What Materials Can and Cannot be Cut By the Fiber Laser Cutting Machine?

CNC fibre laser cutting machine is more and more widely used in various industries, mainly because of its versatility. Sheet metal laser cutting can cut various metals, foam, wood, cork, paper, acrylic, and other materials, When using a custom metal laser cutting, you should understand the characteristics of the material you are cutting. MYST Laser will show you what materials the CNC metal laser cutter can and cannot cut.

Materials that can be cut:

metal

Laser cutting steel sheet machines can cut all types of metals from carbon steel, stainless steel to non-ferrous metals. Highly reflective metals such as aluminum can also be cut. The maximum thickness of the cut metal will also vary due to the power of the laser.

Paper and cardboard

Most of the complicated and exquisite wedding invitations that I see every day are made by laser cutting.

wood

All types of wood (including plywood and MDF) can be cut with a laser, but some oily woods may be ignited, so you should pay special attention when cutting.

plastic products

Acrylic, PMMA, and Lucite are all transparent plastics. When using laser cutting, you can ensure that the edge has a good finish, like a buttery surface cut with a knife.

Polyoxymethylene

Polyoxymethylene is a highly used plastic in the engineering field. It can be used for gears, guide and sliding elements, medical equipment, food packaging, etc. The use of laser for cutting is helpful to the wider use of POM in many fields.

glass

Due to its fragile and reflective properties, laser cutting glass seems an impossible task. However, the DIY metal laser cutter’s fast cutting speed and stable cutting effect make it possible to complete this task.

Materials that cannot be cut:

Because the cheapest metal cutting laser machine has the characteristics of fast cutting speed and good cutting effect, most materials can be cut, but most plastics will undergo chemical reactions at high temperatures, making laser cutting impossible.

glass fiber

Glass fiber is a mixture of glass and epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is easy to cause smoke, and it is relatively difficult to cut glass alone. Therefore, glass fiber is not suitable for stainless laser cutting machine cutting.

Polyvinyl chloride

The cutting process will emit acid and toxic fumes, which will endanger the health of the staff who operate the machine and cause pollution to the environment.

Polycarbonate

When the polycarbonate fiber is cut by laser, the color of the material surface will change, and it may cause burning when the material is thick.

Polystyrene and polypropylene foam

Both are flammable when heated, so they are not suitable for laser cutting.

ABS, high-density polyethylene

Because the temperature of the laser beam is high enough to vaporize the material, materials such as ABS and high-density polyethylene are not supported. They tend to melt more than vaporization, so they are not suitable for laser cutting.

After having a certain understanding of the types of materials that can and cannot be cut by the CNC laser cutter steel, the operation and use of cutting opportunities are safer and more efficient.