documentation:laser_cutters:full_spectrum_settings
Table of Contents
Full Spectrum laser cutter settings
Tested settings
These settings have been reported by users of TCMaker's laser cutter, so they should get you in the ballpark for a good result. However, you'll still want to test these settings on some spare material, as there are a lot of variables (age of the laser tube and optics, cleanliness of said optics, manufacturing differences in the materials, etc.).
Woods
| Material | Etch Settings | Cut Settings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwood, 1/4“, unspecified type | 94 pwr/26 spd | ||
| MDF, 1/4” | 45 pwr/25 spd, 2 passes | MDF tends to be a very cranky material for laser cutting; your results will vary greatly depending on the quality of your material | |
| Panelboard, 1/8“, white | 1 pwr/100 spd vector, 10-20 pwr/100 spd raster | 50 pwr/50 spd | Same material as is on the laser room walls. Will get dirty, but is easily cleaned with water and a cloth. |
| Pine | 46 pwr/86 spd | ||
| Plywood, 1/8” lauan | 100 pwr/90 spd | ||
| Plywood, 1/4“ | 25 pwr/100 spd | 40 pwr/100 spd | Use orange cleaner to get rid of the sticky sap/glue residue left behind. |
| Plywood, 1/4” MDF core | 45 pwr/25 spd, 2 passes | Not great, but it works. MDF core shows a lot of charring. | |
| Plywood, 1/4“ aircraft grade | 42 pwr/14 spd, 2 passes | User's notes were not clear on whether or not it cut through at these settings | |
| Plywood, 6mm birch | 15 pwr/100 spd | 35 pwr/28 spd | May need to tweak the settings to get a cut all the way through. (Plywood in general will vary based on the quality of the plys and glue.) |
| Plywood, 6mm cedar | 35 pwr/35 spd | ||
| Plywood, 10mm birch | 100 pwr/30 spd | ||
| Plywood, 1/2” birch | 95 pwr/15 spd, 2 passes | ||
| Plywood, 1/2“ redwood | 100 pwr/22 spd | ||
| Plywood, 3/4” | 95 pwr/15 spd, 2 passes | ||
| Poplar, 1/4“ | 25 pwr/100 speed | 100 pwr/40 spd | Lower the speed for a deeper etch. Use orange cleaner to get rid of the sticky sap residue left behind. |
| Poplar, 1/2” | 25 pwr/100 spd | 32 pwr/14 spd | For cutting, move the Z axis up 0.1“ from focussed |
| Veneer (unspecified type) | 15 pwr/100 spd |
Plastics
| Material | Etch Settings | Cut Settings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic, 1/8” | 2 - 8 pwr/100 spd | 8 pwr/15 spd | |
| Coroplast | 40 pwr/60 spd | ||
| Mylar, .010“ | 8 pwr/80 spd | ||
| Styrene, .020” | 10 pwr/56 spd | Styrene does not darken when etched. Cuts and etched areas can be a little ragged around the edges, as styrene is a bit melty. | |
| Styrene, .040“ | 20 pwr/84 spd | ||
| Styrene, .060” | 20 pwr/42 spd | ||
| Transparency film | 0.5 pwr/100 spd |
Papers and paper-based materials
| Material | Etch Settings | Cut Settings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artboard, 1/16“ | 16 pwr/65 spd | ||
| Cardboard, “thin” | 3 pwr/100 spd | ||
| Cardboard, 3/32” | 20 pwr/100 spd | ||
| Drawing paper | 0.2 pwr/100 spd | ||
| Posterboard | 0.5 pwr/100 spd |
Other materials
| Material | Etch Settings | Cut Settings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceramic tile | 60 pwr/40 spd | cannot be cut | Beware – the laser spot is screaming bright! Depth of the etch is mostly determined by resolution. |
| Leather, ~1/8“ | 1-2 pwr/100 spd | 20 pwr/70 spd | As for tile, the laser spot is blinding. Cut edges will have an ashy residue, so be careful when handling. Placing masking tape over the leather will help keep the surface free of smoke stains. |
| Wool felt, 1/16” | 11 pwr/100 spd, 2 passes |
Translating settings from other laser cutters
If you find power settings for a material online, check to see what the power of the laser cutter is. Our laser cutter has a 80-watt tube. Many other laser cutters have tube powers between 40 and 60 watts. 100% power on those machines is more like 40% - 60% power on our cutter, so scale your settings appropriately.
documentation/laser_cutters/full_spectrum_settings.txt · Last modified: 2019/07/10 00:16 by mrscott
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