Section 13: Material Engraving Techniques
175
Acrylic Engraving Techniques
Most acrylic is engraved on the backside to produce a look through effect from the
front surface. Remove the back protective cover layer before engraving. Leave the
top protective cover layer on so that it remains intact to prevent scratching while
handling the acrylic. Since you are engraving the backside of the acrylic, you will
need to reverse or mirror your artwork before sending the job to the laser.
Engrave the acrylic at a high speed and low power. A small amount of power is all it
takes to mark acrylic and high power levels tend to distort the acrylic when
engraving.
There are a large number of acrylic products that are painted on one side to add color
to the clear acrylic piece. You can engrave directly through the paint into the acrylic
for a very nice presentation effect. Leave the speed the same as if you are engraving
clear acrylic and turn up the power about 10% to get cleanly through the paint.
Applying too much power to the paint will melt it and cause distortion.
Acrylic Vector Cutting Techniques
Acrylic is one of the most popular cutting materials available. It comes in a variety of
colors and thickness. Laser cutting produces very nice edge quality without the need
for polishing or secondary clean up.
Use the optional Vector Grid to elevate the acrylic before cutting. The air curtain will
greatly reduce flaming when cutting acrylic and should always be used for this
material.
Vectoring acrylic is similar to vectoring other materials. First, experiment to
determine the correct speed and power setting. Cutting acrylic is usually best
achieved with relatively slow speed and relatively high power. This combination
allows the laser beam to melt the edges of the acrylic and produce an almost flame
polished edge. Acrylics generally require only a single pass to cut, but thicker
acrylics may need two passes. As with engraving, it is sometimes necessary to mask
and dampen the acrylic before cutting.
Warning! Never leave your laser unattended when vector cutting any material!
Acrylic is very flammable.
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General