Specifications

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
There are two types of acrylic available, cast and extruded. Cast turns white or frosted
and extruded ns clear whe d extr acr p
e
st it a low er se such a he firs g
If deep engraving is desired, it is necessary to mask the acrylic with
edges of the area that was just
ngraved and is impossible to remove without causing damage. Engraving lightly and
ithout masking seems to be the better all around alternative.
If only cutting acrylic, extruded works better ss e sive st t
edges of extruded acrylic will appear e mor hly p d and arer th st
crylic when laser cut. When cutting acrylic, it might be necessary to remove both
riginal masking and re-mask with transfer tape if cutting through the
y thick acrylic, re-mask both sides with transfer tape
nd dampen the masking on both sides of the acrylic with water from a spray bottle.
levate the acrylic off the table at least 1/8 inch, re-focus, then proceed to cut.
levating the acrylic will allow the beam to completely pass through the material which
escape from underneath. If cutting directly on the
engra hea u otto ge o t
isto pening w water act as a heat sink to pull the laser
the cutting area resulting in less distortion or heat effected zones (HAZ).
leave puddles of water. Puddles of water will reduce
e best results when combining engraving and cutting
n the same piece, first engrave lightly and unmasked. Then mask with transfer tape,
ampen, elevate, re-focus, and cut as a second step.
Paint filling th ved area is y kin acry a
original masking then engraving through the ma ng. B remov the m ng,
rush or spray on some acrylic based or water based paint right on to the masking.
t is dry, remove the masking and the paint will remain in the recessed
WARNING:
Acrylic is extremely flammable. Do not leave the laser system unattended
when cutting or engraving.
remai n engrave . Use uded ylic for aint filled
ngraving and cast for regular engraving. Cast engraves better without masking.
ightly engrave the surface to froL
li
with pow tting s t t settin
sted above.
transfer tape to prevent the smoke from damaging the clear surface of the acrylic.
However, another problem with deep acrylic engraving is that the intense heat creates
a white, crusty, deposit that accumulates along the
e
w
and is le xpen than ca . The cu
to b e hig olishe cle an ca
a
sides of the o
original masking produces flaming. The original masking is coated with wax and will not
absorb water. If cutting through ver
a
E
E
allows the smoke and heat to
ving table, the trapped
rt. Re-masking and dam
t mi t cagh
ith
se b the
will
m ed f th cue to p ndit a
d
heat away from
When dampening, be sure not to
cutting depth significantly. For th
o
d
e engra possible b first mas g the lic or le ve on the
ski efore ing aski
b
When the pain
area of the engraving. Remember to use extruded acrylic when paint filling and cast
acrylic when simply engraving.
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