Laser Cutting Materials

4. Laser Cutting Materials

4.1 Laserable Materials

Laser Machines didn’t support all materials , so we need to understand different materials they are laser supported or not , also it will vary with machines types(Co2,Fiber Marking,Fiber Cutting) and Power .

So, before using any material need to check it .i gave a table which shows most common materials and their speciality

Laser Engraving and  Laser Cutting Materials List

SI No Material Cut Engrave
1 Acrylic
2 Wood
3 Leather
4 Fabric
5 Paper
6 Cardboard
7 Cork
8 Fiberglass
9 Rubber
10 Derlin
11 Plastic
12 Foam
13 Acrylic Laminates
14 Plastic Foils and Films
15 Granite,Marble,Stone
16 Glass
17 Ceramic
18 Coated Metals

Popular Laser Cutting Materials

a. Plywood 0.5mm – 12mm

It is the most common material used for creating Gifts,Prototypes,Photo Engraving ,Interior designing etc .

No need to paint this type of plywoods , it is also smooth and elegant

laser engraving plywood

Source:withatruck.com

Available Sizes : 600mmX300mm , 600mmX600mm ,600mmx900mm ,2400mm x 1200mm

Thickness :0.5mm,0.8mm,1.5mm,3mm,6mm,9mm,12mm

b. MDF 2mm – 12mm

MDF sheets mostly used for products with different colors , we can paint MDF sheet it will get nice finishing .

Available Sizes : 600mmX300mm , 600mmX600mm ,600mmx900mm ,2400mm x 1200mm

Thickness :2mm,,3mm,6mm,9mm,12mm

laser engraving materials mdf

Source :hobarts.com

c. Acrylic Sheets 1.5mm – 20mm

Acrylic sheets are long lasting and water resistant also it suitable for outdoor applications

laser cutting materials acrylic

Types : Clear Acrylic ,Colored Acrylic ,Mirror Acrylic, Fluorescent Acrylic

Available Sizes : 600mmX300mm , 600mmX600mm ,600mmx900mm etc

d. Cardboard

We can use cardboards for lightweight or temporary applications ,it is not rigid and long lasting but it is cheap compared to wood and acrylic .

Laser Cutting Materials Cardboard

e. Craft Paper

It is suitable for invitation cards,visiting cards etc , we can engrave on it with a very small power

Laser Cutting on Paper Craft Paper

f. Naturel Leather

Leather is suitable for creating wristbands ,bracelets etc , also we can make custom wallets and organizers using leather .

Never use artificial leather with laser cutters it emits toxic gases .

Laser Cutting Material Laser Engraving on Leather

g) Foam
Polyethylene Foam (PE Foam ) or Zote foam are used for cushions for packing boxes and other applications ,it is available in different sizes and thicknesses

Laser engraving on foam laser cutting materials

h) Silicone Rubber

you can easily cut silicone rubbers in a laser machine for getting custom parts made up of rubber ,it is also easily available in market .

Laser Engraving Rubber Silicone rubber

i) Anodized Aluminium

Anodizing is the electrochemical process of converting metal surface to a durable,corrosion resistant surface . You can easily engrave on anodized aluminium sheets .

Laser Engraving on Anodized Aluminium

j) Glass

we can engrave on glass sheets as well as glass mugs ,but need rotary axis for engraving on cylindrical objects , i will explain more about rotary axis on next chapter

Laser Engraving on Glass

4.2 Never Cut these Materials

SI NO Material Reason
1 PVC Emits Toxic Gas
2 Nylon Emits Toxic Gas
3 Artificial Leather Emits Toxic Gas
4 Polypropylene Foam Catches Fire
5 Polystyrene Foam Catches Fire
6 Fiberglass Fumes
7 HDPE Catches Fire
8 Epoxy Smoke

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