-
Laser-cut edge is polished and without discoloration. There probably
will be some pulsation lines.
- Both clear and color acrylic is the ultimate material for laser
cutting; the laser flame polishes the edge as it cuts. Acrylic
is both dramatic and durable. No Further treatment is required
before painting or mounting. It is breakable.
- Acrylic is also available in matte, mirror, and other innovative
finishes.
- Silk screening and painting is possible with commercially available
paints and inks.
Acrylic
is brittle and needs heat to bend it and Polycarbonate is almost
unbreakable and bends cold.
Acrylic
is the less expensive of the two. If you get color (it's cell cast
rather than extruded), it's about the same price as the polycarbonate.
Acrylic
comes in a wide array of colors, both solid and translucent, which
can make a pretty cool looking robot, cpu window or project. Some
have put LED's under or behind colored Acrylic and that looks pretty
nice. Colored translucent plastic is favored by computer case modders,
they use it for fan grills, etc. You can use thin layers and stack
'em, like flames for instance. When you stack two different colors
it will mix the color, for example if you put fluorescent red with
blue of course it makes purple.
Acrylic
comes in 48”x96” sheets. It is less than 48” by
an 1/8”, so if you need a full 48” I can get sheets
that are 50” x 100”.
We
can cut up to 1/2" thick acrylic. There is an issue of the
edges not being straight on materials thicker than ¼”
until I can afford another head with a longer focal length for the
laser.We do some bending, but leave the fabricating to you.
We
do have access to some excellent fabricators if your interested,
give me a holler and we'll set you up with them. One of them specializes
in the weird stuff and specialty items.
There
are, to my limited knowledge, two types of Acrylic. Extruded and
Cell Cast. (Actually there is a sign grade available in virtually
any length and comes on a reel) They size them in metric, but for
our sakes they give us the decimal equivalents. So, 1/4" is
called .236, 3/16" is called .177, 1/8" is .118 and so
on. Extruded plastic can be as much as 10% under or over the named
thickness. I can tell you it is never over and rarely .236, it usually
runs about .226 -.230. Cell Cast on the other hand is a little more
consistent in thickness and therefore more expensive. All colored
acrylic is cast.
We
can score acrylic for assembly lines, artwork or with text.
Recommended
adhesives for extruded Acrylic
Weld-on
#3 - Quick set, good bond strength. This is the most popular and
easiest to use.
Weld-on
#5 - Water thin, medium set solvent cement.
Weld-on
#16- Fast drying, high strength.
Weld-on
#40- Reactive gluing / for joining to other substrates such as polystyrene,
cell cast acrylic, PVC butyrate and wood.
Recommended adhesives for Cell Cast
Weld-on
#3 - Quick set, good bond strength. This is the most popular and
easiest to use.
Weld-on
#4 - Water thin, fast set solvent cement.
Weld-on
#16- Fast drying, high strength.
Weld-on
#40- Reactive gluing / for joining to other substrates such as polystyrene,
cell cast acrylic, PVC butyrate and wood.
Engraved
Acrylic
Usually when engraving Acrylic we engrave on the back of it so you
look through the plastic to see it. This makes real nice awards,
business cards, signage and decorative items. We can engrave photos
on Acrylic as well as text, logos and other art. This looks real
nice on the thicker pieces especially.
Polycarbonate
is very tough stuff and is impact resistant.
30
times stronger than Acrylic. If you are used to using ¼”
Acrylic you might consider using 3/16” or even 1/8”
polycarbonate.
Polycarbonate
is measured in millimeters like other plastics, but the decimal
equivalents are.236 (1/4”), .177 (1/8”), .118 (1/16”).
These are general examples as there are lots of sizes available,
even real thin stuff like .010.
Polycarbonate
comes in clear, white, matte, gray, bronze, black.
UL
listed and UV stabilized.
This
material is available in reels as well as 4x8 sheets.
The
.118 and less can be bent cold and will retain its shape. You can
use heat, but it changes the properties and can weaken the bend
area and will probably break there. You will need to use a sheet
metal break, jigs, vice or something to make the bend. I’ve
used blocks of wood and clamps. You will want to experiment with
some scrap polycarb first to get the method down pat.
Silk
screening and painting is possible with commercially available paints
and inks.
Many
are using Polycarbonate in the building of robots especially if
they will be used outside or in rough terrain. Thin pieces don’t
break easily, you can thread holes, you can bend the thin stuff
with out heat, and it has good shape retention. It can be used for
machinery guards because of its durability.
The
edge quality leaves a lot to be desired when laser cut. There isn’t
any way I’ve found to get a clear edge with the laser. Actually
some laser cutters won’t even cut it. It usually messes up
the lens and you have to stop and clean it frequently. You can scrape
the edge of the parts with a razor blade. One customer reports that
stacking the parts and sandblasting them works well for him. After
the edge is scraped you can use a little solvent to clear the edges
up if its necessary. It seems like a lot of people paint it anyway.
Recommended
adhesives for Polycarbonate
For solvent bonding use MDC (methylene dichloride).
Apply
to surfaces to be bonded and hold together under pressure until
cured. Add 10% glacial acetic for best joint appearance.
Urethane
adhesives are also recommended.
I have
used Weld-on #3 with good results, also, but I don’t do very
much fabricating.
Cutting
The
100-watt laser with the lens I have, does o.k. cutting up to about
½” in solid wood or ply wood, thinner is better.
Laser
cutting wood leaves a brown edge on the product usually. There are
instances when we can get the color to be a tan, but it depends
on the wood and thickness. The brown edge is actually a good thing
in most cases. The edges can be sanded or sandblasted to remove
the brown edge if that is a problem.
Plywood
laser cuts real nice. The plywood can’t have any voids in
it, so it needs to be Crafters ply, Apple ply or something of that
nature.
Medium
Density Fiberboard (MDF) cuts well and is used for patterns or templates
for router cut outs or for painted and overlaid products. Laminate
works well for patterns, also.
Tempered
Masonite or hardboard cuts nice.
The
laser makes veneer cutting so easy it’s hard to believe.
Most
things done on a scroll saw, the laser can do better because there
is no tooling touching the wood. The laser can get more intricate,
more accurate, and has infinite repeatability.
Inlay,
fretwork, and intarsia can be done with the assistance of a laser.
It does a real nice job on veneers.
We
can score wood for assembly lines, artwork or with text.
Engraving
We
don’t burn very deep when we engrave photos on wood, so we
get a lot of detail, but it doesn’t darken some woods enough
to show up well, so we finish the wood first and then wipe color
into the engraved area.
For
most logos or engraved images other than photos, we cut about 1/32”
to 1/16” deep depending on the detail and the type of wood.
To go deeper is possible we just have to slow the machine down or
go over it twice.
Photos.
You have to see photos engraved on black marble to fully appreciate
how much it looks like a black and white picture. Oh, sure we do
logos, images, and text of all kinds, but the photos are the coolest
things.
What
works the best for photos is a large size digital picture, especially
if we need to crop out the background or do other touch up, but
we can use snapshots. The image to be engraved needs to be large
in the picture. For example, a picture of your child or pet needs
to be close up, not little Johnny or Spot at about 30 feet away.
A lot of detail is lost when we enlarge a picture too much.
There
are other things to consider like the lighting and background. If
someone with dark hair is standing in front of a dark tree, it’s
likely they will have a new hairdo when we crop them out. So just
make sure there is a clear outline around the person or object to
be engraved. We are working with grayscale, so the lighter colors
will be cut and the darker colors will be left uncut and then, of
course, there will be the shades in between. It works like a printer,
by the number of little dots it cuts it will give you varying shades.
For
logos, text, and other images a high-resolution electronic copy
is great. A real good hard copy is fine; we can scan and recreate
it. We receive jpeg files via e-mail and in a lot of cases that
works. Basically, the better the artwork, the better the finished
piece.
Black
marble is available in many sizes and shapes and is polished. They
make great gifts, memorials, and awards, even business cards, coasters
and paperweights.
The
color of the tile is a consideration for it to look good. There
needs to be a good contrast for the image to show up well. Although
a subtle contrast gives the needed touch sometimes, for example
on stone colored tile, it reminds you of hieroglyphics. Most tiles
have a light colored interior, so a medium to darker glaze would
be the best unless the engraving is colored.
The
engraving on any tile can be colored with one or more colors. This
can look really sharp. You can color them yourself or we can do
it.
Almost
any image that looks good in black and white will look good on tile.
The laser can engrave very detailed images. The engraving will not
be deep. We just need to take the glazing off to get the contrast
and then it’s usually a good idea to seal it depending on
the application.
Engraved
tile looks great on back splashes a kitchen, bath or around a fireplace.
We can engrave scenes that span several tiles both vertically and
horizontally.
We
have even engraved photos on tile. It does need to be colored, but
it looks fine. We seal stone tile first, then engrave it, apply
the color and then seal it again.
If
you have artwork, great, or we can do the artwork for you.
We
can cut ½" of solid surface, but with only 100 watts, 1/4" comes
out better. We've cut plug-in plates, light switch plates and inlay
with good success.
Artwork
on top of a light switch plate is popular and we can cut that as
just a silhouette or with lines scored on the interior that can
be filled with color.
Stencils
can be cut out of a variety of materials, from paper and cardboard
to styrene and polycarbonate. It just depends on the application
and how long you need it to last. We have cut 48” high stencils
for inking truck tarps out of .060 styrene, which are reusable.
There are films available in many different thicknesses, which are
great for airbrushing and hand painting. These films can be stacked
when cut, giving you multiples of the pattern to tape in a line
or whatever. Laminate, i.e. Formica, is very durable, flexible and
you can mount a handle if necessary.
We
cut stencils for sand blasting, glass etching, painting and I have
even cut eyebrow stencils.
We
can engrave glass just like marble or acrylic. It’s not deep
like sandblasted glass, but more like acid etched glass, but more
permanent.
The
back can be painted or a permanent backing applied and then when
engraved, can be backlit. That looks pretty nice.
We
can cut laminate with ease and can even do inlay, but we don’t
recommend inlay for counter tops because liquid could get in through
the cuts and ruin the top. Back splashes and bar fronts are a good
place for this type of artwork though.
- Laser-cut
edge of PVC is smooth and discolored; on white it is a dark tan
when cleaned. There isn’t any edge discoloration on the black,
so it can be used without further treatment. Cleaning is required
before painting or gluing.
- Expanded PVC is very economical, lightweight, and takes paint
well.
- PVC can be sanded and routed.
- Recommended for interior use. Can be used exteriorly if appropriately
finished by painting.
- Glues easily
1.
What is PVC?
PVC is a lightweight rigid board of moderately expanded closed-cell
PVC.
2.
How is PVC used?
Typical applications include screen-printing, signage, exhibits,
displays, photo mounting, robotics, models and much, much more.
3.
What gauges of PVC are available?
PVC is produced in 9 gauges. 1-6mm, 10, 13, & 19mm.
4.
Does PVC come in colors?
PVC is available in 12 colors.
5.
What does PVC weigh in comparison to solid PVC?
PVC is half the weight of solid PVC in gauges of 1-6mm. (0.700g/cm3)
PVC is slightly over 1/3 the weight of solid PVC in 10, 13, &19mm
gauges. (0.500g/cm3)
6.
How do I cut PVC?
Of course the preferred method is laser cutting, but PVC, up to
3mm thick can easily be cut with a knife. Thicker sheets can be
cut on a table saw or with jigsaws. PVC also can be shaped easily
using a router.
7.
How do I bond PVC to itself?
For bonding PVC to itself, the same solvent type adhesives that
are used for rigid PVC give excellent results.
8.
How do I bond PVC to other materials?
For joining PVC to other substrates, solvent-dispersed adhesives
formulated for PVC bonding may be used, as can most neoprene-based
adhesives.
9.
What happens to PVC when used outside?
•
PVC will change colors when used outdoors. The amount of color
change depends on the original color, UV levels, and other exposure
conditions. This is true of all materials that use organic pigments.
•
PVC expands and contracts with temperature changes. This must
be taken into account when mounting large sheets of PVC outdoors.
•
PVC, like most plastic materials, has less impact resistance in
cold conditions. Thinner gauges have less impact resistance than
thicker ones. For this reason 6mm should be the minimum gauge
used for outdoor signage.
10.
Why must I keep PVC under 150F?
Foamed extruded plastics contain internal stresses. These stresses
relieve themselves at elevated temperatures. If PVC is allowed
to reach 150F it will no longer remain flat and will warp and
bow.
11.
Can I paint PVC?
PVC can be easily painted using PVC compatible paints. Recommended
paints include: vinyls, acrylic lacquers, and two-component polyurethane’s.
The use of primers is not normally required. The surface should
be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.
12.
How can I prepare the edges before painting?
When PVC is cut to size during fabrication, edge cells are exposed.
Smooth edges can be achieved with a file, plane, or sandpaper.
The use of a PVC solvent will chemically collapse the cells or
prior to painting, a filler such as spot putty will produce an
edge similar to the surface texture of the sheet.
13.
What photo mounting methods can be used with PVC?
Since PVC will warp at temperatures about 150F it cannot be dry
or hot mounted. Colds mounting in cold roller laminators, cold
vacuum mounting, or hand lamination all give excellent results.
14.
Can PVC be screen-printed?
Screen-printing is easily accomplished with PVC due to its excellent
surface finish. Vinyl and vinyl/acrylic, solvent-based inks are
compatible with PVC. Screen-printing inks should air dry rather
than be heat dried. Temperatures above 150F may cause warping
of the PVC. UV inks can also be used but care should be taken
to keep from overcooking the ink and possibly making the printed
PVC brittle.
15.
What are the fire characteristics of PVC?
•
PVC material will not support combustion by itself. It requires
a flame source to burn. PVC is a self-extinguishing material and
will not continue to burn after the flame source is removed.
•
All gauges of PVC pass the criteria of UL 94V-0, and UL 94-5V.
These are industry standard fire tests.
•
Thinner gauges of PVC, 1-4mm, also pass ASTM E-84, which is also
known as the UL Steiner Tunner Test.
16.
Can PVC be heat bent and thermoformed?
PVC is a thermoplastic that can be heated and bent or formed into
various shapes. Once the material cools it retains the shape it
was formed into.
17.
What are the limitations when vacuum forming PVC?
PVC is most suitable for large-faced and smoothly contoured parts.
The radius and depth of draw is generally limited to the extent
that the surface of the material can stretch.
18.
Is PVC recognized by Underwriters Laboratories UL?
Through and ongoing certification program with UL, PVC is recognized
as a Component Ð Plastic and Component Ð Sign Accessories.
Using UL recognized components could speed the UL listing process
when manufacturing electrical signage.
Paper
cutting with a laser turns out some pretty cool stuff. If your doing
huge quantities of product, die cutting is probably the way to go,
but if your only talking small to medium runs or you want to change
the artwork, then laser cutting is the way to go. It’s a great
way to make your business cards unique and easy to remember or an
advertising package really stand out from the crowd.
Genuine wood pulp and/or cotton fibers laser cut the best.
Why do some papers laser-cut better than others? Denser paper
stocks that contain a large percentage of clay and other minerals
in their formulation (typical of very high gloss papers) are not
among the best performers. Neither are translucent, onionskin,
or other papers containing a large percentage of synthetics. This
is not to say that these papers cannot be used - they can, but
will need to be cut in singles to keep them from sticking together
and discoloring.
With "average" papers, a very small amount of smoke
discoloration on the backside is normal and should be expected.
Certain papers may show discoloration on the front.
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