can you laser cut polyurethane

If the laser power is sufficiently high, the laser beam will cut completely through the material. * Make sure that you’ve set the best work origin for laser engraving and cutting. For these reasons, CO 2 lasers are commonly employed for laser ablation of polyurethane foam. Polyurethane (PUR) is a plastic or synthetic resin. Helium is also fine. The MSDS for Elastollan (BASF's trade name for TPU) states: Decomposition products: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide. That gives them a very small dot, which gives a sharper etched image, but it also means they can only cut very thin materials. how charring leather is when laser-cut largely depends on how it's been treated. Foam cutting with a laser machine … If you look at the pic above for step 4, you can see the cut on the left has a pretty wide kerf even on the top surface. Adhesives can be silicone, acrylic, rubber, or hybrid based that cut through the carrier film or stopping in the carrier film (‘kiss-cut‘) for ‘peel and stick’ applications. There are advantages to using a polyurethane molding. Now that you know the technicalities, we can talk about why CO2 laser cutting is a fantastic tool for treating thermoplastics. As you can see from the reverse picture, it has a pretty cool cut pattern. Laser Cutting of Elastomers The energy of a CO 2 laser beam is easily absorbed by most elastomers, causing the material directly in the path of the laser beam to rapidly heat up and vaporize. It's the same reason why you shouldn't cut/engrave ABS. After I'm done I'll be careful to clean all exposed surfaces within the machine with solvent and carefully dispose of the rags. Certification as a laser system operator (2-day course), LaserScout software and the PLANNER module. Engraving and cutting these materials can cause irreversible damage to your machine, so determining the components of your cutting and engraving materials is extremely important. Expanded polyethylene (aka polyethylene foam) is one of the most popular foams used in the industrial sector, due to its lightness, insulating properties and resistance. The versatility of laser cutters is remarkable, considering they can cut, mark and etch. The cutting of polyurethane with CO 2 laser systems is characterized by a high level of precision and flexibility. Release Time：2016/06/08 Materials all Browsing Times：2150 . its not safe to breath in anything that's not air. Tool configuration, geometry, and placement, as well as rpm are dependent on what hardness the urethane is and what the operation is. These gasses are used for breathing gasses (space suits, diving, etc). MLT’s laser cut adhesives and tapes are selected based on environmental, thermal, cure, bond strength, chemical resistance, and … The material just outside of the laser's spot or path will conduct some heat but not enough for complete and thorough ablation. Even for larger quantities laser cutting now constitutes a real alternative to conventional processing methods such as die and knife cutters (cutting plotters). My thoughts on 3 possible pitfalls with cutting new/unknown material: Material will absorb all energy and catch fire, or will melt instead of cutting cleanly, Material will emit gasses/particulate that is corrosive, which over time could degrade the machine's electronics/components (Like Chlorine gas). Laser marking, laser engraving and laser cutting polyurethane foam, PUR. Paper, card stock thin Cuts very well on the laser cutter, and also very quickly. The properties of PUR determine how it is used. Laser Cutting - nothing compares to the quality of a laser cut on many materials. More and more companies have come to recognize the benefits of high precision and virtually maintenance-free processing that the tool "laser" has to offer. Foam inlay – laser cutting in the packaging industry, Clean and perfect cut edges - no reworking necessary, No material fixation necessary – thanks to the vacuum table, No cleaning of the knives necessary - no parts stick after cutting, No tool wear so therefore consistently high cutting quality, High degree of flexibility in the choice of contours – without any need for tool construction or changeover, High level of flexibility due to the combined cutting with, Unique choice of different table sizes – suitable for all standard sizes, Processing of very large formats thanks to seamless continuation of cutting. Producing the same gasses that were used in gas chambers seems pretty darn dangerous and like there should be red flags up everywhere. Expanded polystyrene, expanded polyurethane and expanded polyethylene all belong to this category of materials. Numerous types of gaskets and foam parts are easily laser cut with our lasers. Material will emit gasses/particulate that are hazardous or poisonous to life. We would be glad to advise you on the topic of the laser cutting of polyurethane, on our laser systems and special options for the processing of plastic. The parallel use of CO2 lasers and knife inserts on one machine transforms your eurolaser system into a universal cutter. Precise foam cutting with Trotec laser cutters. Etching can be done on almost anything, wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, marble, stone, tile, and glass. As for charring, it often depends very much on the particular material, including contaminants, e.g. But how do you determine what makes up the material you want to laser cut or engrave? or please call for your individual consulting! When in doubt I'll opt not to cut it, but curious if anyone has additional insights. Any life near your ventilation outlet is at risk and this will also contribute to environmental pollution. You can work directly from the design program, which is very important especially in the area of rapid prototyping. #3 I will almost always avoid unless the job is very very small, one-off, and my point-of-exhaust for ventilation is not anywhere that a life form could be impacted. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://www.materialseducation.org/educators/matedu-modules/docs/Laser_Cutter_Materials.pdf, https://www.synrad.com/sites/default/files/2018-07/Laser%20Processing%20Guide%20%28Plastics%29%201.04_0.pdf, https://www.lasercuttingshapes.com/materials/, https://www.eurolaser.com/materials/polyurethane-pur/. The cutting of polyurethane with CO2 laser systems is characterized by a high level of precision and flexibility. This foam is ideal for laser cutting. A wide variety of polyurethane laser cutting options are available to you, such as ccc, iso. Press J to jump to the feed. Do I need any special software to control a eurolaser system? Foams made of polyester (PES), polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PUR) are well suited for laser cutting, laser engraving and laser marking. Can I also cut at a slant with the laser? For example, rigid foam is used in the shoe industry for the soles of shoes, for sponges for domestic use and for insulation purposes. Compared to the complex water jet cutting process, the laser is significantly faster, more flexible and more efficient. Laser Engraving - find out how Epilog's laser engravers can create beautiful engravings . All rights reserved. Cardboard, carton thicker Cuts well but may catch fire. Each and every XT Laser series is capable of marking on tungsten and carbide and the ideal system for your application depends on your marking requirements. A place to share your laser cutter creations, tips, questions and other laser cutter related information. The diverse system sizes from eurolaser are suitable for both large-format textiles and foams and the exact cutting of foil sheets. Laser Cutting - nothing compares to the quality of a laser cut on many materials. Laser Marking - how can you affordably mark metal parts with barcodes and logos? Too much oomph. The diverse system sizes from eurolaser are suitable for both large-format textiles and foams and the exact cutting of foil sheets. Here is a list of materials that are not laserable: Artificial leather containing chromium (VI) Carbon fibers (Carbon) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Polyvinyl butyrale (PVB) Polytetrafluoroethylenes (PTFE /Teflon) Beryllium oxide. Foam is used for many different applications including suitcase inserts or padding, seals and artistic applications like souvenirs or photo frames. How does the way you store acrylic affect the cutting edge? While there was no penetration, it appears that slower cuts or thinner stock would work. Laser processing these materials creates dangerous gases or dust. Particulate left behind in vent system and within the machine could be hazardous if ingested. In the case of 3M Polyurethane Foam, virtually no HAZ is created because the low density foam structure … But the lenses are replaceable, so it is just a matter of making sure you are using the right one. MDF/Engineered woods 1/4" These are okay to use but may experience a higher amount of charring when cut. The materials that the laser can cut materials like wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. This area of thermal affect is often referred to as the heat affected zone or HAZ. The laser cutter has the ability to accurately cut or etch numerous materials such as wood, paper, cork, and some kinds of plastics. Because these metals are so hard, etching or engraving is typically not recommended. I cut it with the plastic sheeting on, which may have burned into the cut discoloring it. The emissions generated by cutting with CO 2 lasers can be filtered by filter systems.In order to continuously expand our sample archive, we can also test your material in our application laboratory and create a detailed report for you. The main materials shops will process will include wood, cardboard, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, tile, … For 1600mW Laser Module, you can use the Fine Tune Work Origin feature to achieve the best cutting result. The laser can cut or etch. 's & Facing Turning, boring, and facing operations can be performed on either a turret or engine lathe. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the lasercutting community. About 8% of these are laser cutting machines, 1% are sheet metal fabrication. Laser Marking - how can you affordably mark metal parts with barcodes and logos? its not safe to breath in anything that's not air. © 2015 - 2019 eurolaser GmbH. Laser etching can produce great results on almost any organic material. We can laser cut open cell and close cell polyurethane foam up to 1″ thick. PUR, PU, Cellasto ®, Elastocoat ®, Elastoflex ®, Elastofoam ®, Elastolit ®, Elastopal ®, Elastopan ®, Elastopor ®, Lupranol ®, Baydur ®, Bayfill ®, Bayflex ®, Baylit ®, Baymer ®, Baytherm ®, Desmodur ®, You will find videos showing the laser cutting of polyurethane at eurolaser.tv. How to Cut Polyurethane Moulding. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is bad news. Other CO2 laser cutters for cutting polyurethane (PUR). This particular laser cutting tool is a popular alternative to other manufacturing tools. Most elastomers vaporize quickly when cut with a laser, resulting in smooth and straight edges with minimal heat … What is confusing about this is that polyurethane is generally considered a very "laser friendly" material to cut (stated all over the place on laser hobbyist and professional websites under acceptable materials). Its properties make polyurethane a versatile material that is very durable, mould and mildew resistant and, depending on manufacture, hard and brittle or soft and flexible. Laser cutting systems are generally superbly suited to the processing of various foams. Even then I'll cringe pretty hard while doing it and I probably should not do it at all. Hier ist unsere Auswahl der besten Laser-Cutter auf dem Markt, sowie alles zum Thema Laserschneiden, was du wissen musst. Polyurethane molding looks nearly identical to wood molding, but is made of a lightweight, polyurethane resin. Eurolaser.com isn't a good source for this kind of thing. Soft foam made of polyurethane is used, for example, for inlays in the packaging industry. Which laser classes apply for eurolaser systems? make sure your ventilation is good and give it a shot. A lot of lasers are sold primarily geared toward etching, so they have a very short focal length. While other sources call polyurethanes safe to cut or recommend it for laser cutting: https://www.lasercuttingshapes.com/materials/ https://www.eurolaser.com/materials/polyurethane-pur/ When in doubt I'll opt not to cut it, but curious if anyone has additional insights. Plywood/Composite woods 1/4" These contain glue, and may not laser cut as well as solid wood. If there's enough oxygen in the air, inert gasses like neon or argon won't do anything whatsoever. These resources caution against cutting polyurethane due to HCN gas: http://www.materialseducation.org/educators/matedu-modules/docs/Laser_Cutter_Materials.pdf https://www.synrad.com/sites/default/files/2018-07/Laser%20Processing%20Guide%20%28Plastics%29%201.04_0.pdf, While other sources call polyurethanes safe to cut or recommend it for laser cutting: https://www.lasercuttingshapes.com/materials/ https://www.eurolaser.com/materials/polyurethane-pur/. Polyurethane is also used for foils and textiles, in particular for technical applications. How does simple compressed air affect the laser cutting process? Polyurethane Material Polyurethane is a friendly material for the laser. Laser Engraving - find out how Epilog's laser engravers can create beautiful engravings . #1 can be mitigated by a few "test fires" while holding a fire extinguisher at ready, but the worst case is messy, #2 I will always avoid because the machines are expensive and high-maintenance as they are. By the 3rd try, the kerf is pretty tight. * The recommended settings might not apply to all situations. Minimizing the energy from where you are today could come from either increasing speed, decreasing power, or both. Yes I realize everything about #3 is bad, and I should feel bad, and I do, which is why I avoid going there as much as possible. … In which case you ideally shouldn't laser cut it, lest you desire your home-made Bhopal disaster (yes, I know, different chemicals). Alibaba.com offers 305 polyurethane laser cutting products. I'm getting some conflicting information when searching for safety information on laser cutting TPU. Acrylate polymers, for example, react especially well to CO2 laser cutting. The parallel use of CO Machining Polyurethanes: Turning O.D. They also say that ABS and PVC are fine. Tungsten and carbide are receptive laser marking metals and laser engraving metals. 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