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Best power to cut paperand other thin materials without it burning?

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BigDEE

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Hey after a few purchases of small harmless lasers I feel comfortable to move up a step and get a middle sized laser so i just was wondering what is the range of power that would cut like paper ranging in size from notebook paper to construction paper without it burning it along with things like dark plastic bags thanks for helping me out.
 





You'll find the forum HATES these questions.

There are far too many variables involved to make any kind of meaningful recommendation! If you want esoteric measurement standards, then do your own experimentation until you gather the data you need.
 
Maybe the question was about cutting without setting the thing on fire ? Still the guy sounds like native speaker ..
 
As everyone else as said, this is just...wow. Not to be rude but yeah, a laser generates heat which is used to "burn" things. Lasers do not generate sharp metal objects used to "cut" things.
 
I knew that was gonna be inevitable but I didn't want the paper to like burst into flames or anything which come to think of it no matter what power I use it probably won't turn into flames...
 
Bionic-Badger said:
If you simply must involve a laser, use these scissors with a laser attached.

Also I don't think you're qualified to own or operate any higher powered lasers if you're not even aware that lasers can only "cut" by burning.
Click to expand...

Unless you up the power to the multi-kilowatt level. With that kind of power lasers can cut by ablation rather than burning or melting.
 
What you're looking for is an air assist system. I have a 40W CO2 laser based engraver and it will light the item you're cutting on fire if there is no airflow aimed where the laser is engraving/cutting.

Machines designed for this have air assist built into the lens module, this serves a dual purpose of keeping the lens clean. Air from a compressor or oxygen from a tank is fed through the nozzle in the same direction as the laser beam. It keeps the rest of the material from being heated and blows burned material out of the cut.
 
40W focused IR, beamed onto construction paper, with OXYGEN flowing into the cut.....

What part of the FIRE triangle is missing here??? (heat, fuel, oxidizer)
 
BigDEE said:
I knew that was gonna be inevitable but I didn't want the paper to like burst into flames or anything which come to think of it no matter what power I use it probably won't turn into flames...
Click to expand...

just use an assist gas when doing your laser cutting. i've cut paper with my co2 laser no problem by blowing air through the cutting head, but ideally you would use something inert like nitrogen.
 
1W + 532nm will cut colour paper when focused as that's what I used on my mini XY CNC
 
123splat said:
40W focused IR, beamed onto construction paper, with OXYGEN flowing into the cut.....

What part of the FIRE triangle is missing here??? (heat, fuel, oxidizer)
Click to expand...

Yes, combustion is what you want - but the high velocity of the assist gas blows all the combustion products away from the heat source, so there is no flames or embering. You definitely don't need oxygen for cutting paper, it's mainly used for cutting metal.
 
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