Laser Points Blog

Tis’ the Season for Laser Cut Acrylic Snow Flakes!

One of the great things about laser cutting for the Arts world is showing off how playful something like a CO2 laser can be!  For instance in this winter holiday season we have been cutting snow flakes out of 1/8” acrylic.  The ability of acrylic to hold a ton of detail when cut, as well as be embellished by the etching process makes it a natural for producing beautiful holiday ornaments as well.  Some of the designs we have cut contain so much detail that they are almost as much fun to look at as a real snowflake.  Snowflake designs lend themselves well to many of the beautiful tinted transparent acrylics made by many manufactures today and they make great holiday gifts too.

Acrylic cut with a good laser holds so much potential for artists, marketers and display makers because of the impact it can carry.  When we are out in the retail environment it is easy to become numb to all the POP display decoration, but I have noticed over time that good laser cut acrylic always stands out (or at least product displayed on it does).  If you really want to add something special to an acrylic design try adding solid colors of vinyl to the rear of a display so that the color carries throughout the display via the optical characteristics of the acrylic.  It is no accident that when clear or tinted acrylic is decorated with cut vinyl it seems to have a glow all it’s own.  Perhaps I am just experiencing my own version of Christmas spirit with an acrylic glow to it.  Acrylic really is a great material to use to enhance the decorations of the seasons.

Laser Cutting Technical Textiles #1

One of the most frequent requests we get is for laser cutting textiles of all sorts.  One of the reasons for this is there are so many styles of textiles manufactured and found in all areas of our lives.  While the fashion industry comes to mind quickly, and there are no shortages of ways to use the laser to cut clothing and fashion accessories, this is not where the biggest challenges lay.  Most materials used for clothing and accessories cut with the laser very cleanly and without burning. 

The real challenges come from the laser cutting of industrial textiles used in manufacturing medical devices, sailcloth for boats, appliqué banners and flags.  The challenges here are not usually that the materials are difficult to cut but in having a laser operator who really understands how to leverage all the controls of their technology to achieve an optimal cut.  When the correct combination of settings and cutting surface are put together you can expect very clean edges, minimum to zero tanning of cuts, minimum product shrinkage and no charring of surfaces and edges. 

For instance recently we cut large stars for American flags.  The Dacron material was not difficult to cut but the adhesive on the rear of the stars created flair ups and browning of the first test cuts.  By adjusting power and pulse settings as well as the level of vacuum on the table the laser cut edges became very clean and the stars looked as white as you would expect them too.  Our clients’ production costs for the stars dropped 40% over purchasing stock stars from a bulk supplier as well.

Proprietary textiles used in the medical-tech industry presented some real challenges to be cut cleanly and without charring.  Ultimately solid settings were found to cut the material but chemical treatment of the fabric caused flaming of the cut and could not be over come to deliver a perfect char free edge.  In this case the additional chemicals used in the manufacturing process were a greater influence over the success of the cut then the laser or high-tech textile we were asked to cut.  The up side here was the client ruled out the lower cost manufacturing and testing alternatives for more expensive solutions for only a few hundred dollars.  This provided confidence in the commitment to the more expensive alternatives’ they had. 

Laser Cutting Materials - Will it melt, burn or shatter? Oh My!

We get a regular flow of inquires from people who have had bad experiences in their quest to have things laser cut.  Frequently the requests for information reference product that was yellowed, melted, burned or shattered in the previous attempt at their project.  Well first of all lasers cut by melting or vaporizing the material being cut.  However when this is done in a very controlled way there should not be a negative impact on the material being cut or etched.  When we look at the samples sent to us that failed more often then not what we find is the variables for doing the cutting were set to be too powerful to yield an acceptable result.  The other very common problem is that too powerful a laser was used to attempt the project and it just could not be adjusted downward enough to yield a successful execution.

Many materials require very specialized settings to be cut cleanly without unattractive or damaging side effects.  We approximate that on any given laser cutting project there are 13 variables that can be adjusted or brought into play that effect the quality of deliverables.  Most companies are working with 4 to 6 variables and find themselves very limited with a short list of materials that cut cleanly.

Examples of materials that should cut very cleanly but frequently come to us with issues are Nylon, polypropylene, acrylic, various rubbers used for gaskets, Teflon and wood.  On the other hand in the difficult to laser cut or etch category are materials like Kapton, polycarbonate, G-10 and silicon wafers.  Of course there are very workable settings for these materials but patience, experience and a lot of knowledge go a long way on the road to success. 

A good example is polycarbonate which is always difficult to cut, but when done correctly the edge should not be too yellow or too rough.  Material thickness is a major factor influencing success with this material as well.  Of course a cut that is cosmetically acceptable to one person may not be to another so it is important to keep in mind that industrial materials often yield industrial results as part of their “tough material” nature.  If you are unsure what to expect from the material or supplier you’re considering, ask to have a sample cut or sent for review.  In most cases this will give you the information needed for your next steps or questions.