Material usage guidance
Be cautiion with those materials
Warning: Since many materials are very dangerous when processed by laser, you need to be vigilant about processing them. Understand the hazards and please take precautions if necessary.
| Materials | Hazards |
|---|---|
| PVC (polyvinyl chloride), vinyl, leather, artificial leather | Releasing pure chlorine gas when cutting! It is a kind of toxic gas with a strong irritating odor! Never cut this material as it can damage the optics, cause corrosion of the machine's metal and destroy the motion control system |
| ABS | Emits cyanide gas and tends to melt. ABS materials does not work well on laser cutters. It tends to melt rather than vaporize, and has a higher chance of catching fire and tends to leave a molten, sticky deposit. It cannot be engraved well (again, tends to melt) |
| HDPE | Melting and fire possibility |
| Polystyrene foam | Melting and fire possibility |
| Polypropylene foam | Melting and fire possibility |
| Polycarbonate, emulsion paint | Discoloration, fire |
| Coated carbon fiber | Produces harmful gases |
| Acrylic | Produces harmful gases |
Warning: Do not process materials with mirrored surfaces, reflected lasers are very dangerous and can damage people and machines.
Safety materials
Lasers can cut materials such as wood, paper, cork and certain types of plastics and can engrave on most objects such as: wood, paper, coated metals, stainless steel, plastics, marble, stone, tile, glass, etc.
Cutting
| Materials | Tips | Warning |
|---|---|---|
| Most wood | Avoid oil-based, resinous woods | Be very careful when cutting oily wood or wood with a high resin content, as there is a high risk of fire. |
| Plywood, composite wood | Contains glue, may not be as good as tangible wood | |
| MDF, engineered wood | These can be cut, but may show more scorch marks | |
| Paper, cardboard | Cuts very well and very fast | |
| Cardboard, corrugated board | Good cutting effect, but may catch fire | Attention to fire prevention, need to always pay attention to the cutting process |
| Cork wood | The cutting effect is good, but the cutting quality depends on the thickness and quality of the cork. If it contains too much glue, it may not be cut well | Avoid using thicker cork |
| Polycarbonate | Very thin polycarbonate can be cut, but tends to discolor badly | Pay attention to smoke evacuation and fire prevention |
| Depron foam | Used in large quantities for business hobbies, RC aircraft, construction models and toys, neatly cut with smooth edges | Need to keep an eye on the cutting process |
| Cloth, felt, linen, cotton, leather | The thinner ones can be cut, but the high temperature causes scorch marks on the edges |
Engraving
All of the above cuttable materials can be engraved. In addition, you can engrave the following materials.
| Materials | Tips | |
|---|---|---|
| Tile | Generating Soot | |
| Anodized aluminum | Vaporize the anodized layer | |
| Paint, coated metal | Vaporize the paint layer | |
| Stainless steel | Burning stainless steel surface layer to cause discoloration | |
| Stone, marble, granite | Generate soot, get white texture when carving |