This is a brand new website, and we really would welcome comments. Please get in touch and tell us what you think
Plastics - where do we start?! There are literally hundreds of different type of plastic / polymer, and new ones are being developed on an almost daily basis.There are two main types of plastic - thermosetting - plastics which cure and set when heated, and thermosoftening - plastics which melt when heated and can be re-formed into different shapes. As a rough rule of thumb thermosoftening plastics laser cut much more cleanly than thermosetting materials.
Most plastics will laser cut...
However there are some serious limitations with regard to Health & Safety. Although we have the best extraction and filtration systems available we still limit the plastics we cut to the ones we know are relatively safe. These include Acrylic, Polypropylene, Polycarbonate, Nylon, LDPE / HDPE, HIPS and Mylar. The list is not exhaustive, but gives you an idea of the range we stock and cut. Edge quality of laser cut plastic is, on the whole, excellent - for example we can laser cut acrylic with a polished edge to give a finished component with no secondary polishing required. Typical applications range from Acrylic Jewellery through full Point-of Sale systems, to engineered components.
- Examples
- Technical
- Quality
A close-up of a 10mm thick Clear Acrylic Window Screen. Acrylic is a fantastic material to cut - the amount of detail is very high, the edge quality excellent, and there are some really bright fun colours - makes a difference after cutting grey steel for hours on end!
We stock a huge range of colours in Acrylic - ask us for our latest stock list. We can also get most other colours, or you can supply your own material and let us cut it for you. We can even store unused material for you until you need more cutting done.
A coaster cut in 3 different colours. Laser Cutting is so accurate the parts are a tight push fit - no glue was required. You can also see where we've engraved the blue acrylic - this is an excellent promotional item, and a great way of getting your message across.
A laser cut & engraved 3mm thick red acrylic Christmas tree. We cut lots of these every year for companies to send to their clients in place of cards - we have about 20 different designs on file, or clients design their own, and these usually have the company logo and message engraved on the surface.
A clear acrylic stencil laser cut and engraved. Clear acrylic looks fabulous when cut as the edge is almost of a flame polished quality.
Maximum Component Size |
3000x1500mm |
Minimum Component Size |
Very Small - depends on material thickness |
Maximum Thickness |
25mm Acrylic, others - please ask (it really varies!) |
Minimum Thickness |
<0.5mm |
Minimum Detail |
Detail can usually be around 10% of material thickness, but this does vary with the type of plastic. |
General Cutting Tolerance |
>3mm - +/-0.1mm |
Effects of Thermal Cutting |
Cut edge quality varies by type, but on the whole is excellent. There can be stress raisers formed in the cut edge with certain materials. |
Common Grades Stocked |
Polypropylene, Polycarbonate, Nylon, LDPE / HDPE, Mylar. |
Common Sheet Sizes |
2000x1500mm, 3000x1000m |
Common Applications |
Sign, Display, Decorative Panels, Point-of-sale, Promotional Items, Jewellery - the list goes on! |
A close-up of the edge of laser cut glass effect acrylic (it has a green tint added to look like plate glass). Edge quality is excellent, and for most applications you don't need to flame or diamond polish.