Laser Cut & Engraving Acrylic

Introduction

I believe you are already very familiar with acrylic sheet. It is a replacement product for plexiglass, and in our lives, we will often see acrylic products. So, why do people like acrylic sheet so much? First of all, let’s understand the advantages of acrylic panels.

1. acrylic sheet light transmission is particularly good, its light transmission rate can reach 92%.
2. Second, the corrosion resistance of acrylic panels is also very outstanding. In the changing outdoor environment, acrylic panels can withstand the test of wind, sun and rain.
3. We can process the acrylic sheet into any shape we like.
   If you are also interested in acrylic sheet, then let’s explore the wonderful world of acrylic sheet together.

I. laser cut acrylic signs / Acrylic laser engraving ideas

Acrylic panels have the advantages of waterproof, moisture-proof, UV-proof, corrosion-resistant, high light transmission rate with a crystal texture. The city can be seen everywhere in the road signs, advertising light boxes and other more acrylic material.

II. Laser machine for acrylic

1. small acrylic laser cutting machine

If you don’t need to process large acrylic panels, the small acrylic laser cutting machine is the best choice. This Nova Laser Cutting Machine is perfect for cutting acrylic panels. The Nova Laser Cutting Machine has many advantages you wouldn’t expect. Let me tell you more about this small acrylic laser cutting machine.

Laser Type : DC CO2	Work Area	Laser Power
thunderlaser nova 24	600mm x400mm	40w
thunderlaser nova 35	600mm x900mm	60w
thunder laser nova 51	900mm x1300mm	80w
thunder laser nova 63	1000mm x1600mm	100w,130w

2. Acrylic laser engraving machine

This laser engraver can engrave beautiful acrylic sheet crafts. Most importantly, its engraving speed can reach 2000mm/s. Such a fast engraving speed can greatly improve your work efficiency. Let’s take a look at the features of this laser engraving machine.

	Odin 22	Odin 32
Laser Tube Wattage:	30 Watt	55 Watt (Coherent)
Working Area:	559 x 381 mm (22″ x 15″)	813 x 508 mm (32″ x 20″)
Table Size:	625 x 440 mm (24.6″ x 17.3″)	899 x 567 mm (35.4″ x 22.3″)
Max Part Size(W x L x H):	625 x 440 x 190mm(24.6″ x 17.3″ x 7.5″)	879 x 567 x 190mm(34.6″ x 22.3″ x 7.5″)
Dimensions(W x D x H):	1030 x 860 x 1090mm (40″ x 34″ x 43″)	1284 x 987 x 1090mm (51″ x 39″ x 43″)
Maximum machining size at 1000 speed – lightweight laser head:	529 x 381 mm（20.8″ x 15″）	783 x 508 mm（30.8″ x 20″）
Maximum machining size at 2000 speed – lightweight laser head:	461 x 381 mm（18″ x 15″）	715 x 508 mm（28″ x 20″）
Z-Axis Height:	185mm (7.3″)	185mm (7.3″)
Net Weight:	125kgs (276lbs)	167kgs (368lbs)

Display Panel:	3.5″ LCD panel showing current file, total working time, laser power, speed, etc…
Electrical Requirements:	Requirements110 to 240 volts,50 or 60 Hz,single phase
Laser Type:	Radio Frequency Laser Tube
Cooling:	Air Cooled
Maximum Speed:	2000MM/S
Speed and Power Control(engraving depth):	Computer or manually controlled speed and power from 0-100%. Vector color mapping sets speed and power settings using RGB color mapping.
Ventilation System:	Integral exhaust fan. There is 1 output port, 6.1″ (155 mm) in diameter in the rear of the case.
Workpiece table:	Honeycomb table
Max. table load:	20kgs (44lbs)
Motion Control System:	High-Speed Stepper Motors
Speed and Power Control:	Computer or manually controlled speed and power from 0-100%.Vector color mapping sets speed and power settings using RGB color mapping.
Operating Modes:	Optimized raster,vector,and combined mode
Resolution(DPI):	User controlled from 100 to 1000DPI(standard laser head)
Computer Interface:	Ethernet and USB Connection
Compatible Operating Systems:	Windows, Mac, and Linux (Mac and Linux with LightBurn Software)
Buffer Memory:	128MB Standard

III. How to laser cut acrylic

Common problems of cutting acrylic sheet

• The acrylic cutting surface is not flat,
• There are many bumps
• Serious reflection of honeycomb panel
• Cut edge whitish

So how do we solve this problem? Thunderlaser has summarized some very useful methods in repeated practice.

Laser cutting acrylic settings

1. POWER: Power settings are 65% and 70%. Laser cutters cut straight lines faster than corners.
2. SPEED: The cutting speed is set to 1mm/s-10mm/s. As we all know, the faster the cutting speed, the higher the work efficiency. When we are cutting general materials, we will increase the power and increase the speed. But acrylic sheet is different from other materials. Cutting too fast will result in an uneven cut surface. There is a bumpy feeling. In order to cut out a smooth effect, in the parameter design, increase the power and reduce the speed.
3. Air Assist：Do not blow air when cutting. Using blowing air during cutting will cause the cut surface of the acrylic sheet to become white.
   However, there is one more issue to be aware of. When using the acrylic sheet without blowing air, be sure to observe it at all times, because there is no flame retardant with strong air blowing, and the cut material is easy to catch fire. This would be very dangerous.
4. Prevention of laser reflection from honeycomb panels： The last point is to avoid the reflection of the honeycomb panel, which leads to the phenomenon of edge fusion. However, we also have a solution to this problem.

Cutting parameters:

• Whether to blow air: no
• Speed: 1mm/s-10mm/s
• Power: 65%-70%

How to set parameters for cutting acrylic sheets

The most important point of cutting alive engraved acrylic sheet is to set the parameters of the machine. Only the appropriate cutting parameters can cut out the perfect acrylic crafts.

100-Watt Laser -cutting

Materials	Thickness (mm)	Speed (mm/s)	Max Power
Acrylic	2.5	40	90
Acrylic	5.0	18	90
Acrylic	10.0	5	90
Acrylic	20	1	90

100-Watt Laser -engerving

Materials	Speed (mm/s)	Max Power	Interval (mm)
Acrylic	500	20	0.08

FAQ

1. Can a 40W laser cut acrylic?

A 40-watt laser cutter can cut acrylic sheets. But the thickness of the acrylic sheet cannot exceed 5 mm. The cutter speed was set to 1 mm per second. Only the slower the cutting speed, the smoother the cut can be.

2.How to Engrave Photos on Acrylic Sheets

First we use ps to convert the color photo to grayscale image. The second step is to convert the grayscale photo to bitmap format. Finally, flip our image upside down. Put the acrylic plate on the laser engraving machine and set the speed to 500mm/s.