Acrylic (PMMA, polymethyl methacrylate), also known by brand names including Perspex® and Plexiglas®, is a transparent thermoplastic widely used in various fields. Clear acrylic in sheet form is often used as a lightweight, shatter-resistant and economic alternative to glass. Coloured acrylic finds applications in advertising and signage, architecture, and decoration, where appearance is paramount. Medical, safety, furniture, appliances and industrial applications, such as control panel enclosures, are other uses for this versatile material.
Properties of acrylic
- High transparency: Offers exceptional optical clarity for clear, bright visibility.
- High strength: Provides excellent tensile and impact resistance for durable applications.
- Lightweight: Easy to handle and transport due to its low material weight.
- Weather resistance: Withstands UV exposure, moisture, and high temperatures without significant degradation.
- Chemical resistance: Good tolerance to most dilute acids and bases, although can be dissolved by many organic solvents.
- Processability: Easy to machine, suitable for printing and spraying; well-suited to laser cutting.
Laser cutting of acrylic is a very efficient process, provided that process parameters are optimised. High absorption and low thermal conductivity mean that energy wastage is minimised, and lasers cut complex shapes from acrylic with ease.
Luxinar’s OEM, SCX and SR CO2 lasers, available at wavelengths of 10.6 µm, 10.25 µm, and 9.3 µm, cut acrylic with a perfect flame-polished edge, removing the need for post-processing. The laser sources with powers ranging from 125W to 1000W vaporise the plastic, leaving clean, sharp edges, and can cut a range of thicknesses up to 30mm.
CO2 lasers also provide excellent stability for consistent cutting results, high operating frequencies for a quasi-CW process, and an excellent beam quality (M2 < 1.2) to ensure that cuts exhibit no directionality.
In addition, CO2 lasers are ideal for engraving and marking acrylic. The lasers mark high-quality text and graphics on the surface of the material, achieving a frosted effect on cast acrylic, which is useful for decorative marking.