Acrylic is a durable, transparent plastic that is often used as a decorative material and for signage. The CNC cutting machine can help users to complete the processing processes such as cutting, engraving and milling of acrylic materials. Read this article as we talk about how to cut acrylic with a CNC router machine.

 

Acrylic materials come in many types, including different sizes, colors, shapes, and molding processes, and the first step in making an acrylic work is to choose the type you need. Here, we have the following two suggestions:

1. Choose clear acrylic. Clear acrylic is also known as plexiglass, they are lightweight, shatterproof and can be used to create beautiful artwork.

2. Choose cast acrylic. Cast acrylic is easier to cut, while extruded acrylic can become sticky during the cutting process.

 

Cutting acrylic with a CNC router machine requires more care than cutting wood. Therefore, you have to pay attention to some factors to get a smooth surface. The following tips will help you avoid cutting irregularities and help you maintain a smooth cut.

1. Make sure the acrylic is firmly fixed on the CNC router table

Acrylic is prone to vibration, and too much vibration can make your acrylic cut rough and uneven, which will completely ruin your acrylic work. If your CNC router machine is equipped with an aluminum T-slot table, you need to check whether the fixture is qualified to fix the acrylic. If your machine is a vacuum table, fixing the acrylic is an easy task.

2. Use a dedicated drill

When cutting acrylic, you won't get the best results with a drill that cuts through wood or metal. Because standard wood or metal bits don't remove chips well, this can result in very rough cut acrylic edges. We recommend using a drill designed for acrylic cutting.

For good chip removal, we recommend using a larger drill size. This also increases the depth and stability of the cut. Also, make sure your drill bits stay sharp during machining. Because blunt drill bits will not only reduce your cutting efficiency, but also damage the quality of the acrylic edge.

3. Avoid the acrylic from being glued after being heated and melted

One of the most common problems with cutting acrylic with a CNC router is that when the acrylic heats up due to friction, the cut edges tend to melt and reshape. This can lead to the possibility of rebonding the separated parts back together after cutting the acrylic. For this problem, you can minimize by increasing the IPM so that the bit does not have too long in contact with the acrylic.

4. Cutting process

For crafts or other products that require a fine cut, we suggest that you can divide the cutting process into two parts: roughing and finishing, and each part is completed with different tools. This allows you to obtain higher quality finished workpieces.

 

During the acrylic cutting process, a powerful 3 axis CNC router is a key starting point for the success of the project. You will need to purchase a sturdy, heavy duty CNC router machine, which will help minimize vibration and maintain cutting stability.

In addition, the smooth control and drive system also plays a very important role in the cutting quality, which can keep the vibration of the CNC router engraving machine to a minimum in the case of high-speed cutting. This allows you to achieve higher productivity without sacrificing cut quality.

 

With the above process, you can use CNC router to cut acrylic for best results.

 

At ACCTEK, we provide users with the highest quality CNC router machines at the most affordable prices to help you increase your productivity. From making intricate signage to crafting exquisite crafts, ACCTEK CNC cutting machine will bring you a bigger market for your cnc router projects.