Questions for the Trotec Speedy 300 owners

[Graham Taylor]

Is an 80W machine capable of cutting 1/2" acrylic?
I am sure it is possible to engrave chrome but can an 80W machine cut it?


Thanks for any help

[Dave Sheldrake]

1: Yes, a 1 Watt diode laser will also cut 1/2" acrylic, it all depends on how long you find to be acceptable.It will do it, it won't be fast but it will do it.

2: Bright Chrome? don't go there, the scatter it will cause is a nightmare and can damage optics. I know very little about thermark / cermark but somebody will be along soon to advise about that I expect.

As to cutting...a bare 80 watts at CO2 wavelength isn't going to *cut* anything metallic with the exception of fine steel shimstock and even then it will do an aweful job as well as the optics damaging risks above.(the exception being if Oxygen is added but don't go there)

cheers

Dave

[Scott Shepherd]

Is an 80W machine capable of cutting 1/2" acrylic?


Thanks for any help

Clear or colored? Clear? All day long (we cut (4) 4' x 8' sheets of clear this week). Colored? Yes, but not as good as the clear. That's on 75W, running at 82W last time it was checked.

Cast or extruded? Extruded cuts considerably faster, but you're dealing with all the crazing issues if anything gets on it. Cast cuts slower, doesn't give quite the finish the extruded does, but also doesn't have the crazing issues.

[Graham Taylor]

Thanks Dave,

good of news about the acrylic - hopefully someone will give me a rough time estimate on whether it will be 2 - 3 minutes or 10 + minutes but for further info it will be just cutting a basic shape and not intricate patterns

wont even think about the chrome now

[Graham Taylor]

Clear or colored? Clear? All day long (we cut (4) 4' x 8' sheets of clear this week). Colored? Yes, but not as good as the clear. That's on 75W, running at 82W last time it was checked.

It would be clear and I guess it could be cast or extruded which ever would be better as it is for templates

any idea how long it would take on average?

[Scott Shepherd]

Graham, try a speed of .15 and power of 100. That should get you started. It's a delicate balance. .01 too much power, it'll blister the backside, .01 too little and it won't cut all the way through. Also, the material varies in thickness from sheet to sheet and even across sheets, so what works today might be off by .01 or .02 next time.

[Graham Taylor]

Thanks for the replies, now I know it can be done I can move onto the next stage - and that also includes getting my machine but I do like to plan ahead so I can hit the ground running

[Dave Sheldrake]

I should have been a little clearer Graham, an 80 watt will mark satin chrome quite well but anything even looking like a mirror will be a problem. Backscatter causes problems even on satin chrome but it can be done.(think satin chromed spanners etc)

To be honest for 1/2" stuff if you plan on doing volume then I'd look at more power, quite a lot more power.Once you get to 15mm / 5/8th" sort of thickness heat becomes the biggest problem and not so much the tubes raw power.I can cut 20mm at 2kW or so but the edge tends to splay due to heat and core melt becomes a bit of a pain.(you get like a heat wobble in the middle)

Lasers are great, big scary lasers are even better but there comes a point when they are simply the wrong tool for the job :(

cheers

Dave

[Jerome Stanek]

I like to cut cast better than extruded my 60 watt guts it pretty good. I ran a test cut just now and can cut it at 2mmps 85% power cut nice and clean

[Ross Moshinsky]

I would consider an 80w machine more than capable of cutting 12mm acrylic. I wouldn't buy an 80w laser to cut 12mm acrylic all day long. It will be under powered for that.

[Graham Taylor]

We didn't get the machine for this but it would be for small runs for something for my brother in laws business after talking about the versatility of laser cutters when we were in the pub