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laser_cutting_data

CNSI Microfluidics Laser Cutting Data

Material Vendors

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 1/4”, 100% power, 0.15 ipm, 1000 Hz, z offset -.125, (Dave Bothman, 5/5/13 - clean cut)


PDMS

250um 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)


Double Sticky Tape

25% power, 3 ips


Gore Teflon Foam 1/16“ 15% power, 0.5% speed, 1000 Hz (DB 7/9/15)

Silicone Rubber sheet, 1/8” 100% power, 0.1% speed, 2000 Hz - use Nitrogen gas (DB 7/9/15)

Guideline Cutting Recipes

Acrylic

  1. 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

-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

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. Thank you Sanghun!

Engraving Cut Thickness Engraving Settings
0 mm 0% power, 0% speed
0.208 mm 50% power, 30% speed
0.314 mm 60% power, 30% speed
0.352 mm 70% power, 30% speed
0.413 mm 80% power, 30% speed
0.446 mm 90% power, 30% speed
0.485 mm 100% 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


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
laser_cutting_data.txt · Last modified: 2023/07/18 18:01 by bdincau