Acryilc Cutting Woes.. Any advise?

[Adam Craig]

Hello, I have a Helix 30W laser and it can't seem to cut acrylic no matter what. I've tried all kinds of settings to get the attached results.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

I'm using an air assist.

And none of the cuts in the image actually made it through the 1/4" acrylic and all burned like crazy.

[Mark Winlund]

Hello, I have a Helix 30W laser and it can't seem to cut acrylic no matter what. I've tried all kinds of settings to get the attached results.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

I'm using an air assist.

And none of the cuts in the image actually made it through the 1/4" acrylic and all burned like crazy.


You want to be sure it is acrylic, and not polycarbonate. Also, 30 watts is on the light side for 1/4" acrylic, but it should do it, but slowly.

Also:

clean lens and mirrors?
Focus?
Speed slow enough?
Enough air assist? It needs to blow the acrylic out of the cut.

Mark

[David Fairfield]

Prolly not acrylic.

[Lee DeRaud]

You want to be sure it is acrylic, and not polycarbonate.What he said: the picture you posted looks like the one time I tried to cut Lexan polycarbonate.

FYI, "enough air assist" is unlikely to be the issue. I've been doing 1/4" acrylic for years without air assist on a 25W ULS.

[Dee Gallo]

I cut 1/4" cast acrylic all the time using the same settings as your 4/100 example - no problem for my 35w at all. I don't think it's your laser OR you.

cheers, dee

[Tom Bull]

Totally agree, it looks like Lexan. I tried to cut Lexan once:(.

[Adam Craig]

Thanks everybody. I'll check it out.

[Frank Corker]

Actually is a perfect picture of polycarbonate, horrid stuff!

[Scott Challoner]

If you got thick yellow smoke when you tried to cut it, it's definately PC.

[Jimmy Estrada Jr]

If you can get ahold of some acrylite. It is museum grade plexi. Our frame shop uses it and it cuts very well with minimal burn if any. We have a 60w and we do two passes at 65% power and 100% speed.

[greg lindsey]

I specialize in cutting plastics, pretty much all I use my big table for. I can see that what your attempting is lexan, the edges will be yellow and produce a yellow smoke. I have cut lexan before, you just have to do it fast and with multiple passes, even then the edges won't be clean, but if they're hidden and the customer dosent mind, it can be done.

[Richard Rumancik]

Get some 1/8" or 3 mm acrylic to practice on before trying 1/4". Also, you need to use paper mask not poly mask when laser cutting acrylic.

Acrylic will not generate black smoke when cutting. It liquifies and turns to vapor when heated.