The laser cutter is an ideal way of making custom parts out of many sheet materials. To create a part all you have to do is draw the part in a suitable computer program (AutoCad, CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, TurboCad, etc.), insert the materials into the Laser, and send the drawing to the Laser. In minutes your drawing is turned into a real part. To create identical parts all you have to do is keep inserting material into the machine.
With our Laser cutting service we can quickly create accurately cut parts that would be extremely difficult to duplicate by any other method. Your part can have smooth curves, minute details, and even engraved details, part numbers, text, and logos.
Materials
We can laser cut;
Acrylic, acetate, Lexan, and other sheet plastics
Fabrics from silk to denim
Glass fibre
Leather and suede
Paper, card, and cardboard
Polyester and Mylar sheeting
Wood, plywood, Masonite, and veneer
We cannot laser cut;
Carbon fibre
Glass
Metals
PVC / Vinyl
We can supply Baltic Birch ply, Lexan, and acrylic, and can quickly obtain most other sheet plastic materials from our suppliers (minimum quantities may apply). If you wish you can also ship your materials to us or have them drop shipped to us from your supplier.
Applications
Due to the incredible versatility of this process and the range of materials that can be processed the following list is not all-inclusive but rather a sample of what can be done with the Laser Engraver/Cutter.
It does not make coffee but we can cut a hole in a coffee bean to make a scented coffee bean necklace or bracelet!
If there is something you want to make and it involves cutting one of the materials we can process then we can cut it for you. If you have any questions about what we can do or how the process can be used to make your parts please sent us an email.
Pricing
No set-up fee.
Drawing is $60 / hour with a 1/2 hour minimum.
$2.00 per minute of laser cutting time, billed in 0.1-minute increments with a $20 minimum / job. The machine cuts 1/8" acrylic at a little under two seconds per inch, and it cuts 1/8" Lexan at about three seconds per inch.
For larger jobs (order totalling over 2 hours and repeat production runs) we offer a lower per minute cost.
Orders paid by PayPal, money order, bank draft, or certified cheque will be added to the production schedule immediately and shipped within 5 business days.
Orders paid by personal cheque will be held until the cheque clears and will then be added to the production schedule. No order will be processed before receiving payment in full.
Rush orders (24 - 48 hours from payment to shipping) can be accommodated for most orders (subject to a usable drawing being supplied or on file and the availability of materials). $4.00 per minute with a $100.00 minimum. Sorry, the production staff likes to eat dinner with their families and sleep occasionally too, or be compensated for the imposition.
Shipping costs start at only $0.90, and we do not charge a handling fee. You can select from Canada Post, UPS, FedEx, or CanPar for delivery service.
How to
The process starts with a drawing of your part(s) in a file format that the Laser can understand. Usable formats include .dxf, .cdr, .ai, and many other vector file formats. If in doubt most drawing programs allow you to save as / export .dxf format files. If you do not have a computer drawing of your part you can mail or email a drawing or sketch along with the required sizes and we can draw it for you.
Once you have a design you can email it to us and we will send you an estimate of the costs. Upon receiving your approval and payment in full we will cut and ship your part to you.
Tips for Preparing Files for Laser Cutting
If you create your design using a program such as CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, AutoCad, or TurboCAD, here are some tips for designing your parts;
Draw all parts full size.
Use thin black lines (.001") where you want the laser to cut; the laser will cut down the centre of the lines.
Include a 1" square for a size reference, and include just the outline of your parts.
Remove all fills and duplicated lines!
Include only one copy of each unique part and indicate how many of each you need.
Leave enough space around each part so that we can easily select them to create the cutting pattern.
You may want to adjust your drawing for the kerf (the thickness of the laser beam), which is about 0.005". The preferred method of doing this is to draw your part to the required size and then save both the original drawing and a cutting path copy. Edit the cutting path copy by creating an offset of .0025" to the outside of parts (or to the inside of holes) and then deleting the original lines.
Note that the absolute accuracy of the part may vary slightly depending on the material and its thickness.
The largest part we can cut is 18" X 32". If the part doesn't fit in an 18" X 32" box in your drawing program it will not fit in the Laser either!
Text, thick lines, bit maps, and fills (shaded areas) will be engraved. Note that if a shaded figure has a thin outline the laser will engrave the area and then cut along the outline.
Limitations
The largest part we can laser cut is 18" X 32".
Plastic thickness is nominal and can vary by + or -10%.
The laser cuts at a slight taper. Due to the taper, one side of a laser-cut part (the side that the beam hits first) will have a slightly wider kerf (cut width) than the opposite side. The taper is almost unnoticeable in 1/8" material and more noticeable on thicker material. Note that this is not the case for Acrylic, which cuts with a vertical edge up to 1/2" thick.
The kerf (the thickness of the laser beam) is about 0.005". See tips above to learn how to adjust for the kerf.
The edges of some materials including lexan, wood, and paper may be discoloured by smoke or charring. The thicker the material the more discolouration there will be.
The accuracy of the cut will be +/- .002".
If you have any questions about having a Laser cut part made, please contact us.
