Do you know what is the plexiglass?
The plexiglass is a clear and hard acrylic, it is often used as a cost-effective alternative to glass. Because it is cheap, durable, light weight, and it is also a shatterproof material, it is very popular now. Although the plexiglass is an organic synthetic material, it is not easy to cut it perfectly. You need to choose the right tools and cutting methods.
Choose the right cut tools
If you want to handle Plexiglass perfectly, then the CNC router machine is your best choice. When you buy a CNC router machine, you should pay attention to the following key items.
1. First, you have to choose a solid CNC router machine, which can combine a solid base with a solid gantry. This can ensure the stability of the cutting process and prolong the service life of the machine.
2. To choose high-quality spiral rack system and servo drive motor, because for cutting plexiglass, a stable control and drive system is very important. It can make the machine work with high efficiency.
3. Finally, I strongly recommend that you choose CNC router with vacuum suction function, because the vacuum suction function can keep the material in the correct position during the cutting process. If you choose to adjust the material manually, it is likely to cause damage to the material due to small movements.
Key factors to be aware of when cutting plexiglass
1.CNC router bits and fixed materials
If you want to cut plexiglass perfectly, you need to choose the appropriate router bits. Using wood cutting heads cannot get the best results, because cutting and chip removal are both important. We recommend you to choose “O-Flute” End Mill Bits which can get the best results.
2.Set The Correct Feed Rate
After market research, it is found that the best feed rate for cutting plexiglass is almost 75-300 IPM, and it is also related to the size of router bit. In the range of 200-300 IPM, the 1/2″ router bit perfects well, while at 75- 200 range, the 1/8″ router bit works better.
3.Set the correct RPM
After many experiments, we found that the most suitable cutting RPM for “O-Flute” End Mill Bits is 18,000rpm. If your RPM is higher than 18000RPM, then you need to increase the feed rate to avoid melting of the material. So the most stable method is to maintain 18000rpm.
4.Set the cut depth
We usually guideline is 1/2 the diameter of the bit, which is always perfect very well.This is also a good practice to prevent breaking your bit.
5.Use The Ramp Feature
We recommend using a ramp when cutting plexiglass, so that the drill can enter the material at an angle when it is lowered, instead of directly drilling down. Depending on the size of the part, a smooth slope of approximately 1-3 inches will provide the best results. This not only makes the work smoother, but also avoids material deformation.
BuyCNC has a variety of CNC milling machines with vacuum suction tables, all of which can perfectly cut acrylic materials such as plexiglass. If you want to buy, you can contact us immediately, and we will recommend the most suitable CNC router machine for you according to your needs.