Laser Engraving and Precision Board HDU

Laser engraving of Precision Board HDU

Laser engraving a 2″x2″ Coastal Enterprises logo on PBLT-15.

We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about whether or not Precision Board HDU can be laser engraved.  It absolutely can!  We decided to take a closer look at laser cutters in general and how they interact with our HDU material.  Our good friend Jim Dawson from Synergy Sign & Graphics LLC tested out his 75 watt Vytek laser cutter on a few different densities of Precision Board HDU and sent us the results.

Jim used his eight year old laser at 100% power, and though it works really well, he thought the newer machines would work faster.  He did two passes at 30 inches per second on the PBLT-15. Changed to 10 inches per second with two passes on the PBLT-18.  “I ran two passes on the 15 lb. to see how deep it would cut the material, then changed it to one pass on the PBLT-30 and three passes on the PBLT-40 at the slower speed so I could get better detail on the higher densities.  You’re not going to get a ton of detail in the lower densities, so if that’s what you’re looking for, start at the 30 pound density or higher depending on what you’re going after.”


Jim prefers the laser for projects requiring finite detail, especially on smaller size designs.  “Anytime you’re doing something super small, you can use laser. You can also have text that is very small.  We had some pretty impressive results in the PBLT-30 and PBLT-40 samples engraving a 4” by 4” Coastal Enterprises logo.”


Some benefits of laser cutters:

  • Lasers are extremely versatile, able to cut a wide variety of materials and need no additional setup, i.e. chemical additives or post processing.
  • Ease of use, with software packages compatible with most graphics programs.
  • Low energy consumption and speedier processing times.
  • Minimal equipment maintenance with low wear and tear due to no-contact process.
  • Extreme precision and detail.
  • Reduced waste and by-product because output is vapors which can be exhausted or ventilated with an air-filtration system.
  • Consistent quality level due to ability to save parameters of specific jobs and materials in database.
  • No material finishing required.

Source: “Advantages of lasers versus other methods of cutting, marking and engraving signs”

Laser engraving of Precision Board

Laser engraving a 4″x4″ Coastal Enterprises logo on PBLT-40.

You may be concerned with the toxicity of using lasers on Precision Board, but you shouldn’t be.  According to a study conducted by Universal Laser Systems on the effluent created from laser cutting several different densities of Precision Board indicated that, “the effluent stream is primarily composed of carbon monoxide, acetone, propene, and acetonitrile.  The concentration of the detected compounds did not exceed their respective OSHA PEL at any level of filtration during this study.”  Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) are federal regulations that dictate safe chemical exposure levels.

You can read more HERE about the testing methods used and see photos of the various densities after laser-cutting.

Precision Board is perfect for laser cutting and engraving, so get out there and laser it up! Laser cutting foam HDU is a great processing method, so click here for a free sample and start laser cutting Precision Board today.

 

Laser Cutting Foam Precision Board: OSHA Approved, Highly Effective

LaserStreetMap

Laser cutting wood

Laser Cutting Foam Precision Board with Universal Laser Systems

For those with access to the necessary equipment, lasers can be an effective means of cutting, engraving, and marking various materials. High power, high-wavelength Carbon Dioxide lasers are widely used for material processing, namely for their versatility and relatively low cost as compared to solid-state laser systems. CO2 lasers are ideal for projects that require cuts or engravings so precise that they prevent the use of hand tools, or even a CNC router. But with such a volatile cutting technology, extra precautions need to be observed to ensure the safety of the laser operator. With this in mind, we set out to test the limits of our Precision Board Plus. Not only did we want to ensure that Precision Board could be effectively processed using a CO2 laser, we wanted to prove that it was completely safe to do so. So we turned to Universal Laser Systems to give us a hand with laser cutting foam HDU.

laser cutting foam

When any material is burned and vaporized, it gives off certain gaseous byproducts called effluent. Since CO2 lasers cut and engrave by literally burning through the material with focused beams of light, the laser operator is always in close proximity to the effluent, and usually in an enclosed space. If the released gasses have any harmful properties, this could pose a serious hazard to the operator’s safety. For our tests, we wanted to ensure that the effluent byproducts of Precision Board did not exceed OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL), federal regulations that dictate safe chemical exposure levels.

laser cutting foam Precision Board

Size comparison of laser-cut Precision Board pieces

For the tests, we chose to use a selection of densities of Precision Board to achieve the most accurate results. To test the efficacy of cutting and engraving, we chose to use our lightest density, PBLT-4, and one of our most popular signage densities, PBLT-15. This would give us a good idea of the surface definition and cut precision we could achieve with Precision Board, as it will only improve with denser material. For the OSHA PEL test we chose our heaviest material, PBHT-75. Because of the high density, it would release the maximum amount of effluent when laser processed. If the PBHT-75 passed the PEL test, we knew that every lighter density would pass as well, since every density of Precision Board is identical in chemical composition. Universal Laser Systems used their PLS6.150D CO2 laser system for every test in conjunction with air assist, a honeycomb cutting table, and dual-laser configuration.

laser cutting foam Precision Board

PBHT-75

I won’t leave you in suspense: Precision Board passed every test with flying colors. For the OSHA PEL test on PBHT-75, Universal Laser Systems used a sophisticated RTGA Mass Spectrometer and a carbon monoxide detector to monitor the levels of effluent at all times during testing. They noted the following in their report: “The concentration of the detected compounds did not exceed their respective OSHA PEL at any level of filtration during this study.” It’s official, and we have the lab report to back it up: Laser cutting foam Precision Board is completely safe.

laser cutting foam Precision Board

PBLT-4

laser cutting foam Precision Board

PBLT-4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

laser cutting foam Precision Board

PBLT-15

laser cutting foam Precision Board

PBLT-15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

laser cutting foam Precision Board

PBHT-75

laser cutting foam Precision Board

PBHT-75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the cutting and engraving tests, you can see for yourself how they turned out. The level of detail achieved on every sample is simply incredible. Even the ultra-lightweight PBLT-4 can be engraved to a high degree of precision and surface detail. PBLT-15 and PBHT-75 performed even better, and their higher densities will allow for greater durability over a longer period. The word is finally in: Precision Board is perfect for laser cutting and engraving, so get out there and laser it up! Laser cutting foam HDU is a great processing method, so click here for a free sample and start laser cutting Precision Board today.