Acrylic, or plexiglass, is an affordable, versatile material with glass-like clarity and plastic-like durability.
Laser cutting and engraving on acrylic can be used to create marketable products such as signs, displays, letters or jewelry.
By using the right laser cutter and following the right technique, you can create smooth-edged, polished acrylic products.
Laser Cut Acrylic
Laser cutting machines not only provide fast cutting speed, but also provide high precision and good surface finish.
Acrylic is a type of plastic, so you can use techniques similar to laser cutting or engraving plastic.
Types of acrylic suitable for laser cutting
According to the manufacturing process, there are two main types of acrylic: extruded acrylic and cast acrylic.
It is important to understand both because they behave differently than laser processing.
Extruded acrylic
Extruded acrylic is manufactured by extruding an acrylic substance through an opening of the desired thickness.
The extrusion process results in non-uniform mechanical properties of the material along the x and y directions.
It is relatively cheaper than cast acrylic and has good optical properties.
Extruded acrylic is highly impact resistant, three times more durable than window glass of the same thickness, and 50% lighter than glass.
Laser cutting extruded acrylic will produce clean cuts and flame polished edges.
And laser engraving extruded acrylic will cause the engraving to be gray, so it is not suitable for engraving.
In general, extruded acrylic is easier to cut than cast acrylic of the same thickness and requires relatively less laser power.
cast acrylic
Cast acrylic is a high-quality acrylic made by casting the monomer methyl methacrylate between two pieces of glass.
The glass and methyl methacrylate components then polymerize to form a piece of cast acrylic.
This manufacturing process produces a homogeneous material with uniform mechanical properties in all directions.
Cast acrylic is more expensive than extruded acrylic, but offers better optical properties.
Laser cut cast acrylic will produce a nice surface finish with some streak marks around the edges.
Highly recommended for laser engraving due to its excellent frost white engraving output.
Both cast and extruded acrylics are available in a variety of different shades and colors.
Laser cutter setup for acrylic cutting
Laser power
The power of the laser module determines the ability of the laser cutting machine to cut acrylic.
The higher the power, the higher the ability to cut thick materials.
However, low-power diode lasers can also be used to engrave acrylic, and can even cut satisfactorily with multiple passes.
cutting speed
The cutting speed determines the surface finish of the cut performed by laser cutting.
Low-speed laser cutting of acrylic will produce a glass-clear flame-polished edge without any burrs, but if you notice chatter marks on the cut edge, you should consider increasing the cutting speed.
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