Plastic Laser Cutting FAQ

Laser is one of the most efficient and accurate cutting methods for plastic materials. You can just offer your 2D drawing with detailed specifications. WeProFab will laser cut your product precisely from different plastic sheets.

Many people may ask what laser-cutting plastic materials are. Basically, those materials should have the following properties.

First of all, no hazardous gas is emitted. Some plastic materials may emit hazardous gas during the laser cutting process. For example, PVC will emit chlorine, and ABS emits cyanide. Those materials are not suitable for plastic laser cutting.

Secondly, there should be no possibility of fire. Some plastic materials may catch fire after absorbing laser energy. For example, Polystyrene foam and Polypropylene foam may catch fire during the laser cutting process.

Thirdly, no melt or burn mark is generated. Some plastic materials may melt during laser cutting. For example, HDPE and ABS will melt on exposure to laser energy. Some plastic materials will get ugly burn marks caused by the laser, e.g., thick polycarbonate sheet (>1mm).

Finally, the plastic laser cutting should not be hazardous to the machine itself, e.g., PVC and ABS.

However, there is still a wide range of plastic materials that are suitable for laser cutting.

Laser-cut acrylic is the most popular one. WeProFab can laser cut Plexiglass sheets; laser engraves acrylic sheets and laser marks on acrylic.

We can also laser cut polycarbonate with thickness (<1.0mm).

Laser-cut polypropylene or laser engraving polypropylene is also a good choice.

Laser-cut Delrin (POM) is good for fabricating harder Delrin, which is great for gears.

Many other plastic materials are suitable for laser cutting. You can send us your drawings and requirements. Our engineer can verify for you.

Plastic Laser Cutting: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

What is Plastic Laser Cutting?

It is a fast and accurate technique that uses laser light to cut plastics.

That is, the cutting machine uses programmed CAD files that guide the laser light used for cutting plastic.

Is CO₂ Laser Best for Plastic Laser Cutting?

It is, in fact, the perfect choice for laser-cutting plastic materials.

This is because CO₂ Laser is highly efficient and effective for treating plastics and also provides several advantages.

Can Fiber Laser Cut Plastic?

No.

Fiber lasers cannot necessarily cut plastic materials because of their shorter wavelength.

Can Polycarbonate be Laser Cut?

Yes, it is a popular polycarbonate fabrication technique.

But the ideal way of attaining the best results when laser cutting polycarbonate is by using 10.6 micron CO_2, which is essential in producing a smooth edge.

Will Polycarbonate Yellow when Laser Cut?

Yes.

It becomes yellow and appears burnt when laser cut.

Laser cutting polycarbonate

How do You Overcome Problems with Plastic Laser Cutting?

• Always check with the laser supplier that the system is indeed designed for processing plastic before even attempting to cut it.
• By maintaining good and consistent cutting parameters which helps in reducing the likelihood of a reflection to almost zero depending on the particular plastic material used.
• Speeding up a laser when cutting curves of plastic material as a way of preventing overheating the part which can lead to deteriorating of the edge quality.
• Reducing setup time by having a reliable database of time-tested parameters of the plastic materials, specifications, and conditions.
• By adding a water quenching system to the laser cutting nozzle helps in reducing heat-induced stress that often leads to distortion.
• By lowering the gas pressure to a level that still allows combustion as a way of reducing blowout from occurring.

 Plastic laser cutting

Which Plastic Can be Laser Cut?

They include polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, Lexan, PVC, Acrylic, and Nylon among others.

However, you need to understand that the quality of the cut may be an issue depending on the particular type of plastic you are laser cutting.

What are the Benefits of Plastic Laser Cutting?

This process is more accurate and tends to use less energy when cutting plastic materials hence enabling you to cut on costs.

It also gives better precision levels and edge qualities than traditional cutting methods given that the laser beam never wears during the laser cutting process.

Also, it makes it easy to cut relatively complex shapes without the need for tooling at similar or faster speeds compared to other plastic cutting techniques.

This technology also offers reduced contamination of the particular plastic workpiece you’re cutting hence giving it an edge over other means of cutting.

It enables the cutting of small diameter holes with relatively complex details as well as good edge quality in either sheet, tube, box, or plate section.

Is Plastic Laser Cutting Dangerous?

Yes.

Most plastics materials are dangerous to cut since they tend to emit toxic fumes which can be harmful to your health and the environment.

Some plastic materials also emit fumes which etch the laser cutting machines hence ideal to take all the necessary safety precautions.

What are the Limitations of Plastic Laser Cutting?

The nature of the laser and the type of section to be carried out are the greatest determinants of the efficiency of the process and power consumption.

Temperature setting and the distance laser can lead to combustion of some plastic materials hence distorting them.

You cannot use laser cutting to cut all types of plastic materials due to a wide range of factors.

Produces toxic fumes during cutting which can be harmful to your health and the environment in general.

Inconsistency in production rate since it all depends on the type of plastic material that you’re cutting the thickness of the workpiece as well as the nature of laser cutting you’re undertaking.

It requires human intervention in case of trials and trial runs which makes the worker be in close contact with the laser beam hence increasing the likelihood of causing burns.

It can be an expensive technique since it requires high initial investment costs and other expenses related to regulating gas emissions during the cutting process.

Can Laser Cut PVC?

Yes.

Only that it tends to release toxic gas which poses a health risk and is also corrosive to the laser.

What Other Plastic Cutting Techniques Can You Use Apart from Laser Cutting?

• Water jet cutting
• Drilling
• Slitting
• Sawing

How Does Plastic Laser Cutting Work?

Section of laser cutting machine

It is majorly a thermal process that uses a focused laser beam to melt plastic material in a localized area.

It happens that a co-axial gas jet is used in ejecting the molten material to create a kerf.

The process produces a continuous cut by moving the plastic material or laser beam under CNC control.

You can either choose to use flame-cutting, fusion cutting, or remote cutting.

Fusion laser cutting uses inert gas to expel molten material out of the kerf.

Ordinarily, nitrogen gas doesn’t contribute to energy output since it hardly exothermically reacts with molten material.

Flame laser cutting uses oxygen gas which also exerts a mechanical force on molten material to create an exothermic reaction that increases energy input to the cutting process.

Remote laser cutting, on the other hand, uses partially evaporated material which allows thin plastic sheets to be cut without gas assistance.

It also happens that the laser cutting process lends itself to automation with offline CAD/CAM systems.

These systems control either three-axis flatbed or six-axis robots systems for 3D laser cutting.

How Thick Can Laser Cut Plastics?

It somewhat depends on the specific type of plastic material as well as the particular model of the laser cutter itself.

However, it can cut up to a range of 20mm thickness.

Can Laser Cut PET Plastic?

Yes. It can be done with either a 9.3 or 10.6-micron wavelength CO₂ laser.

How Does Plastic Laser Cutting and Water Jet Cutting Compare?

The difference between these two types of cutting lies basically in material choice, cutting ability, and accuracy for different applications.

In other words, if your project revolves around cutting thick material over one inch then water jet cutting is the ideal option.

Laser cutters also depend on a gas laser such as CO₂ for energy. On the other hand, water jet cutting requires pressurized water to cut the material.

The laser cutter also works effectively with a wide range of plastic materials as well as other materials.

But if the material consists of a combination of different elements, it can be somewhat difficult to cut.

On the other hand, water jets can utterly cut any type of plastic or material for that matter including one with combination material.

Accuracy is not an issue when it comes to laser cutting given that it has a minimum of o.006 cutting slit depending on laser speed.

Water jet cutting, on the other hand, is not necessarily as precise as laser cutting given that it has a minimum cut size slit of 0.2 inches.

Water jet cutting is also suitable for projects which involve cutting plastics or acrylic material that do not require heat-affected zones.

What is laser cutting acrylic?

It refers to a thermal cutting technique in which a focused laser beam is used for melting acrylic material using CO₂ laser systems.

How Do You Choose Plastic Laser Cutting Machine?

You need to look into a wide range of factors when choosing a plastic laser cutting machine such as;

• Lower power consumption
• Safety
• Improved edge quality
• Low maintenance
• Faster changeover
• Material scrap savings
• Flexible operation
• High speed and efficiency
• Your budget

Can You Laser Cut ABS?

Definitely yes!

By using CO₂ laser systems.

How do Plastic Laser Cutting and Plastic Plasma Cutting Compare?

• Plasma cutting allows you to cut relatively thick materials than plastic laser cutting.
• Plastic plasma cutting is designed only for specific types of plastics whereas laser cutting is designed for a wide range of plastic materials.
• Plastic lasers are relatively expensive but provide better cutting quality and precision than plastic plasma cutting.
• Plastic plasma cutting tends to emit more emissions than plastic laser cutting hence the need for wearing protective gear when using the former.
• Plasma tends to transmit compressed gas to cut whereas lasers often harness the power of optical light.

How Much does Plastic Laser Cutter Machine Cost?

The cost is utterly contingent on the brand, type of laser, as well as laser power.

However, the cheapest one goes for approximately $70 whereas the most expensive range from $6000 to $10000 depending on numerous factors.

Plastic laser cutting machine

Will Plastic Laser Cutting Produce Toxic Fumes?

Yes and this most common when using class 3B or 4 lasers, which tend to emit aerosols, chemical vapors, and smoke upon the interaction of a laser beam with different types of plastic materials.

How do you Ensure Accuracy in Plastic Laser Cutting?

You need to examine the specific type of plastic material that you are cutting to enable the laser cutting process to produce more accurate results.

Also, you may consider using computer-aided designs or CAD software as a way of making sure that you get accurate cuts.

What is WeeTect Plastic Laser Cutting Capability?

It refers to the specific unique features that you get from using WeeTect as your preferred laser cutting partner or company.

Some of them include;

• Prototyping
• Production runs
• Custom manufacturing
• Contract manufacturing
• Durability
• efficiency

WeeTect Accepts which File Formats for Plastic Laser Cutting?

• Adobe illustrator
• AutoCAD DXF
• CorelDraw
• Adobe Illustrator

How Does WeeTect Support OEM Plastic Laser Cutting Business?

By purchasing a wide range of OEM parts, components, or products

select also helps in making sure that it adds or even improves other elements to the components to help in increasing its value.

Other than Plastic Laser Cutting, What Other Plastic Machining and Fabrication Does WeeTect Offer?

• Electrochemical erosion
• Precision CNC machining
• Drilling
• Heat treating
• Turning
• Electrical discharge machining
• Water jet cutting

What Plastics can WeeTect Laser Cut?

WeeTect laser cuts several different plastic materials including;

• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polycarbonate (PC)
• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polyarylsulfone (PSU, PPSU)
• Polyamide (PA)
• Polyether ketone (PEEK)
• Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (ABS)
• Polyoxymethylene (POM)

What is WeeTect Plastic Laser Cutting Lead Time?

You have to take note of the fact that upon request, the production time of your product is added to delivery time.

So it may require an additional time of between 24 to 48 hours, especially for relatively complex pieces.

Whether you want standard custom plastic laser cut parts, we will work with your team for fast delivery and cost-competitive prices.

Will WeeTect Offer Post Plastic Laser Cutting Services?

Yes.

These services are available at WeeTect upon the customer’s request.

They may include plastic polishing, engraving, painting, laminating, coating, hot stamping, etc.

Contact WeeTect today for unlimited plastic laser cutting and other fabrication technologies.