When it comes to making accurate cuts in solid materials, laser cutting is a technique frequently employed worldwide. This machine trims, stamps, and etches materials such as wood, plastic, and steel by generating a focused light beam via an articulating head that moves back and forth.

Producing flat sheets of substance via this method is also ideal for creating basic and sophisticated patterns. Although the most basic laser cutters can etch through stuff as deep as twenty millimeters, the ideal thickness when cutting with laser cutters is between 0.5 and 12 millimeters, based on the material that's being cut and the application.

Depending on the application, a wood-marking, engraving, or cutting tool of any wattage may be used. Cutting through heavier or thicker materials will be quicker if the device has more power. So, make sure you remember that.

Maximum Operable Thickness For Lasers

It does seem straightforward to propose a maximum density restriction for all laser cutters. However, the situation is more complex than that. When it comes to cutting through a chunk of metal, several factors are at play.

The optimum thickness is dependent on the exact laser type as well as the material being utilized, among many other factors. To designate a precise quantity, you may use an intense laser of 6,000 watts and use it on a stainless-steel material.

In this situation, the greatest density that may be cut with a laser should typically be around 70 mm. Anything above these numbers should be functional with these lasers.

On the other hand, if we considered non-metal objects such as plastic and wood, the optimal required density would increase to a much larger number. It's simply because these materials are a lot less thick and sturdy than steel or other types of metals.

Types Of Lasers

With lasers, there can be two primary alternatives to consider when trying to cut wood: diode lasers and CO2 lasers. When operating or purchasing a laser cutter, it's critical to understand which type of laser cutter would be most effective for your project.

While each laser cutter can cut wood, not all lasers are designed to do so. It is always preferable to use the most appropriate instrument for the work at hand.

Additional information on both kinds of laser pointers, especially their range of power, will be covered in the following sections.

Diode Laser Cutters

The semiconductor diode lasers come in three colors: blue, red, and green. However, they are less potent than CO2 laser cutters. Due to their strength limitations, it is preferable to utilize this laser cutter equipment for carving & etching while dealing with wood.

Certain diode laser cutters are also capable of cutting wood. However, they are often restricted to cutting them in thin layers.

Even though the red laser cutter is the weakest of the three, it possesses the ability to cause vision loss.

The green ones are a little more powerful, and they may blind people using IR radiation generated by low-cost units.

Blue lasers are much more intense than both of them and are deemed harmful to the naked eye even when placed farther than 200 meters!

All these laser cutters operate at a specific wavelength, and you'll have to learn to choose the most appropriate protective goggles to use while working with them.

Ideal Thickness

This particular variety of laser cutting machines is typically tiny and designed to handle minor laser cutting jobs. Even though these are most commonly used only for slicing cardboard, they can also be used to create pictures on certain types of wooden objects.

However, for it to function, you will have to make a few cuts through the timber, and also, the material must be softened.

Semiconductor diode laser cutters have a power output that ranges from 1 to 10 Watts. Although it's not very strong for cutting wood, it's still possible to get it to carve wood successfully.

Here's a specific list of the power output of diode laser cutters with respect to how deep they can engrave in wooden materials:

CO2 Laser Cutters

A variety of sizes and power ranges are available for such laser cutters. When dealing with wood, these equipment are proficient enough for etching, carving, and slicing with incredible precision.

Decide about the types of laser cutter jobs you'd want to focus on. If you intend to mainly use a semiconductor laser to burn images into wood, you may want to stay with it.

Consider a CO2 cutter if you're going to use it for cutting wood, among other things. Direct or mirrored exposure to CO2 lasers may cause burns to the skin and eyes.

When these lasers are used to cut, they employ IR light, which is completely undetectable to the human eye. As a result, if you're gazing at laser light, you may become blind even without realizing so.

Ideal Thickness

These are the best cutters for wood cutting jobs. Moreover, if you want to start a professional laser cutting company, you need a Carbon dioxide laser cutter.

Carbon dioxide laser cutters offer wattages ranging from 30 to 120 watts, making them ideal for wood cutting jobs.

Here we've included the power output of CO2 laser cutters with respect to the minimal thickness of wood required to use them:

Final Words

When first setting up your laser engraver, it is a great idea to experiment with scrap wood and fine-tune the parameters until you have an optimum arrangement. Following that, if you are satisfied with the findings, you may proceed to the actual material.

Also, collect the proper laser engraver and suitable kind of wood for your work to make it successful. A great place to start looking for the perfect laser cutter or engraving machine is Allwinmac. We produce the highest quality cutting and engraving devices in the market. So, please have a look at what we have to offer.

The output should be more than satisfying if you ensure the ideal thickness when cutting with laser cutters. So, learn the specific details about your material and type of laser cutter to get the best results!