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--- laser_cutting_data [2013/05/10 04:05] – dave
+++ laser_cutting_data [2025/02/05 21:35] (current) – bdincau
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ===== CNSI Microfluidics Laser Cutting Data =====
-----
+====Material====
+Always check materials list BEFORE attempting to cut/engrave a material. If unsure contact IW Staff.
+__**Allowed Materials**__
+Plastics:
+  * ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)
+  * Acrylic (also known as Plexiglas, Lucite, PMMA)
+  * Delrin (POM, acetal) — **Must use nitrogen assist when cutting delrin**
+  * Kapton tape (Polyimide)
+  * Mylar (polyester)
+  * Nylon (melts badly)
+  * PDMS
+  * PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol)
+  * Polypropylene (PP) — melts somewhat
+  * Styrene
+  * Two-tone acrylic — top color different than core material
+Foam:
+  * Depron foam (often used for RC planes)
+  * EPM
+  * Gator foam (foam core gets burned and eaten away compared to the top and bottom hard shell)
+Other:
+  * Cloths (leather, suede, felt, hemp, cotton)
+  * Magnetic Sheets
+  * Papers
+  * Rubbers(neoprene, etc supplier try: mcmaster.com)
+  * Woods(MDF, balsa, birch, poplar, red oak, cherry, holly, etc. supplier try: midwestproducts.com)
+__Prohibited Material__
+  * **Metals** (our laser cutters are not powerful enough nor setup to cut through metals and attempting to do so could damage the machine)
+    * Metals (cannot be engraved however a certain type of paint/tape which chemically bonds with the metal may be used to mark materials)
+  * **Polycarbonate** (PC, Lexan) — Lexan creates large amounts of fumes
+  * **Teflon** (PTFE, Polytetrafluoroethylene) – cutting creates Fluorine gas
+  * __**Any material containing chlorine**__
+    * **PVC** (Cintra) — contains chlorine
+    * **Vinyl** — contains chlorine
+  ***HDPE**: "milk bottle" plastic. It gets gooey, melts and catches on fire.
+  ***Epoxy**
+  ***Glass** — you can engrave glass, but trying to cut it will cause cracking or breakage
+  ***Fiberglass**
+  ***Printed circuit board** (FR4 and other material types)
+  ***Carbon Fiber**
 ==== Material Vendors ====
-Acrylic sheet, optically clear, from McMaster Carr: part number 8560K239 //
+Acrylic sheet, optically clear, from McMaster Carr: part number 8560K239\\
 [[ http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/119/3558/=molz4w]]
 ==== Cutting Parameters ====
+=== Acrylic Sheet ===
+Cutting 1/8”, 100% power, 0.4 ipm, 2000 Hz, (Dave Bothman, 5/5/13 - clean cut)\\
-Cutting 1/8”, 100% power, 0.4 ipm, 2000 Hz, (Dave Bothman, 5/5/13 - clean cut)
+Cutting 1/4”, 100% power, 0.15 ipm, 1000 Hz, z offset -.125, (Dave Bothman, 5/5/13 - clean cut)\\
-Cutting 1/4”, 100% power, 0.15 ipm, 1000 Hz, z offset -.125, (Dave Bothman, 5/5/13 - clean cut)
+----
+=== PDMS ===
-um PDMS with mylar backing
+um PDMS with mylar backing on back side and removed from front\\
-Cutting 42% power, 2.0 1ps, 5000Hz (Peter Mage, 5/9/13 - some flash and soot - recipe needs to be refined)
+Cutting 42% power, 2.0 1ps, 5000Hz (Peter Mage, 5/9/13 - some flash and soot - recipe needs to be refined)\\
 ----
+=== Double Sticky Tape ===
+% power, 3 ips
+----
+Gore Teflon Foam 1/16"
+% power, 0.5% speed, 1000 Hz (DB 7/9/15)
+Silicone Rubber sheet, 1/8"
+% power, 0.1% speed, 2000 Hz - use Nitrogen gas (DB 7/9/15)
+====Guideline Cutting Recipes====
+===Acrylic===
+  - 1/8 acrylic
+|         ^ Color        ^ Power         ^ Speed  ^ PPI/Hz   ^ Passes  ^Air Assist   ^ Correction  ^ Z-Offset ^
+^ Engrave    | Black          | 25        |20  |PPI |-  | on | 0  | 0 |
+^ Cut        | Red | 25        |0.4 |Hz  | 1 | on | 10 | 0 |
+^ Cut        | Blue          | 100       |0.4 |PPI | 1 | on | 10 | 0 |
+   *Recipe from Dave
+  -1/10 acrylic
+|         ^ Color        ^ Power         ^ Speed  ^ PPI/Hz   ^ Passes  ^Air Assist   ^ Correction  ^ Z-Offset ^
+^ Skip   | Black          | -        |-  |- |-  | on | -  | - |
+^ Cut        | Red | 2        |0.1 |Hz  | 1 | Hz | 1 | 0 |
+^ Cut        | Blue          | 15      |0.5 |Hz | 5 | Gas 1 | 0 | 0 |
+   *Recipe from Vincent
+====Functional Engraving Recipes====
+For users looking to cut acrylic at different depths, these different cut depths were tested at different power settings. Data courtesy of Ph.D. student Sanghun Jee on a Trotec 60W CO2 laser cutter. Thank you Sanghun!
+{| style=""
+|+
+!
+Engraving Cut Thickness
+!
+Engraving Settings
+|-
+|
+mm
+|
+% power, 0% speed
+|-
+|
+.208 mm
+|
+% power, 30% speed
+|-
+|
+.314 mm
+|
+% power, 30% speed
+|-
+|
+.352 mm
+|
+% power, 30% speed
+|-
+|
+.413 mm
+|
+% power, 30% speed
+|-
+|
+.446 mm
+|
+% power, 30% speed
+|-
+|
+.485 mm
+|
+% power, 30% speed
+|}
+For users who wish to engrave at different depths than those listed above, here is a graph and equation that may help out with making estimations of what laser power to use.
+{{functional_acrylic_engraving.jpg?direct&500}}
+----
+Scribing microscope slides for breaking -Dave Bothman - 16 Dec. 2015
+  * Recipe: 100% power, 3% speed, 1000 Hz, 1 pass
+  * Focus on top of slide
+  * Place a paper towel wetted with water on glass in area to be cut
+  * Cut through the paper
+  * Break on scribed line