Lightobject.com Support Forum

I was trying to cut some 1/8" lexan (polycarbonate) on my 40W laser today and I am getting very bad results. The laser is only getting about 2/3 of the way through and is leaving a lot of burning on the surface. I have tried fast and slow speeds and high and low power settings. I have tried with a lot of air assist and with a little, but nothing is satisfactory. Is there something going on with my laser or is the problem that I am using lexan instead of acrylic?

Lexan usually needs a considerable amount of power (not to mention that it gives off chlorine gas when cut unless you have some stuff that was specifically made without chlorides).

Lexan won't give a nice cut unless it has very high power anyway (regardless of it's toxic effects). Just avoid it altogether.

Thanks Axe. did some more searching online and as you said, lexan does not cut well at all. Bought some acrylic and that cuts like a hot laser through butter with a beautiful edge. Hmmm, custom cut butter pats in heart shape with initials for wedding dinners....

There has been talk, since I haven't actually done it...that if you take a blowtorch quickly to the cut edge of your acrylic it will re-firm it back up and polish the edges.

Apparently the laser cut edge makes it quite brittle and it needs a bit of annealing. Just some food for thought.

I have done that before to saw cut plastic, but not sure if it was acrylic or lexan.

I've had the same issues cutting Lexan, and I eventually gave up and switched to plain acrylic instead. No issues there!