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6.4 Instructions for Specific Materials
The following instructions are suggestions to help speed safe work with a range of materials. The user
should research the specific safety and engraving requirements of their specific material to avoid
the risk of fire, hazardous dust, corrosive and poisonous fumes, and other potential problems.
Once the product is known to be safe or appropriate protective equipment has been set up, it can
be helpful to engrave a test matrix of small boxes produced at various speed and power settings
to discover the ideal settings for your design. Alternatively, start with low power and fast speed
settings and rerun your design as many times as needed, using progressively greater laser intensity.
Average Engraving Settings
Material
Engraving Cutting
Thickness
(mm)
Resolution
(dpi)
Power
(W)
Speed
(mm/s)
Power
(W)
Speed
(mm/s)
Acrylic 25 50% 500 100% 45 90% 35 7% 3 400
Basswood 25 50% 500 100% 45 90% 65 13% 3 400
Canvas 12.5 25% 500 100% 30 60% 350 70% 0.2 300
Cardboard 22.5 45% 500 100% 45 90% 200 40% 2 400
Leather 15 30% 500 100% 45 90% 80 16% 1.5 400
MDF 20 40% 500 100% 45 90% 30 6% 3 300
Rubber 17.5 35% 500 100% 45 90% 25 5% 3 400
6.4.1 Ceramics
When engraving on ceramics, generally use moderate to high power. Using more loops rather than
higher power and lower speed can help avoid cracking the material during work. Be mindful of the
health risks posed by dust generated from ceramic engraving, especially for repetitive industrial
applications. Depending on the material and the amount of work, a fan or even a full ventilation
system may be required to address the problem. Similarly, operators and others in the work area
may need to use breathing PPE such as masks and respirators.
6 Operation
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