“It is only a small sheet.” — The sentence comes up regularly, and the answer stays the same. There is a short list of materials we do not put in the laser, and every entry on it has a concrete reason. Here they are.
PVC — the most important case
Polyvinyl chloride contains chlorine. Vaporise it and hydrogen chloride forms, which turns into hydrochloric acid with the moisture in the air. That attacks three things: the airways of whoever stands next to it, the lens and mirrors of the optics, and the metal parts of the machine — the damage creeps in over weeks.
What makes it treacherous is that you cannot see PVC in a sheet. Flooring, window profiles, artificial leather, adhesive film, coated chipboard: PVC can hide anywhere. That is why we cut no plastic without a material declaration. If you do not know what you have — ask your supplier for the data sheet.
Polycarbonate — no health problem, but no result
Makrolon and Lexan are harmless in safety terms, but they simply do not cut. The laser burns them: the edge goes brown, scorched and uneven, with heavy smoke. Anyone needing a clear sheet with a clean edge takes acrylic — exactly the material the CO2 laser was made for.
PTFE, ABS, glass fibre
- PTFE (Teflon) releases hydrogen fluoride — highly toxic, no discussion.
- Light ABS and thick polystyrene melt and string instead of separating, releasing hydrogen cyanide in the process.
- Glass fibre (GRP) and carbon (CFRP) give off epoxy fumes and glass dust. The dust also dulls the optics.
- Galvanised sheet produces zinc oxide fume — so-called metal fume fever. We do not cut metal anyway.
What works instead
Almost every job someone brings PVC for can be solved differently:
- Instead of rigid PVC foam: acrylic (up to 10 mm) or plywood (up to 8 mm)
- Instead of PVC film for signs: plotted adhesive film on a cut carrier — see plotting
- Instead of artificial leather: vegetable-tanned leather or wool felt
- Instead of a PVC stencil: Mylar stencil film on the cutting plotter
When in doubt: bring an offcut
A test cut on a 20 × 20 mm sample costs you nothing and answers the question in two minutes. The full list of materials — the cuttable and the refused — is on the laser cutting page.