Laser cut mylar

[April Fregd]

Hello,
I have a Graphtec CE-6000 for my home stencil business. I do like my plotter a lot but can't help to wonder what kind of cut could I get with a laser? Does anyone here cut mylar? Could you share your experiences?

I wonder if the heat would melt the mylar? I have about $5K USD to spend if I choose but I currently live in the EU. Choices will be limited.

[Scott Shepherd]

Mylar takes very little power. Some of the Chinese source lasers won't do low power. You'd have to get someone with one to chime in and offer advice. For a Western made laser, they can cut mylar easily and do a good job.

[Bill Carruthers]

Mylar (polyester film) cuts beautifully on almost any laser. My Chinese lasers have no issues at all.
This is a place that supplies Mylar sheets to laser owners and also does their own lasering. .http://www.stencilsonline.com/blank-stencil-material

[Braden Todd]

Agreed, cuts very well and about as fast as the machine can go. I ran a lot of Mylar for an artist, the link shows the installation she did.

http://reganrosburg.com/installation/2016/2/8/d0sogmwkn85hd35t1l5f2h2wpzoefn

[John Blazy]

Mylar is a trade name for PET film, sometimes referred to as polyester film - in case you want to source it out from plastic sheet suppliers. It is very dimensionally stable under thermo stresses compared to PETG or PC films. I cut it all the time, but only when its laminated to other polymers, and the PET layer cuts great.

I read some thread here a while back about cutting PET for solder masks for circuit boards, where they didn't want any hint of a lip on the melted edge (which you will get if too high power / slow speed). SO they rastered the tiny 1mm square openings instead of vector cut them, and the openings were perfectly cut - look up mylar circuit board and you will find the thread.

I always mask the PET prior to cutting (I use Flexmark - a 1mil poly film with light tack adhesive from Flexcon). The mask helps a lot.

[Amram Bento]

I know it's been a while, but do you happen to know the product ( or link to a product ) which you used for masking the Mylar ?
You mentioned a product by Flexcon - Flexmark, but I couldn't find any 1 mil poly films with light tack adhesive.

Thank you so much for any advice!!



Mylar is a trade name for PET film, sometimes referred to as polyester film - in case you want to source it out from plastic sheet suppliers. It is very dimensionally stable under thermo stresses compared to PETG or PC films. I cut it all the time, but only when its laminated to other polymers, and the PET layer cuts great.

I read some thread here a while back about cutting PET for solder masks for circuit boards, where they didn't want any hint of a lip on the melted edge (which you will get if too high power / slow speed). SO they rastered the tiny 1mm square openings instead of vector cut them, and the openings were perfectly cut - look up mylar circuit board and you will find the thread.

I always mask the PET prior to cutting (I use Flexmark - a 1mil poly film with light tack adhesive from Flexcon). The mask helps a lot.