodney,
Thanks for the input. Do you have any suggestions for the parameters for a 30w VeraLaser VL-200, speed, power, DPI? Also are there any bad fume smells from cutting PETG?
Joe

I have a 60W model and for 20 mil petg I used:
power: 30
speed: 5
pulses per inch: 100

No bad smells and cuts really nicely.

[Kim Vellore]

When I tried PETG it cut with a rounded edge like a melted edge. I had a protective plastic cover which was impossible to peel from the edge because of that. I love to use PETG because of its clarity, like glass, I could not get real fine cuts when compared to acrylics. It is the same plastic most one time use water bottles are made of.
Kim

[Doug Griffith]

I've cut LOTS of PETG and in my experience it cuts pretty bad compared to acrylic. It melts opposed to being "vaporized". There is a slightly rounded kerf with a raised edge at the cut. I like it though because it has a low plasticity point and forms great.

[Joe Peacock]

I guess based on the comments that conflict about the problems cutting with a rounded edge that I need to get a sample and see what happens. On my templates I couldn't sell them if they have a rounded edge on the bottom.
Joe