” Universal ” Laser Cutter Database —- made at MIT
SUGGESTED POWER SETTINGS FOR LASERCUTTER…..
orig. by Saul Griffith and John DiFrancesco, expanded by others
THIS FILE IS USER EDITABLE!
Please ADD your settings to this file, DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE!!! This is a resource for everyone.
WARNINGS:
- STYRENE BASED MATERIALS (POLYSTYRENE) WILL OFF-GAS STYRENE – IT IS A TERATOGEN – IT WILL EAT YOUR BRAIN
(styrofoam, foamcore)
- CHLORINE BASED MATERIALS (PVC PET-G etc.) OFFGAS CHLORINE – MAJOR RESPIRATORY AND REPRODUCTIVE AND DERMATOLOGICAL TOXIN
- POLYCARBONATE WILL CHAR OR BURN, NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THIS MACHINE – USE WATERJET
- Clean the lens before you use the laser cutter.
SUGGESTIONS:
- ROUGH CUT IN CARDBOARD
FIRST.
- DO YOU REALLY NEED ACRYLIC?? IT WILL SPEND A MILLION YEARS IN LANDFILL WHEN YOU ARE DONE!!
- THE LASER CUTTER IS IDEAL FOR PLYWOOD AND CARDBOARD AND OTHER BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS!!
- THE WATERJET IS MORE SUITABLE
FOR THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS:
ALL METALS, PVC, POLYCARBONATE, NYLON, PP, HDPE, LDPE, PE, PTFE
- There is a file on the desktop: parametersettings.cdr it has all of the colours set and can be used to optimise your cut.
PPI is pulses per inch.
Power is % of 100Watt available laser power
Speed is % of maximum traversing speed.
VECTOR is a line following cut (printed line must be ~0.01mm thick to work).
RASTER is a raster etch (back and forth) good for fill or blocks.
SKIP! skip this color – useful for working lines that you dont want cut.
For very thick cuts the 4.0 lens is more suitable as the depth of focus is longer. It will give you a cleaner cut with straighter sidewalls.
The laser’s “toolwidth” is approx 0.5mm in diameter (0.006″). If you’re doing fine work, plan accordingly.
SETTINGS ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE USED THE FOCUS TOOL!!
ACRYLIC
MATERIAL: LENS: THICKNESS: PPI: POWER (%): SPEED (%): EFFECT (cut/etch)
ACRYLIC (clear) 2 1/16″ 1000 100% 7 CUT – rough edges
ACRYLIC (clear) 2 1/16″ 1000 20% 1 CUT – smoother edges..
ACRYLIC (clear) 2 1/8″ 1000 100% 4.2 CUT single pass
ACRYLIC (coloured) 2 1/8″ 1000 100% 4.6 CUT single pass
ACRYLIC (colored) 2 1/8″ 1000 50% 2.5% slower cut, cleaner edges. one
ACRYLIC (fluoro) 2 3/16″ 800 100% 3.5 CUT – single
ACRYLIC (clear) 2 1/4″ 500 100% 1.4 CUT single pass.
ACRYLIC (coloured) 2 1/4″ 500 100% 1.6 CUT – single
ACRYLIC (white) 2 1/4″ 500 100% 1.0 CUT – single
ACYRLIC (clear) 2 1/2″ 500 100% 1.1 CUT – single pass through.
ACRYLIC (clear) 2 1/2″ 500 100% 0.8 CUT single pass (long cuts cause material to bend).
ACRYLIC (clear) 2 1/2″ 500 80% 50 RASTOR, 1/32 inch
ACRYLIC (clear) 2 3/4″ 500 100% 0.4 CUT single pass (long cuts cause material to bend).
WOOD
MATERIAL: LENS: THICKNESS: PPI: POWER (%): SPEED (%): EFFECT (cut/etch)
cherry 2 n/a 500 15% 60 lighter raster
cherry 2 n/a 500 20% 60 heavier raster
cherry 2 n/a 500 20% 45-55 even heavier raster
mat board 2 n/a 1000 5% 20 moderate depth raster for text (no fill)
mat board 2 n/a 1000 6% 40 light raster for text (no fill)
aircraft plywood 2 1/16″ 300 30% 5% cut
mat board 2 1/16″ 900 30% 20 CUT single pass
cherry 2 1/8″ 1000 20% 2.6 cut
aircraft plywood 2 1/8″ 500 35% 2% cut (doesn’t always clear, esp near edges)
Balsa Wood 2 1/4″ 500 15% 60 raster
baltic birch 2 1/4” 1000 100% 0.85% cut
baltic birch 2 1/4” 500 15% 60% raster
aircraft plywood 2 3/16″ 300 30% 3% cut
CARDBOARD (4in lens does not work well with cardboard)
MATERIAL: LENS: THICKNESS: PPI: POWER (%): SPEED (%): EFFECT (cut/etch)
cardboard 2 any 250 60% 15 light raster (for pictures)
cardboard: 2 0.166″ 100 40 50 hinge cut through top layer, but not bottom
cardboard: 2 0.166″ 100 100% 60% only superficial;
cardboard: 2 0.166″ 100 100% 30% mostly through.
cardboard: 2 0.166″ 100 92% 15% clear through — feedback: smokey, should try lower power
cardboard 2 0.166″ 100 65% 15% clean cut (nice and pretty)
cardboard 2 1/4 250 40% 10 less smoke, smoother flavor
MISCELLANEOUS
MATERIAL: LENS: THICKNESS: PPI: POWER (%): SPEED (%): EFFECT (cut/etch)
Glass etch 2 NA 200 40-60% 60 Etch, for wineglasses: Note instructions on page size!!!
METAL ENGRAVE 2 n/a 400 50% 10 (Vector) Engraves into most sheet metals.
MacBook Pro Metal 2 n/a 600 20% 60 Nice clean etch, handles 2-3 tone gray-scale well (petron)
KAPTON FILM 2 0.001″ 1000 5% 5% CUT
NOTES:
ABS Plastic 2 150
signmaterial 2 1/16 500 11% 60
(rowmark lasermark)
delrin 2 1/4″ 200 100% 0.7 cut
paper 2 n/a 1000 11% 60 light raster (for pictures)
plywood “3/16″
0.200″ (measured)
4 inch lens
power speed
100% 5% score deep for folding
100% 2% cut
Power Speed PPI Result
2 inch lens 92% 3% 100 mostly through
2 inch lens 92% 2% 100 75% through. some snags, e.g. mitered corners
2 inch lens 92% 2% 200 75% through. some snags, e.g. mitered corners
Canson paper 30% 75% speed, 1000dpi cuts circles well on canson paper
30% 70% speed, more complex shapes
Canvas fabric 45 40
Generator With Amplifier
Black 100 100
Red 100 3.0
Green 100 2.0
Cardboard, 0.166″, corrugated (6/23/10) — precise focus is required, otherwise the cut will not be clean
cardboard 55% 15% 100 cuts almost cleanly through. requires minimal
cardboard 65% 15% 100 clean cut
cardboard 75% 15% 100 overkill
cardboard 85% 15% 100 overkill
cardboard 92% 15% 100 overkill (lots of smoke)
wood: birch plywood, 1/8″
90% power, 20% speed, 250 PPI, raster = approx 2<->3/32″ great for binding channels on guitars
MATERIAL: LENS: THICKNESS: PPI: POWER (%): SPEED (%): EFFECT (cut/etch)
RUBBER-Neoprene 2 1.5mm 500 100% 4 CUT – single pass – very messy if thicker
RUBBER-EPDM 2 2.5mm 500 100% 4 CUT single pass
RUBBER-Santoprene 2 2.5mm 500 100% 5 CUT single pass – cuts very clean
RUBBER-Hypalon 2 2.5mm 500 100% 4 CUT single pass
RUBBER-ECH 2 2.5mm 500 100% 4 CUT single pass
ACRYLIC 2 3/4″ 1000 100% 1.2 cut – 2 PASSES
Silicone (Sylgard 184) 2 1/8″ 90 60% 5.3 perforated cut
last update: 8/31/2010 – petron
DRAFT FILM
.005″ Power:50% Speed:80% PPI:500 (doesn’t really matter much) THRU-CUT
.005″ Power:10% Speed:80% PPI:500 (doesn’t really matter much) Etcha