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View Full Version : 25W, 15mm (0.6in) acryllic, 1 pass!



Peter Boyford
11-21-2007, 11:48 AM
In my pursuit to find the best laser to my needs, I asked a supplier to push the Mercury 25W to its limits - and beyond!

He happened to have a 15mm (0.6in) piece of cast acryllic lying around and cut a couple of different shapes. Among the cuts are:

2.5x2.5 cm (1x1in) square. 190 seconds in 1 pass!

Speed settings were 0,1% and power was 100%.

The result was not bad at all. I guess the edges could be a little better, but all in all, very satisfactroy :)

I am not buying a 25W laser in order to cut acryllic of 15mm thickness, but now, at least, I know that it can be done :)

Further, the supplier told me, that when set to 0,2% speed, the laser cut almost all the way through the acryllic board. It only left about 2mm uncut. And the laser was a demo version, probably a couple of years old.

Hope ya'll can benefit from this little piece of information :)

Best
Peter

Joe Pelonio
11-21-2007, 12:48 PM
Manufacturers have said that the power of a tube can be higher or lower than the rating. My newest one, for example, cuts like it has more power than the first two did. With the way my 45 watt cuts 1/2" acrylic, that machine doing 15mm sounds amazing. I would never suggest that a vendor's demo machine might have a higher power tube for the purpose of impressing a potential buyer :eek: but I'd still be leery of being able to duplicate that if you were to buy one of the same machines.

Peter Boyford
11-21-2007, 12:59 PM
I don't think the supplier conciously try to cheat me. He spend the first couple of chats to discourage me from buying a laser in the first place - stabbing most of my fantasy imagination to the ground. He assured me, that he would not recommend me a laser unless I was 100% sure I needed one.

One of my sign friends also bought a 25W from the same supplier. He can confirm my tests with his machine.

Best
Peter

Mike Mackenzie
11-21-2007, 1:44 PM
Most if not all laser systems have the capacity to cut thick acrylic. However they do not publish that information simply because you are pushing the system to its limits.

When you are cutting thick acrylic that slow it becomes a very volatile situation acrylic is very flammable and cutting thick and slow makes it extremely dangerous to fires within the system. I personally would not look away for one second if I were cutting that thick acrylic with that low of power.

Actually I would not leave a system at all when cutting acrylic what ever the power or speed.

Sandra Force
11-21-2007, 1:52 PM
Mike,

You are so right. Every good/bad fire that I have had has been acrylic. When I run thick acrylic I am right next to the equipment and ready to cut of the power to the laser beam. I let the xy axis keep moving to get the cutting head away from the flames. On my machine you can do that, it doesn't have a cabinet that shuts the machine off when you open the door.

Hilton Lister
11-21-2007, 2:58 PM
My 2 year old Mercury 25watt will not cut much more than 6.5mm cast acrylic with one pass. I have cut 10mm @ 0.2%, but the edges are nowhere near good enough to retail without sanding and buffing. There was no sign of it catching fire however, as I have recently upgraded my air assist and for the first time, can cut acrylic with the protective paper in place. It would catch fire frequently before this.