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The laser cutter we have is a ULS PLS6.150D laser. You can save some time and money by setting up your artwork on your home computer and uploading the resulting .emf file into the laser cutter's computer. You can do this by downloading and installing the laser print driver on your home computer. The drivers are available for download here http://www.ulsinc.com/support/software-downloads. Pick UCP Installer and follow the prompts for a PLS 6.150D. You should add the two 50W CO2 laser sources to get more accurate cut time estimates under the systems tab. Next, you will print your artwork to the PLS 6.150D from your art software. Check that both lasers are selected. You then will click on the file folder icon located at the top middle of the main laser print driver screen. A dialog box should appear. Use the export to save your file to a thumb drive. When you get to the laser cutter computer open the laser print driver, click on the file folder icon and then import the .emf file. Click on the select button and you should be ready to run your file on the laser cutter.
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The ULS website has a great materials list for what materials are good and bad not so good to laser here http://www.ulsinc.com/materials/
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Book by logging into Makersmith.org and selecting Members Only Content and then Laser Calendar Reservations. If you have any issue just email us at: at lasercutter@makersmiths.org
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| Material | Max thickness | Notes | WARNINGS! |
|---|---|---|---|
| Many woods | 1/4" | Avoid oily/resinous woods | Be very careful about cutting oily woods, or very resinous woods as they also may catch fire. |
| Plywood/Composite woods | 1/4" | These contain glue, and may not laser cut as well as solid wood. | |
| MDF/Engineered woods | 1/4" | These are okay to use but may experience a higher amount of charring when cut. | |
| Paper, card stock | thin | Cuts very well on the laser cutter, and also very quickly. | |
| Cardboard, carton | thicker | Cuts well but may catch fire. | Watch for fire. |
| Cork | 1/4" | Cuts nicely, but the quality of the cut depends on the thickness and quality of the cork. Engineered cork has a lot of glue in it, and may not cut as well. | Avoid thicker cork. |
| Acrylic/Lucite/Plexiglas/PMMA | 1/2" | Cuts extremely well leaving a beautifully polished edge. | |
| Thin Polycarbonate Sheeting (<1mm) | <1mm | Very thin polycarbonate can be cut , but tends to discolor badly. Extremely thin sheets (0.5mm and less) may cut with yellowed/discolored edges. Polycarbonate absorbs IR strongly , and is a poor material to use in the laser cutter. | Watch for smoking/burning |
| Delrin (POM) | thin | Delrin comes in a number of shore strengths (hardness) and the harder Delrin tends to work better. Great for gears! | |
| Kapton tape (Polyimide) | 1/16" | Works well, in thin sheets and strips like tape. | |
| Mylar | 1/16" | Works well if it's thin. Thick mylar has a tendency to warp, bubble, and curl | Gold-coated mylar will not work. |
| Solid Styrene | 1/16" | Smokes a lot when cut, but can be cut. | Keep it thin. |
| Depron foam | 1/4" | Used a lot for a hobby, RC aircraft, architectural models, and toys. 1/4" cuts nicely, with a smooth edge. | Must be constantly monitored. |
| Gator foam | Foam core gets burned and eaten away compared to the top and bottom hard paper shell. | Not a fantastic thing to cut, but it can be cut if watched. | |
| Cloth/felt/hemp/cotton | They all cut well. Our "advanced" laser training class teaches lace-making. | Not plastic coated or impregnated cloth! | |
| Leather/Suede | 1/8" | Leather is very hard to cut, but can be if it's thinner than a belt (call it 1/8"). Our "Advanced" laser training class covers this. | Real leather only!Not'pleather' or other imitations! |
| Magnetic Sheet | Cuts beautifully | ||
| NON-CHLORINE-containing rubber | Fine for cutting. | Beware chlorine-containing rubber! | |
| Teflon (PTFE) | thin | Cuts OK in thin sheets | |
| Carbon fiber mats/weave that has not had epoxy applied | Can be cut, very slowly. | You must not cut carbon fiber that has been coated!! | |
| Coroplast ('corrugated plastic') | 1/4" | Difficult because of the vertical strips. Three passes at 80% power, 7% speed, and it will be slightly connected still at the bottom from the vertical strips. |
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