Cutting Acrylic with lazer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: sairfan1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2018, 07:30:27 pm
content: Hi,I want to know if any one tried to cut 3/5mm acrylic sheet with cnc lazer.As there are some laser modules available like 2500mw and wavelength 445nm, i want to mount it on CNC and cut the acrylic, not sure if it will work or what specs i need for it.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2500mW-445nm-3P-Gold-laser-12V-Blue-Laser-Module-With-TTL-PWM-2-5W-Can-Control/32855826105.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.8.2bae113fAoXpQm&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10152_10151_10065_10344_10130_10068_10342_10547_10343_10340_10548_10341_10696_10084_10083_10618_10139_10307_5011711_5723611_5011811_10059_100031_10103_10624_10623_10622_10621_10620,searchweb201603_1,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=295dfe64-9e14-44b5-8fcc-13c83068a241-1&algo_pvid=295dfe64-9e14-44b5-8fcc-13c83068a241&priceBeautifyAB=0

author: luiHS
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2018, 08:29:36 pm
content: I do not think you can cut such thick acrylic with such a low power laser. I have a laser cutter with 60W tube, and I'm doing fine. The cheapest cutters usually mount at least a 40W tube.With a 2.5W laser, I do not think you can cut something thicker than a paper, those lasers are not made for cutting, you need much more power and that is only achieved with tube lasers, not with solid state lasers.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2018, 08:32:48 pm
content: 2.5W 445nm will melt a ditch in black acrylic but the beam will pass right through transparent stuff. As mentioned above, you'll need a CO2 laser to do what you want, 10W with a good focusing lens might do it for thin material but 40W+ is going to be better.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2018, 08:56:41 pm
content: BTW....LightAmplification byStimulatedEmission ofRadiation. We're not letting you guys get away with changing another 's' to a 'z'!I would have thought that there was more chance of melting than clean cutting at that sort of thickness too.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2018, 11:27:45 pm
content: Quote from: Gyro on August 09, 2018, 08:56:41 pmthen start teaching people to pronounce laser as "lesser", not "lazzier" without "i", it will eliminate all confusion and making your campaign a lot much easier. err "easier" should be "easier" not "eazzier"

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2018, 11:30:58 pm
content: Sharks with frickken laazzzer beams!!

author: Kappes Buur
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 09, 2018, 11:37:11 pm
content: How To Laser Cut Acrylic

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 10, 2018, 01:53:23 am
content: I have a 50w VersaLaser brand cutter/engraver.It can cut 10mm acrylic very cleanly but gets a small slope on 12mm thick stock.There is no way a 2.5w laser is going to cut 5mm acrylic even with the best focusing optics.

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2018, 02:49:57 pm
content: It's not just a question of power, it's also a question of wavelength. A material like clear acrylic that is visibly transparent by definition has low absorption for all visible wavelengths, so 90% (depending on thickness) of a blue laser's energy is going to go straight through and out the other side of the material without touching anything useful along the way. Acrylic becomes much more absorptive when you get out past 2200nm or so, which is why CO2 lasers at 10600nm (where acrylic is quite opaque) work so well.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2018, 03:04:41 pm
content: I have a related question: When I use my CNC mill to drill a hole, I tell the CAM software the diameter of the hole and, if I am using an end mill, it figures out how to cut the hole for a given tool diameter. But it knows the exact cutter diameter.Are laser cutters exact in terms of cut diameter? I have bought some very nice plastic assemblies for various things and the fit seemed quite good.

author: Fred27
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 13, 2018, 04:59:20 pm
content: Yes - the kerf of a laser is small but it needs to be known and taken into account to make accurate cuts. It is also conical due to the way it is focused.