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View Full Version : Will your Laser cut foam?



Bob Tate
04-28-2005, 12:46 PM
Hi, I have not purchased yet. As you well know, there ar a million questions to be asked before spending the big bucks.

I guess the question is misleading. I am sure a Laser can cut foam. I guess what I really want to know is what kind of quality do you get in the cuts. I am interested in cutting Depron, EPP, EPS, Styrofoam in all sorts of extruded versions.

I have the MSDS on several and looks like there is nothing real dangerous involved in the heating and cutting.

Depron for instance begins deforming/melting at 100 degrees centigrade/212 degrees farenheit. Is that going to melt the edges, or can the laser move fast enough to get a fairly clean cut?

Thanks for any info you can share.

Bob

Mike Mackenzie
04-28-2005, 12:54 PM
Bob,

You will have trouble cutting the foams because of the reason you mentioned. Foam has a very low melt point so your edges will be very angled. It is also very flammable.

We have cut all types of foam some with OK results some did not work at all. We found that you need to use a 4" Len's with high air pressure to blow the material through the cut. We also found that a downdraft cutting table works well. If you pull all of your exhaust through the honeycomb it helps with flaming and holds the foam flat while cutting.

I would recommend bringing some of your foams to the local laser dealers and try them so you can see the results.

Shari Loveless
04-28-2005, 2:46 PM
Mike,

How do you pull all the draft through the cutting table?:confused:
Shari

Mike Mackenzie
04-28-2005, 4:18 PM
Shari,

It depends on the cutting table with ours we have an opening in the exhaust vent that the cutting tables sets up against. We then block off the top section of the exhaust port and then all of the exhaust is being directed to below the honeycomb thus acting like a vacuum table.

Its probably confusing without seeing it but that is how we do it.

Rodne Gold
04-28-2005, 5:48 PM
The lenses you use are the biggest problem , a laser beam is focused at a point to converges to that point and diverges away from it (like an hourglass) so you are limited in thickness to the portion of the beam that has enough power density to cut or vaporise. Thicker foams etc require long lenses like 4 "or more. Some foams act as a sort of waveguide or "corrector" of this , but generally with a 2" lens you are limited to a max of 7-10mm (under 1/2 inch). styrenes never worked well for me , the expanded rubber stuff does (the stuff they use in tool kits etc)

John Starks
08-27-2006, 7:07 PM
Good ?? Bob

I to have been studying prepurchase with a desire to cut Depron among other things. I have been looking at machines with a large enough table to cut a ( full ) sheet 39.25" x 27.5" x 6mm even if it has to be done half a sheet at a time and reposition the material to cut the other half. If I cannot get a clean cut in the foam a smaller table will work for the other things.

John

Joe Pelonio
08-28-2006, 8:39 AM
I have cut up to 1/4" "fun foam", and it was fine. Tried 1/4" foamcore
with the styrene face and it cut nicely except that on the edges the foam center was concave from melting. It was a matter of unlike material, the power required to cut the face was too much for the core.

I agree with Mike, take samples and have your dealer try them.