Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips > Laser & Water-Jet Cutting

Cutting styrene sheet

(1/6) > >>

malcf:
I have recently bought a laser cutter and have been experimenting cutting styrene sheet 1.5mm thick, it has cut ok for the most of it leaving a slightly raised edge to the cut, I have experimented with speed and power settings but it is still there and also on very narrow sections say 1mm wide it melts away, I have cut the same profiles in 1.5 mm birch plywood and that is ok, it is looking like I will have to stay with the plywood unless someone can suggest another modelling material to try.

carlmt:
Lasering styrene eh?  Welcome to my world!

When lasering styrene sheet - regardless of the thickness - you will always get a slightly raised edge.  You cannot eliminate this, much as you cannot eliminate getting a raised edge when cutting styrene with a knife.

As for the width?  Yes, especially with the thicker styrene sheets, two laser lines 1mm apart will obliterate what is between them.

Lasers are not 'ideal' for cutting styrene - please make sure you have decent extraction to atmosphere!!! - but they are great when producing repetitive and complex parts (cutting dozens of windows out?).

When cutting the wood, the properties of the material mean that it does not transmit the heat too far beyond the laser itself unlike the styrene which, as you have found, will melt away.

For straight, narrow, cuts of styrene it is better to use the knife and straight edge.

TailUK:
We get out best results with styrene by repeat cuts.  Set the speed a little higher and go over it a couple or three  times.  Also use the colour sequence to separate cuts so they don't happen close together sequentially.  Both these measure ensure that not as much heat builds up in a small area.  The raised burr just wet and dries off like the burr on any material. 

malcf:
 :-)) Thanks for the help guys it looks like I will have to have a reasonable width border around apertures etc the item I was trying to cut is the crane gantry for HMS Fearless I reckon I was expecting too much in styrene so it will be done out of 1.5 plywood, I have cut some samples and they are fine and reasonably strong.

malcf:
Carl the ventilation is good in my workshop with the supplied Chinese fan unit but boy is it noisy and it sucks all the heat out of the room in no time at all >>:-( I am lucky with the position of the workshop being at the bottom of the garden away from the neighbours houses  O0.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page