We have access to a BOSS laser cutter and are considering whether to use it cut Delrin for plates as an alternative for waterjet-cut aluminum. We will still have access to the waterjet, but want a backup in case of maintenance issues and to spread out the load.
I did some searching on CD and saw mentions of fire and fume issues. How difficult is it to safely cut Delrin with a laser-cutter? Is this a mentor-only task? Or could students do it with reasonable supervision?
Thanks!
(Edit: I am pretty sure that the unit has external venting installed and working, but will definitely check that first)
It is very easy and relatively safe to cut delrin on a laser. It is not a mentor-only task, but students should be safety-trained with the tool before being allowed to use it.
As with most plastic lasercutting, the most important thing is to ensure you have a proper system to vent the fumes outdoors. This means an exhaust into a fume hood or out the window.
You should not have any issues with fires if you follow material guides and err on the side of high-speed, multiple-pass cuts. I’ve only seen a laser-induced delrin fire once, and it was when explicitly testing the maximum depth of cut of the machine on very thick plastic.
Concur with . Laser cutting in general is totally safe for responsible students that are properly trained. Ventilation is key when cutting any plastic based material. Lexan will generate a nasty yellow/green gas. If I recall delin wasn’t nearly as bad but still don’t want to breathe it in.
Depending on ur level of access, I highly recommend using a laser cutter to quickly cut prototypes out of cheap wood. Makes it very easy to CAD and test a design and very cheap.
I probably wouldn’t replace most aluminum with delrin. While delrin is easy and safe to cut, it is still far from the strength and rigidity of al. I’d test before running it on a competition robot.
Delrin burns with an almost colorless flame that cannot be seen through a tinted window on a laser machine. Ask me how I know… It was really weird, even after pulling it out of the machine, I couldn’t see the flame, but a hole in the middle of the sheet was just opening up bigger and bigger as it was burning and melting. And I recall it not being real easy to put out either. Anyhow, you need to have a good air assist to keep any flame down, and then you should be fine. In the time when I set it on fire, I think we didn’t have the air on, or it wasn’t very strong.
. Laser cutting in general is totally safe for responsible students that are properly trained. Ventilation is key when cutting any plastic based material. Lexan will generate a nasty yellow/green gas. If I recall delin wasn’t nearly as bad but still don’t want to breathe it in.