Overview

The laser is mounted on a three axis Cartesian robot that allows the laser to be fired at any place on the cutting bed. The three main variables of speed, power, and frequency are adjusted to achieve the following processes:

 
 
Etched tile with black infill

Etched tile with black infill

Etching and engraving

Laser engraving uses focussed pulses of light at varying power levels to remove different levels of material. It can engrave up to 8 different strengths in a single greyscale image. 

This can work well with acrylic, MDF, rubber, or wood.

More brittle materials can be etched. Etching is limited to a single depth. Materials like tile and glass are etched where just the surface is removed. The strength of the marking is decided by the concentration of the points, much like a dot-matrix printer.

Glass, mirror, tile, stone, ceramics, and coated metals are suitable for this process. However, it should be noted that these materials cannot be cut.

Cutting

A path is followed by the laser. The paths can be of different speed and power levels. Changing the speed and power can modulate the depth of cut. This is adjusted for thinner or thicker material or just to score the surface. 

Best suited for ply wood, acrylic, MDF, wood, leather, paper, less than 10mm thickness.

laser cut butterfly from Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:30988

laser cut butterfly from Thingiverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:30988

FILE SETUP

Software

The laser cutter uses lines to interpret the path. So what we is a vector based file, such as svg, dxf, or pdf.
Typical programs include AutoCad, SolidWorks, or CorelDraw. More pocket friendly alternatives are FreeCAD, OpenSCAD, or InkScape.

Line Weight

For cuts and Vector engraving, the line weight needs to be as thin as possible. “Hairline” in CorelDraw is ideal. Anything that is greater than that will be treated as a raster image and get etched instead of cut.

Colours

The colour pallet is based on RGB. We use three basic colours for three processes. Red (255-000-000), will be cut through. Blue (000-000-255) will not cut through completely but leave a fine line in the material. Black or shades of grey will be engraved like a dot matrix printer. That is the darker the area the more dense the pulses of the laser.

This can be customized for projects that require multiple depth of cuts and materials.

The short answer to the question of what you can laser cut is anything that burns. However we have some limitations.

First, nothing with chlorine in it can be cut or etched. When chlorinated materials burn they release gasses that can be hazardous to humans and the operation of the machine.

Second, materials with low melting temperatures. Many materials, like foam core, cut well but melt.

That said, some of the most common materials for cutting AND engraving include the following:

  • MDF or HDF board

  • Acrylic

  • Plywood

  • Solid wood

  • Paper

  • Mat Board

  • Cork

  • Felt

  • Leather

  • Bamboo

Materials for engraving or etching (but not cutting):

  • Tile

  • Stone

  • Glass

  • Anodized Aluminum

  • Coated metals (Bare steel can be marked but needs an application of a product)

  • Ceramics

When deciding on whether laser cutting is the best process for your application be sure to bring a little extra material for testings. There are so many different materials out there it’s difficult to make sweeping statements about suitability. There are many other materials that can be used, this list is not exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination. Research is recommended before picking a material and if unsure, please contact us for a consultation.

Materials

The standard maximum laserable area is 29 inches by 17 inches (or 730mm by. 430mm). Larger items can be used but special considerations must be made. Please contact us for more details.

The maximum recommended thickness for cutting is 10mm. Thicker is possible but the quality of the cut diminishes. As always, contact us if you have any questions.

Dimensions