Laser Cutter Materials
To have a material approved please contact the committee with material information/data sheets.
Approved Materials
Cutting
- Solid wood sheets
- Plywood - not marine ply
- MDF
- Non PVC composite woods
- Paper/Card
- Cardboard
- Foamboard - non PVC or other banned material
- Acrylic / Plexiglas / PMMA
- Acetal / Delryn / POM
- Non PVC rubber (such as EPDM)
- Cotton/Hemp based textiles
- Polyester textiles
- Untreated real leather
- Magnetic sheet
The following materials may be used but are not advisable:
- Polypropylene (PP) - may melt and/or catch fire, needs to be watched carefully
- Pure PLA - not PLA+ varieties including silk PLA, tough PLA, etc. May melt rather than cut well
- Non coated carbon fibre weave / twill - not the finished composite
Engraving
- Any material approved for cutting - however not all will produce good results
Plus:
- Anodised Aluminium
- Glass
- Ceramic
- Stone/Slate
Banned Materials
The following materials are banned for safety reasons, because they give off highly toxic fumes, are a fire risk, or may damage the machine.
- PVC/Vinyl - releases Chlorine which will damage the laser
- Polycarbonate
- ABS
- Polyethylene (PE / HDPE)
- Styrene / Polystyrene / HIPS
- Polyethylene (PET / PETG)
- Nylon (PA)
- Treated or coated real leather
- Vegan leather
- Epoxy and similar resin materials
- Carbon fibre composite
- Fibreglass - both raw glass fibre and finished composite
- Any other material containing Bromine (Br), Chlorine (Cl), Flourine (F), or Iodine (I) in its chemical formula
- Any other material containing a CN bond (Carbon-Nitrogen) in its chemical formula
- Any other material advertised as fireproof / flame retardant
- Any metals, other than engraving anodised Aluminium
- Food - do not eat anything out of the laser cutter