Cutting Magnetic Sheets?

[Gary Gilbert]

Hi folks -

I am about to put together my proposal to start a home-based business that includes purchasing a laser cutting/etching system.
You guys are GREAT sharing info!

Has anyone tried to cut that magnetic material you can buy in Staples or wherever - like for fridge magnets - with any of the basic Epilog or VersaLaser systems?

Thanks,

Gary
Elkridge, MD

[Bill Cunningham]

Hi Gary... The magnetic stock you usually find has a vinyl 'PVC' coating..
PVC is very corrosive, and lasering it 'may' void your warranty.. Metallic coatings 'gold/silver' are usually polyester and are laserable.. I don't know about the brown magnetic stuff itself.. Not sure what it's comprised of.. There are magnetic sheets available from the laser suppliers, I would assume it's the same brown magnetic that even the vinyl coated stuff uses.. Any one else know if the 'base' magnetic contains any pvc? I often wondered..

[Mitchell Andrus]

See if the manufacturer of the sheet goods will send you an MSDS. (material safety data sheet)

[Joe Pelonio]

I use it all the time for signs, with vinyl lettering. They do have an overlaminate of matte white vinyl and should not be laser cut. Rowmark makes "laserlites" which are laser friendly but thinnner like the fridge magnets as opposed to the 30 mil that we use for vehicle signs. Ther may be someone out there making magnetic with a polyester film rather than vinyl but I have not found them yet.

[Bill Cunningham]

We also hot stamp it for fridge magnets, It would be nice to be able to cut out a bunch of shaped magnets, 'then' hot stamp them for the customer..
Some of the new vinyl printers will also cut them out, but there just as pricey as the laser..

[Joe Pelonio]

Actually even a $3,000 vinyl plotter will cut it, you just have to set the blade to go "not quite all the way through" and break it out on the bottom since there's no carrier to keep the blade from hitting the plotter bed. I've done it on my Graphtec, but it works better on simple shapes like circles and squares rather than letters. I even once did a magnetic stencil to be used for spraying lettering onto metal, and some of the areas I had to "help" with an exacto.

[Bill Cunningham]

Can you cut the 30 mil stuff? or just the thin stuff, and what kind of wear does it put on the blade.. I use only the sign magnetic for fridge magnets.. the thin stuff barely holds it'self and a sheet of paper to the fridge..