10 Best Plastics for Laser Cutting
You’ve just unboxed your new laser cutter. You’ve calibrated the mirrors, focused the lens, and now you’re staring at a stack of various plastic sheets, ready to bring your designs to life. It’s a moment of pure creative potential. But it’s also a moment of hidden danger. While a laser can slice through some plastics […]
What is Fiber Laser Cutting: Definition, Process, Parameters & Types
For years, the soundtrack of my shop was the low, powerful hum of a CO2 laser. It was a reliable, albeit cantankerous, workhorse. Cutting mild steel was its bread and butter, but the moment you showed it a sheet of aluminum or brass, it would throw a tantrum. The beam would reflect, the cut would […]
Can you laser mark aluminum?
I’ve seen it a hundred times. A bright-eyed designer comes to me with a beautiful, brushed aluminum enclosure. “I just need a logo on it,” they say, “My desktop laser can handle it, right?” I then have to gently explain that they might as well be trying to get a sunburn with a mirror. Aluminum, […]
How strong of a laser to cut acrylic?
In my 25 years on the factory floor, I’ve seen acrylic used for everything from delicate artistic inlays to rugged machine guards. It’s a wonderfully versatile material—beautiful, clear, and strong. But I’ve also seen more beginners ruin more sheets of acrylic than almost any other material. They come to me frustrated, holding a piece of […]
How do you calculate plasma cutting cost?
I’ve been running a fabrication shop for over 25 years. In that time, I’ve seen bright-eyed entrepreneurs buy a brand-new CNC plasma table, dazzled by its ability to tear through thick steel like a hot knife through butter. They see the speed, they see the capability, and they think they’ve found a golden goose. Six […]
How to Select the Ideal Laser Cutter for Stainless Steel Sheets?
The Million-Dollar Mistake: Why Not All Lasers Are Created Equal Let’s get one thing straight. Asking “which laser cutter is best for stainless steel” is like asking a master chef “which knife is best.” The real answer is, “It depends entirely on what you’re trying to do.” But in the world of laser cutting, the […]
Which is Cheaper: Plasma or Laser Cutting?
As an engineer who has spent the last two decades managing a rapid manufacturing floor, I’ve been in the room for dozens of high-stakes investment decisions. None comes up more frequently, or with more confusion, than this one: “For our next CNC cutting table, do we buy a plasma cutter or a fiber laser?” It’s […]
Stop Ruining Parts: An Engineer’s Guide to Laser Marking, Engraving & Etching
Process Mechanism Surface Interaction Typical Depth Laser Marking Annealing: A chemical change below the surface. Leaves the surface perfectly smooth and intact. Effectively zero (sub-surface effect). Laser Etching Melting & Expanding: High-power laser melts the surface, which expands and roughens. Creates a raised, textured feel. 10-25 microns (0.0004″-0.001″). Laser Engraving Vaporizing: High-power laser physically removes (vaporizes) material. Creates […]
Fix Burnt Edges & Bad Cuts: An Engineer’s Laser Cutting Guide for Metal & Paper
In the 25 years I’ve been running this factory, I’ve seen technologies come and go. Fads flare up, promise to change everything, and then fade into obscurity. But the industrial laser cutter? It’s different. It’s the one tool on my floor that has become more essential, more versatile, and more profitable with each passing year. […]
The Laser Cutter’s Material Cheat Sheet: What to Use & What Will Wreck Your Machine
“So, what can you cut with that thing?” It’s the first question everyone asks when they see the gantry of our multi-kilowatt fiber laser moving at a blistering 200 inches per second, slicing through a half-inch steel plate like it’s butter. It seems like a simple question, but in my 25 years of running a […]
