What materials should you use Air Assist on for your laser?
The following items often have air assist used on them to provide cleaner, better cuts and engraving results.
- Wood
- Plywood
- Acrylic
- Plastic (see DO NOT LASER LIST)
- Polycarbonates
- Rock
- Slate
- Tile
- Leather
- Leathette
- Fabrics (with caution)
- Paper (with caution)
- Cardboard (with caution)
What is Air Assist?
Laser air assist is a feature found in many laser cutting and engraving machines that uses a focused stream of air to enhance the cutting and engraving process. It typically involves an air compressor connected to the laser cutter, which directs a jet of air towards the material being processed, right at the point where the laser beam interacts with it.
Here’s a breakdown of how it works and its benefits:
How it works:
- Cooling: The air flow helps to cool down the material around the laser beam. This is crucial because the laser’s heat can cause burning, charring, or even melting depending on the material. Air assist prevents this by dissipating the heat, leading to cleaner and more precise results.
- Debris removal: As the laser cuts or engraves, it creates debris and smoke. Air assist blows this debris away from the cutting zone, preventing it from re-entering the laser beam and interfering with the process. This leads to cleaner cuts and engravings with minimal residue.
- Improved cut quality: By cooling the material and removing debris, air assist helps to create smoother, sharper cuts and cleaner engravings. This is especially important for intricate designs or delicate materials.
- Lens protection: The debris created during cutting can accumulate on the laser lens, impacting its performance and lifespan. Air assist helps to prevent this by clearing away the debris, thus protecting the lens and ensuring consistent laser performance.
Why should I use air assist? Or not use it?
The question of when and why to use air assist is a little confounding, but the simple rule is that if you are cutting a material you probably want it. Truth be told, you generally always want it. And that is where the conversation for a new laser user gets a little complicated.
Factory assist usually comes with ON and OFF. And usually is between 7 & 15 psi. It is a set pressure and thats all you get. Once you have been lasering for a while you will likely see that you need to upgrade to a non-factory Air Assist to better use your machine.
This is a link to an article I wrote on MY upgraded Air Assist.
Back to the first thought, you really always want assist for Cutting or Engraving, it’s just about the PRESSURE. I use 25 psi when cutting most materials, and then use 5 psi when etching or engraving. It takes trial and error, but it’s easy once you upgraded your system.
A few notes for materials that benefit
1. Metals:
CO2 lasers are not inherently designed for cutting metals, but with the right assist, some thin metal sheets can be effectively cut. Assist helps to blow away molten metal and debris, preventing the material from overheating and improving the overall cut quality.
2. Acrylic:
While acrylic is a popular material for CO2 laser cutting, the use of air needs careful consideration. In many cases, it is recommended to use air assist sparingly or not at all, as excessive airflow can lead to flare-ups and negatively impact the precision of the cut.
3. Plastics:
Certain plastics, like polycarbonate, benefit from air assist to avoid melting and achieve clean cuts. The assist helps to remove heat and prevent the material from sticking to the lens, maintaining the integrity of the cut.
Areas of Caution
1. Paper and Cardboard:
Lightweight materials such as paper and cardboard can be adversely affected by assist. The force of the airflow may cause these materials to move unpredictably, leading to imprecise cuts or even causing them to catch FIRE.
2. Fabrics:
Delicate fabrics may experience fraying or distortion when subjected to air assist during laser cutting. Adjusting settings to eliminate or minimize air assist is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the fabric.
3. Certain Woods:
Dense woods that are prone to charring might not benefit from assist. The introduction of air can exacerbate charring and affect the quality of the cut. Fine-tuning settings without air assist can help achieve cleaner results.
My final thoughts.
I think upgrading my Air Assist is probably my favorite add-on to my entire shop. For me when I am choosing to use or not use it I almost always go with, yes.
Air Assist makes your cuts so much more efficient AND clean. I really dislike the “smokey” look on my wood items and then re-melting on acrylic is disastrous.
For etching or engraving, I am also leaning to constantly using a higher amount. My upgraded laser always has air on, but the more work I do the more I see keeping the low end higher (like 15-20 psi) still makes a cleaner looking finished product.
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Have a great one!
Royce
Hill Country CNC & Woodworking is an affiliate marketing business, but it is one with ethics and morals. We only promote the items that we use in our daily business. Let’s help each other! I will give you my experience (and discounts sometimes) and you can help me grow.