Laser Cutter Exhaust has ash?

[Evan Lentz]

Hello,
Is it possible that a chinese laser cutter can produce fine ash in the exhaust? I am getting complaints from neighbors about a whiteish grey ash in their shops, but we are working in an industrial area and also a block from a freeway so I haven't pinned down the source yet.

Have any of you noticed a thin ash coming out your exhausts?

[Dave Sheldrake]

Very possible, that's a long way for it to travel though

[Braden Todd]

I've seen green build up from laser mask, but looking into our ducting it stops after a few feet from the machine. I'd be very surprised if the ash came from your machine. Unless you run 24hr shifts burning through paper or other heavy ash producing materials.

[Joe Pelonio]

Yes, just remove the vent ducts some time to clean it and there will be a buildup of ash-like substance all over it. At my old shop I had a 20' run and it still showed ash at the outlet. Now it only goes about 2' and out, but the neighbors are far away so would never get the ash or smells.

[Kev Williams]

If you burn a cubic foot of wood in a fireplace, you may end up with enough ash to fill a pint jar, if that.
If you throw that pint jar of ash in the air, some of it MIGHT reach your neighbors before it all blows away...

How long do think it takes a laser to burn thru a cubic INCH of wood? ;) -The actual ash lasers produce is miniscule.

The crud that collects in the exhaust vents is mostly sticky residue from the wood sap and plastics
carried out with the smoke, and good ol' basic dust that sticks to it. It's an ongoing cycle and it does build up.

I agree with the others, the white ash is not your doing.

[Keith Winter]

Hello,
Is it possible that a chinese laser cutter can produce fine ash in the exhaust? I am getting complaints from neighbors about a whiteish grey ash in their shops, but we are working in an industrial area and also a block from a freeway so I haven't pinned down the source yet.

Have any of you noticed a thin ash coming out your exhausts?

What are you cutting Evan, how many hours a day, what type of machine / one or more machines, how far away are the neighbors complaining and are they downwind?

[John Blazy]

I cut a 24 x 48 pc of 1/16" thick silicone sheet for a job, and fine white ash dust stuck to everything inside the laser. Easily wiped off. The silicone is by nature a high temp polymer, so its surprising that the laser even cut through it. When it does, it literally ablates it away, and the result is fine white ash. Cant imagine that it would be detectable past 100 feet from my duct exhaust.

[Kev Williams]

AHH, silicone! That's a different story--

If you're cutting a bunch of silicone, then you just may be the culprit! I'm in the middle of engraving logos into a bunch of silicone measuring cups. It seems that for every cubic millimeter of silicone you cut away, you get a cubic centimeter of white powder ash! --Kinda like popcorn! ;)

I'm not sure what you're exhaust exit is like, but some decent furnace filters should catch most of the stuff--