Is anyone using lasers to vetor cut vinyl designs/letter/logos etc.?

I think that I read _somewhere_ that there is "laser safe" vinyl especially for lasers. Is this true?

-Mike

If it is laser safe it is not truly vinyl. True vinyl is PVC, (poly vinyl chloride), and is not safe for a laser. I have heard about something that seems like vinyl but is not. I have no more info on it than a slight memory from about a year ago.

Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem)

Harvey's Sub Page When you finally understand it completely... it changes.

Mike
Harvey is correct that true vinyl (The type that sign makers use) is PVC. Interestingly there are a few products that many of the vinyl companies make that are actually polyester base not PVC. These products are mostly foils - Gold Foil and Silver being the two that everyone seems to make. Also the 22k gold product that is on the market is PVC free. Several companies who specialize in selling laserable items offer smaller rolls of foil in several basic colors as well. These foils are attached to what you are going to engrave (typical use is wood plaque) Then a vector cut to produce a logo or text - then you weed out the uneeded portions. Main thing to keep in mind, if the product is not specifically made for laser use, ask the supplier or manufacture if it contains PVC. If it does contain PVC or they do not know - Keep it out of your laser.
Good Luck
Joe

It generates severely oxidizing gasses that first attack the rubber-like components and the lenses/mirrors. Does a lot of mischief with metals and bearings also.

PVC, (poly vinyl chloride), is the culprit. The non-vinyl materials, (polyesters that handle like vinyl) are fine.

The chlorine in the material is nasty in its gas form and when compounded with other materials. (Just think of the most innocuous chlorine compound, NaCL, table salt, eating away at the metals and you have the beginnings of understanding.)

Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem)

Harvey's Tips Page When you finally understand it completely... it changes.

Harvey did a great job of explaining it - not much for me to aid.
Best thing when it come to materials with PVC is not to do them.

Wow!! Thanks for the valuable feedback. Did not realize the seriousness. But, how do I know if a material is PVC or not. We have been doing some wrist bands. How can we be so sure that they are not made of any PVC material? I bought some really low priced bands from off-shore and they are not engraving well. I have tried and tried to get the supplier to provide me with a specification sheet with no success. They act like they've never heard of such a requirement.

Any suggestions on how to know what they are made of?

The whole PVC thing is way overblown
Vector cutting sign vinyl is mickey mouse compared to rastering large areas of it or cutting thick PVC. PVC release chlorine and/or Hydrogen chloride gas which is nasty and combines with the moisture in air to make HCL acid (hydrochloric acid is the stuff used in pools to balance the PH) It is a lung and skin irritant. It produces Dioxins as well , also nasty.
If you do enough of it continuously , it will eventually generate enough hcl and attack the metal parts of the laser and corrode them. The amount of Hydrogen chloride produced cutting a bit of PVC sign vinyl now and then is hardly worth mentioning and the chlorine is far less than a std chlorinated pool releases hourly. If your pex or other stuff you cut has a plastic covering and you cut thru that , you are most likely cutting PVC anyway. 3m make a range of polyester laser friendly vinyls. We raster and laser cut them extensively for sandblasting and acid etching resists. The colours are limited and prices are high compared to bog standard sign vinyl however.
I know someone that uses a laser with a scrubber unit to detoxify the exhaust that cuts vinyl on a continuous basis , his platforms last a yr to a yr and a 1/2 and then they dump em and scavenge all the useable parts like the tube , PS , motherboard etc and just order a new motion system. Its an application that cant be done with a vinyl cutter which is actually a better and far cheaper way to cut pvc sign vinyl than a laser which leaves a lousy edge on the vinyl and often remelts the stuff together or doesnt kiss cut well. The real reason to use a laser is for rastering fine detail a vinyl cutter could not hope to cut or any mortal user hope to weed if it could be cut. There are plenty of other materials even more hazardous and nasty to cut , like nylon (produces hydrocyanic acid gas , same as death chamber stuff) or teflon (produces phosgene , nerve gas)