Acrylic Laser Cutting Services

Acrylic is durable and lightweight plastic with many application-specific properties including UV and chemical resistance, shock absorption, and thermal resistance. As a result, acrylic is widely used across industries for manufacturing parts and components of many shapes and sizes.

An important part of manufacturing is cutting materials to size or into final shapes. Laser cutting is an excellent option for cutting acrylic because it is fast, accurate and precise. National Plastics and Seals offers laser cutting for acrylic along with plastic fabrication capabilities including routing, drilling, bending, and fastening.

Learn more about laser cutting acrylic, its advantages, and applications.

What is Acrylic Laser Cutting?

There are many types of lasers used to cut, etch, or engrave materials; however, CO₂ lasers are commonly used with plastics. This kind of laser can be focused on a very small focal point, concentrating the light and generating high heat that vaporizes the material to cut it.

Laser cutting machines allow for highly accurate and precise cutting because all movements of the laser and all cuts are controlled by a computer program. A computer-aided design (CAD) file for the shape to be cut is loaded into the machine, and that file is used to create the path for the laser across the material. Lasers can make simple or intricate shapes and cuts.

As the laser moves, its concentrated heat is directed to the area to be cut, and a small amount of acrylic is vaporized. The laser’s focal point can be adjusted to remove a wider or more narrow area of material, known as kerf.

Advantages of Acrylic Laser Cutting

There are several advantages to laser cutting for plastic materials, including:

Accuracy and Repeatability

Using laser cutters improves the accuracy and precision of each cut and finished piece. This is because all movements are predetermined based on the CAD drawing of the piece, and they are performed identically over and over. The result is minimal variation between pieces and batches across the entire production run.

Tight Tolerances

Pre-programmed laser cuts are highly accurate and precise, which means they produce pieces that are as close to the dimensions on the part print or drawing as possible.

Automated Manufacturing

Laser cutting is largely an automated process. The most time-consuming and complex parts of the work, moving the laser and gantry or arm that holds it, are controlled by a computer. Workers load and remove sheets of material manually; however, in some situations, even these processes can be automated. Fully and semi-automated laser cutting contribute to fast turnaround times, reduced production costs, and faster time to market.

Increased Production Speed

Acrylic laser cutting is fast because laser machines move quickly based on a computer program. Their speed is usually given in a ratio of length unit per second or minute (i.e. inches per minute or mm per second). Material thickness, laser wattage, kerf, material thermal conductivity, and relative amount of curved or straight lines all influence cutting speed.

Further, because the laser is so concentrated, its heat does not distort, burn, scorch, or otherwise damage the edges of the finished pieces. Instead, the material vaporizes along the cutting line, leaving behind a clean cut that requires little to no additional finishing like sanding or deburring, which saves production time.

Efficient use of Materials

Because all movements of the laser and all cuts are pre-programmed, it’s easier to plan an optimal layout of pieces on each sheet of acrylic. What’s more, because laser cutting has a small kerf measurement and the laser is so concentrated, pieces can be spaced closely without a negative impact on neighboring pieces. All of this allows for making the best use of the sheet and minimizing waste, which saves on production costs.

Applications for Acrylic Laser Cutting

Parts and components cut from acrylic are used in many industries including aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, construction, packaging, medical devices and equipment, chemical equipment, and more. Finished pieces can be laser cut or the laser can be used to cut material to size and shape for further fabrication operations such as bending, drilling, or adding fasteners.

Due to its high precision, accuracy, and efficiency, laser cutting is often used for both complex and delicate applications. Examples include:

  • Screens, shields, covers, and housings in cars, trucks, and aircraft
  • Retail displays, bins, and signs
  • Mats, trays, brackets, and shelf components
  • Electronics components
  • Foam or other flexible seals and gaskets
  • Machine guards and chutes
  • Medical devices and surgical components
  • Prototyping

High-quality Laser Cutting for Acrylic from National Plastics and Seals

National Plastics and Seals is proud to be an industry-leading supplier of precision fabricated and machined acrylic parts. Our services include expert laser cutting and engraving for large and small-volume production.

Contact us to learn more about our plastic laser cutting services or request a quote to discuss the requirements of your next project.