Eye protection ... Acrylic color - LightBurn Software Forum

Hope this is an appropriate question.

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I want to set up a 12 x 12 shield to protect my eyes from the laser.
It is a blue diode 30W laser in the range of 450nm wavelength.
The safety glasses that came with it were a dark green.
Will a sheet of 1/8" dark green acrylic (plexiglass) provide proper protection?

If not what color os acrylic should I use?

It is strange there are no videos on you tube about this.
Is there a chart or reference somewhere on the internet.

I have a bad habit of wanting to watch the laser in action.

Why would the manufacture include dark green glasses with the laser if they are not effective?
I see the light shield on some other blue diode laser modules are red … are they ineffective also?
I have ordered a sheet of orange acrylic from ebay and will follow the suggestions given here.
Thank for your replys and help.

@spiritburner

You called it…

Money. There is no regulation by our government. They put in honeycomb beds…

There are a number of videos around on laser safety.

Some people are driven by fright, not logic or reason. Like much of our legislation. Some of these people are so scared of their machines, I wonder why they own them.

The first thing I did was disable the door since my heads in it most of the time.

You want to stay safe with anything, understand how it works. The only time I lower the top is when the ventilation needs a helping hand and then it’s open about an inch.

Oz edit - The advice that follows is ONLY relevant for CO2 lasers, not diode lasers: I wear glasses, they are polycarbonate and can be cut with the laser, and are therefore safe to block ir emissions of a co2 machine.

If you are purchasing this from a manufacturer, they can tell you what light it will transmit. Pretty much if you can see the actual beam, that material won’t help you much. With ir it’s a little more difficult but any polycarbonate or acrylic will make good eye protection.

If this stuff wasn’t operational without all the safety equipment, you couldn’t fix it or work on it. The safety stuff is generally there for the operator. Anything that moves like a cnc is potentially dangerous.

Pretty much like “Don’t look into the laser beam with remaining eye.”

Whom do you know that’s actually had damage from a laser?

About 10% of the people I know have a laser. More of them have been hurt working around the home or in a car than the injuries from lasers. Some have even put their eye out and lost fingers with power equipment, all much more serious than any of the laser owners injuries.

Some of the K40 people have put their finger in the beam path before the lens. Claimed it was like a cigarette burn. I think that’s being an idiot.

I don’t like to feel pain, so I keep my fingers out of the machine when it’s running.

In the end, it’s all relative.

I know how they work and don’t fear them, just use common sense when I work around them.

And while we’re at it, a little PSA:

If you blue laser came with those green glasses, throw them out and get at least the red ones if you don’t want to spend the money on proper safety goggles.

I can still see blue LEDs as being blue with the green glasses, I would not want to be in the same room as my lasers with them.

(BTW, I still keep the red glasses around for emergencies, but I got a couple of $9.99 webcams and pause the lasers when I need to get into the room. I trust my walls to block laser light much more than any glasses…)

I have a flash curtain over my window in the workshop as I tend to do quite long burns, say up to 100 4 inch circles at a time with cutouts so 30 to 45 minutes running time with setup, I also have lights on the door which are lit up when I go in, they are not connected to the laser, having them on all the times helps with no one coming in to room. I also have some labels on the door about wearing the goggles hanging on the door if you want to come in, but knock first. so far the kids have kept have obeyed the rules and my wife doesnt come in anyway as its not neat enough for her minimalistic way of life. My shop My rules…

Do you need a stencil? An insulation sheet? A seal or protective cover? Or a flexible lampshade? In short, a foil, cut according to your own design? In this blog, you can read which foils you can have laser cut and which are suitable for your application.

What is a foil?

We're talking about thin plastics (100 microns to about 1mm) and other "nonmetals" that you can easily bend and sometimes fold without breaking. Flexibility varies by material but depends mostly on thickness. The thinner a material, the easier you can bend it. Therefore, as long as they are very thin, you can sometimes consider rigid materials such as acrylic as films.

Why laser cut foil?

With laser cutting, you can make small details and complex shapes have them cut into foils. The start-up costs are low so it is also interesting for prototyping and one-off projects. The cutting width of the laser is about 0.1mm so you can sharp corners can be made. Because laser cutting is a non-contact technique, no force is applied to the film during the cutting process. As a result small details of your design remain intact. Finally, there is a minimum "heat affected zone" (the stretch along the edge where the material is affected by the laser). That is, the edges remain neat and strong. All in all, this makes it perfectly possible to make details on the order of 1mm and sometimes less. 

Laser cutting a film according to your design is very simple. With your digital design, you can request a price from us in just a few clicks and, if desired, order online. So you never have to wait for a quote and you can quickly see what design adjustments will do to the price. When you're ready to order, you can do it yourself online.

What does it cost to have a foil laser cut?

TLDR; from about €20 you will have a custom laser cut film in your home. In quantities, the price can drop to €0.05 per part.

The price for laser cutting consists of:

• Price per m² of material - Usually the cost of materials is a small factor in the price. Material costs do become important if your design is large (>200x200mm) or if it is serial work.
• Processing costs - The cost of the actual lasering depends mainly on the total length of cutting lines. For serial work or complex designs (e.g., a stencil with a large hole pattern), this can be the most important factor in the price. 
• Start-up costs - these are between €10 and €20 depending on the material. For single pieces and prototyping, this is often the biggest factor in the total price. It therefore pays to include several test pieces or designs in one order.
• Shipping costs - From € 6.50 within the Netherlands.

The best way to find out the price for your design is to make a (mockup) drawing. upload. You'll see the price immediately and you can also compare materials. Uploading is free and you are not stuck with anything.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Laser Protection Film. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

As a rule, single pieces, prototypes and small projects of laser-cut foils thus come out at €20-€50 depending on the size.

Series prices vary, but small foil parts can be ordered (in runs of several hundred or thousands) for as little as €0.05.

This makes laser cutting of foils ideal for projects, research and prototypes. And also for products that are frequently modified, because with laser cutting you are not stuck with a mold or die.

Laser cutting films in series

Larger runs or serial work involve more than a prototype. After all, everything must be correct and remain correct; tolerances, quality of finish, but often also packaging and the delivery schedule.

We see more and more customers with a production demand choosing to produce serial work in smaller quantities, and preferably close by, as opposed to mass production in low-wage countries. On the one hand, this is made possible by increasingly inexpensive digital production techniques such as laser cutting and 3D printing. On the other hand, it offers advantages because, as a customer less risk run, can switch more easily between manufacturers, and more frequent adjustments in your design. 

To further increase quality and consistency of laser cutting in series, we have a special production line for serial work developed. This allows us to offer even higher quality at low cost.

When is it better to punch?

Die-cutting is a technique in which a die-cutting jig is used to cut and sometimes shape materials.

To die-cut, a die-cutting jig must first be made. This creates a one-time high start-up cost. Also, you cannot make as small details with die-cutting. 

A big advantage of die-cutting is that once the mold is paid for, the cost per part is very low. This makes it ideally suited for mass production. Die-cutting is therefore the best choice for projects with very large runs. But also when, for example, materials are needed that contain toxic components such as PVC, and with thermosets such as polycarbonate that cannot be laser cut properly or safely.

In short, die-cutting is especially a good option for out-of-print, high-volume designs.

What do you use laser-cut films for?

Foils are used by our customers in engineering, product design, and remarkably in the renewable energy sector. But you can also do a lot with foils in creative projects, hobby and education. In industry, for example, foils are used as cell separators, acting as an insulating layer between cells in battery systems to prevent short circuits. Or they are used to make seals and gaskets, which provide an airtight seal or fill spaces in various mechanical and industrial applications. 

There are also many films with which you can make good stencils. Lasered stencils can be enormously detailed and complex.

Plastic film membranes are used for filtration, separation and protection of various materials and systems. In addition, films serve as protective layers in devices, where they protect sensitive components from damage and external influences.

Finally, the materials below are also used as protective hoods and windows, where they serve as transparent and protective layers for various products and systems. 

What films are there and what are the differences?

Acetate film

A thin, strong and transparent film with good insulating properties.

We have this film in 100, 250 and 500 micron thicknesses making it the thinnest film you can have laser cut. Due to the small thickness tolerance, this film lends itself to filling spaces, for example. But also as a protective layer and as an insulation sheet. The laser cut is neat and there is little melting along the edge. As a result, very small details in the order of 1mm are possible. You can therefore also use this material very well for detailed stencils.

Polypropylene foil

This is a flexible and tough plastic that can be bent easily. It has a textured surface on one side that makes it scratch resistant (you won't see scratches because of the texture). This makes laser-cut polypropylene film ideal for products that are often touched and seen. For example, it is used as a faceplate for appliances, installations in public spaces, but also sometimes as an intermediate layer of insulation in appliances. PP is relatively inexpensive.

The cutting edges can have a small melting edge of 0.1-0.2mm. If you want it completely without a melting edge, then choose laser cutting with protective film. If you have it cut without protective film, you can easily wipe off any laser marks with a damp cloth.

PP film is available in white and black at 0.8 and 1.2mm thickness.

PETG or polyester film

Polyester is transparent and impact-resistant. It is also inexpensive, strong and flexible. The windows of our splash screens for example, are made of polyester. In model making, it is used for windows, although precision acrylic is actually a better choice for that. Lasered polyester comes standard with protective film on two sides. You can make reasonably small details in it, but pieces that are too thin can warp when cut. If you fold polyester along a ruler (aka "cold forming") it will stay in position. So with that, you can easily make 3D shapes. One disadvantage of polyester is that it is relatively soft and therefore prone to scratching.

Polystyrene

Thin polystyrene is flexible and soft. It has a matte surface. It is fine to cut by hand and easy to glue. This makes it suitable for model making and maquette work.

A disadvantage is that it is somewhat weaker and stains are difficult to remove.

POM

POM. In a word; Strong. POM is a high-quality plastic and one of our best sellers. It can be considered flexible, but it is considerably stiffer (less pliable) than polypropylene, for example. Its surface is smooth and has a slightly waxy feel. With excellent sliding properties and wear resistance, POM is a solution for many mechanical applications. It is, however, a more expensive option than pp, for example. It is difficult to glue POM (but double-sided adhesive film will work). Cutting with a Stanley knife is also not possible.

Precision acrylic

Actually, precision acrylate does not fall under the category of films, but it is an excellent choice if you need a super smooth surface, small details and a transparent material. Compared to PETG, you can make much smaller details in precision acrylate. Dates or slots of a millimeter or smaller are perfectly possible. It is crystal clear, UV resistant and comes with protective film on both sides. However, be careful because acrylic is fragile, especially with small details. It can also scratch easily, so treatment with care is required. The thickness tolerance of precision acrylic is better than that of regular acrylic.

Laserboard

Finally, we would like to name one more special material: Laserboard. It is a composite material of paper soaked in resin. This makes it waterproof, strong and flexible. What distinguishes laserboard from plastics is that it does not deform or melt when heated. This means that you can laser cut even the tiniest details (such as hole grids with only a few tenths of millimeters between them) in laser board without it deforming due to heat. The surface has a slightly fibrous texture.

Double-sided adhesive film

You can optionally have this foil applied to your laser cutting to make it self-adhesive. But did you know that you can also have it laser cut separately?

It is a very thin, semi-transparent plastic film with high adhesive strength. You receive it flat, with a paper protective layer on both sides. So you can easily apply it to your own products or parts.

Perhaps also interesting:

Silicone laser cutting

PE foam laser cutting

Neoprene laser cutting

Gasket paper laser cutting

 Still laser cutting a different film?

We have a lot of experience with laser cutting foils and can in some cases order specialty foils for you, or you can provide them yourself to have them laser cut. In that case, please contact contact us. A few examples are:

For more information, please visit Laser Cutting Protection Film Supplier.

• 3M film laser cutting
• Mylar film laser cutting
• Other colors and thicknesses PP film laser cutting
• Laser cutting of polycarbonate film
• Laser cutting of polyamide film