Can You Laser Cut Acrylic Plastic

Lasers are a quick and accurate way of cutting welding drilling scribing and engraving plastics.

Can you laser cut acrylic plastic.

The physics behind getting a perfect laser cut with acrylic can be quite daunting but luckily we can simplify the process by understanding the important topics. Yes acrylic can be laser cut. Below are some typical examples of what you get when laser cutting acrylic. It has a more constant width than cast acrylic and it s better suited to being vacuum shaped bent and heated but it can be more susceptible to cracking in some situations.

Following the engraving line or area in your digital design the laser vaporizes a thin layer of the acrylic plastics surface exposing what lies beneath. Depending on the type of acrylic you re working with the laser can produce a smooth flame polished edge when laser cut and it can also produce a bright frosty white engraving when laser engraved. If you want to cut foodstuffs consider sponsoring a food only laser cutter for the space that is kept as clean as a commercial kitchen would require. Acrylics are cut by vaporising the solid material.

Large sheets of acrylic can be heavy unwieldy and nearly impossible to work on with traditional laser machines however with ap lazer s open architecture working with sheets of acrylic of any size is a breeze and you ll even be able to cut and size your sheets to any size necessary up to thick. A slightly sticky residue may be left on the plastic if you ask for this option which may need to be cleaned off before you use it. The laser is not designed to cut food and people cut things that create poisonous noxious substances such as wood smoke and acrylic smoke. Laser cutting acrylic is an exceptionally popular application for epilog laser machines because of the high quality results that are produced.

However good quality extruded acrylic such as perspex gives a very clean smooth edge when laser cut. Laser engraving acrylic is similar but instead of using the laser beam to cut through the acrylics it engraves the acrylic surface. Given the precision capability of plastic cutting you can probably guess that plastic laser cutting is becoming an increasingly popular choice for businesses who require engraving. The laser is absorbed by the material causing it to change from a solid to a liquid then to a vapour.

From pvc to acrylic and lamicoid there are a wide range of plastics that can be treated using laser cutting. However you would need to check with the manufacture of your laser and verify that your particular laser can cut acrylic.