Laser settings by material and machine
Quick answer
Community starting points for power, speed and passes, per material and machine class. There are 30 tables in this set, each one worked through for a specific combination.
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10 W diode settings: basswood plywood, 3 mm
A 10 W diode cuts basswood plywood at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 250 mm/min in 3 passes. Treat that as a starting point and...
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20 W diode settings: basswood plywood, 3 mm
A 20 W diode cuts basswood plywood at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 350 mm/min in 2 passes. Treat that as a starting point and...
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40 W CO2 settings: basswood plywood, 3 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts basswood plywood at 3 mm using about 60 percent power and 900 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and test...
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10 W diode settings: basswood plywood, 6 mm
A 10 W diode cannot cut basswood plywood at 6 mm, but it engraves it at around 30 percent power and 3000 mm/min....
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20 W diode settings: basswood plywood, 6 mm
A 20 W diode cuts basswood plywood at 6 mm using about 100 percent power and 180 mm/min in 4 passes. Treat that as a starting point and...
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40 W CO2 settings: basswood plywood, 6 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts basswood plywood at 6 mm using about 75 percent power and 450 mm/min in 2 passes. Treat that as a starting point and te...
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10 W diode settings: birch plywood, 3 mm
A 10 W diode cuts birch plywood at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 200 mm/min in 3 passes. Treat that as a starting point and te...
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20 W diode settings: birch plywood, 3 mm
A 20 W diode cuts birch plywood at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 300 mm/min in 2 passes. Treat that as a starting point and te...
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40 W CO2 settings: birch plywood, 3 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts birch plywood at 3 mm using about 65 percent power and 800 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and test on...
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10 W diode settings: mdf, 3 mm
A 10 W diode cuts mdf at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 180 mm/min in 4 passes. Treat that as a starting point and test on an o...
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20 W diode settings: mdf, 3 mm
A 20 W diode cuts mdf at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 280 mm/min in 2 passes. Treat that as a starting point and test on an o...
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40 W CO2 settings: mdf, 3 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts mdf at 3 mm using about 70 percent power and 700 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and test on an offcut...
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10 W diode settings: cast acrylic, clear, 3 mm
A 10 W diode can neither cut nor engrave cast acrylic, clear at 3 mm. Clear acrylic is transparent at 445 nm, so a diode laser cannot c...
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20 W diode settings: cast acrylic, clear, 3 mm
A 20 W diode can neither cut nor engrave cast acrylic, clear at 3 mm. Clear acrylic is transparent at 445 nm, so a diode laser cannot c...
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40 W CO2 settings: cast acrylic, clear, 3 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts cast acrylic, clear at 3 mm using about 65 percent power and 450 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and t...
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10 W diode settings: cast acrylic, black, 3 mm
A 10 W diode cuts cast acrylic, black at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 120 mm/min in 4 passes. Treat that as a starting point ...
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20 W diode settings: cast acrylic, black, 3 mm
A 20 W diode cuts cast acrylic, black at 3 mm using about 100 percent power and 200 mm/min in 3 passes. Treat that as a starting point ...
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40 W CO2 settings: cast acrylic, black, 3 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts cast acrylic, black at 3 mm using about 65 percent power and 450 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and t...
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10 W diode settings: vegetable tanned leather, 2 mm
A 10 W diode cuts vegetable tanned leather at 2 mm using about 90 percent power and 300 mm/min in 2 passes. Treat that as a starting po...
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20 W diode settings: vegetable tanned leather, 2 mm
A 20 W diode cuts vegetable tanned leather at 2 mm using about 85 percent power and 500 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting poin...
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40 W CO2 settings: vegetable tanned leather, 2 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts vegetable tanned leather at 2 mm using about 45 percent power and 1200 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point...
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10 W diode settings: slate coaster, 6 mm
A 10 W diode cannot cut slate coaster at 6 mm, but it engraves it at around 100 percent power and 1200 mm/min. Slate is marked, never c...
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20 W diode settings: slate coaster, 6 mm
A 20 W diode cannot cut slate coaster at 6 mm, but it engraves it at around 80 percent power and 1800 mm/min. Slate is marked, never cu...
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40 W CO2 settings: slate coaster, 6 mm
A 40 W CO2 cannot cut slate coaster at 6 mm, but it engraves it at around 60 percent power and 2500 mm/min. Slate is marked, never cut....
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10 W diode settings: anodised aluminium, 1 mm
A 10 W diode cannot cut anodised aluminium at 1 mm, but it engraves it at around 100 percent power and 800 mm/min. A diode bleaches the...
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20 W diode settings: anodised aluminium, 1 mm
A 20 W diode cannot cut anodised aluminium at 1 mm, but it engraves it at around 70 percent power and 1500 mm/min. A diode bleaches the...
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40 W CO2 settings: anodised aluminium, 1 mm
A 40 W CO2 can neither cut nor engrave anodised aluminium at 1 mm. A diode bleaches the anodised dye layer, which is marking rather tha...
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10 W diode settings: card stock, 0.3 mm
A 10 W diode cuts card stock at 0.3 mm using about 45 percent power and 1500 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and test ...
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20 W diode settings: card stock, 0.3 mm
A 20 W diode cuts card stock at 0.3 mm using about 30 percent power and 2200 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and test ...
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40 W CO2 settings: card stock, 0.3 mm
A 40 W CO2 cuts card stock at 0.3 mm using about 18 percent power and 3500 mm/min in 1 pass. Treat that as a starting point and test on...