Laser Cutter/Materials
Contents
Materials
[list in progress, not exhaustive - please contact the laser team about any new materials and attempt to provide a Material Safety Data Sheet]
| Material Class | Material | Hazard Status | Potential Hazards | Special Notes | Suppliers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Laser-grade MDF | Potential Risks | Increased risk of fire on multiple passes | Makes the laser filthy which makes it harder to use and reduces the lifespan of parts - preference is for users to not use this material unless it's necessary | Fred Aldous |
| Wood | Standard MDF | Banned | Chemical off-gassing, laser damage | Glues use formaldehyde, which is both carcinogenic and damaging to the laser | |
| Wood | Laser-Grade Plywood - Birch Ply | Low | Fred Aldous | ||
| Wood | Laser-Grade Plywood - Poplar Ply | Low | Kitronic | ||
| Wood | Laser-Grade Bamboo | Low | |||
| Wood | Standard Plywood | Banned | Chemical off-gassing, laser damage | Glues use formaldehyde, which is both carcinogenic and damaging to the laser | |
| Wood | Balsa wood | Potential Risks | Potential for combustion, smoldering | Pre-soaking with water may be safer | Fred Aldous |
| Wood | Paper | Potential Risks | Potential for combustion, smoldering | Light paper can easily become tinder. While etching is 'kindof' possible, it more leaves a carbon dust behind rather than impacting the paper. Cutting is functional and works well. | Fred Aldous |
| Wood | Card/Cardboard | Potential Risks | Potential for combustion, smoldering | Channels in cardboard can allow for unseen combustion, please cut and engrave with caution | Fred Aldous |
| Wood | General Wood | Low | Woods with lower resin content cut and engrave better. | ||
| Wood | cork | Potential Risks | Potential for combustion, smoldering | Channels and gaps in cork can allow for unseen combustion, please cut and engrave with caution, pre-soaking with water may be safer | |
| Plastics | Thin Polypropylene sheet (<1mm) | Low | |||
| Plastics | Acrylic AKA Perspex | Low | Fred Aldous | ||
| Plastics | Foamcore (non-PVC variety) | Low | Please check from the supplier that it does not contain PVC - they should be able to supply a Material Safety Data Sheet | ||
| Plastics | Correx (Genuine non PVC) | Low | Please check from the supplier that it does not contain PVC - they should be able to supply a Material Safety Data Sheet | ||
| Plastics | Depron Foam | Potential Risks | Potential for combustion | Fire risk, must be closely monitored | |
| Plastics | Plastics containing PVC (e.g. Sintra, Foamex) | Banned | laser contamination, emissions | Off-gasses chlorine gas when lased | |
| Plastics | Plastics containing ABS (e.g. 'sheet styrene', Plasticard) | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk | ||
| Plastics | Polycarbonate | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk | ||
| Plastics | Polystyrene | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk | ||
| Plastics | Polypropylene | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk, emissions | ||
| Plastics | HDPE | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk, emissions | ||
| Foam | PlastaZote Foam | Low | Thin material will need weighing/taping down, may cause bounce-back rarely. Engraves and cuts super-well | ||
| Textiles | Cotton | Low | Abakhan Fabrics | ||
| Textiles | Hemp | Low | |||
| Textiles | Unwashed/Greasy Wool | Banned | Fire risk | Lanolin in wool can cause fire and smolder | |
| Textiles | Acrylic Felt | Low | 'Welds' the edges and can give a fray resistant edge, although this edge can be rough | Abakhan Fabrics | |
| Textiles | Polar Fleece | Low | 'Welds' the edges and can give a fray resistant edge, although this edge can be rough | Abakhan Fabrics | |
| Textiles | Stretch Cotton Jersey (t-shirt material) | Low | 'Welds' the edges on some materials and can give a fray resistant edge | Abakhan Fabrics | |
| Textiles | Veg Tanned Leather | Potential Risks | Foul odour, emissions, risks with tanning method | Please check from the supplier that it is specifically vegetable tanned - other tanning processes and ingredients can be harmful. Cutting leather can also give off foul smells and be highly anti-social - please be aware of this when using the laser, and of your other hackspace members. | |
| Textiles | Leather chrome-tanned, or unknown tanning agent | Banned | emissions | ||
| Textiles | Fake Leather | Banned | laser contamination, emissions | Off-gasses chlorine gas when lased | |
| Textiles | PVC | Banned | laser contamination, emissions | Off-gasses chlorine gas when lased | |
| Ceramics | Stone | Low | Engrave only. | ||
| Ceramics | Ceramic tile | Low | Engrave only. | ||
| Ceramics | Glass | Low | Engrave only. | ||
| Composites | Fibreglass | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk, emissions | ||
| Composites | Carbon fibre | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk, emissions | ||
| Metals | Banned | Can cause laser damage | |||
| Other | Food | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk, emissions | ||
| Other | Body Parts | Banned | |||
| Other | Lucy | Banned | laser contamination, safety hazard | She might seem really eager, but it's probably best not to listen to her... | |
| Other | Fresh Flower Oasis | Banned | emissions | Contains formaldehyde | |
| Other | Laser rubber | Potential Risks | laser contamination | Requires immediate cleaning of the laser after cutting - this takes significant time, and takes the laser out of service until its done. Please only do this after consulting with the laser team. | Fred Aldous |
| Other | Non-Laser Rubber | Banned | laser contamination, fire risk, emissions | ||
| Other | Flexible Magnetic Sheet | Banned | Emissions (HCl) | If you find a supposedly laser-safe version, please contact the laser maintainers for approval | |
| Other | Asbestos (all types and products) | Banned | Laser Contamination, H&S | Someone asked, so we had to put this entry in |
Suppliers
Hobarts
One source for acrylic for cutting is Hobarts. See the mailing list
Fred Aldous
Another place local within manchester is Fred Aldous
- http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/
- https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Fred+Aldous+Ltd/@53.482422,-2.234049,3a,56.4y,291.91h,78.9t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1srlDhLPkRvjaMgmlaK0G5og!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x487bb1bec60be57f:0x12768052581749d9!6m1!1e1
They sell some perspex / bits of wood, and glass paint for experimenting with pcb solder masks
Special Materials / Cutting
Burnable Materials / Mahogany
With some types of material one approach to cutting is to use a low power setting but with multiple passes
However one thing to watch out for is that you may end up with a build up of carbon along the cut line
PCBs
Typically making PCBs on the laser cutter hasn't been that successful
Probably best to check with Bob before trying anything like this (to make sure the laser doesn't get damaged)
One approach found on the internet (haven't tried this yet):
- Put down several layers of Black Acrylic paint onto a copper coated board
- use the laser cutter to etch away the paint
- Use copper etchant to take away the copper layers exposed by the laser cutter
Things to watch out for:
- CO2 lasers cannot cut copper directly (they don't have enough energy)
- One gotcha is that the laser cutter can leave behind an invisible layer of paint / chemicals after trying to expose the copper that needs to be etched
- Another possible problem is that copper is reflective, if the power is too high or the speed of travel is too slow then there's a possibility that some degree of reflection may occur and damage the laser (may be best to check with the laser maintainers before experimenting)
