Cutting the Other Non-Metals
Beyond wood and acrylic, a CO2 laser cuts a long list of non-metals — paper and card, foam, gaskets, rubber, films, and many plastics. Each behaves differently under the beam, so the practical approach is to match power, speed, and air-assist to the material rather than run one setting for everything. Some plastics cut beautifully; a few are best avoided for fume reasons. This page is a short guide to what cuts cleanly and what to watch for.
What Cuts Cleanly, What to Watch
| Material | Cuts well? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paper, card | Yes | Fast and clean, ideal for intricate detail |
| Foam, rubber | Yes | Match power to density |
| Gaskets, films | Yes | No tooling, good for short runs |
| Plastics | Varies | Some are excluded for fumes — check the material first |
Typical Uses
Packaging and prototyping, gasket and seal making, display and model work, and print finishing are common applications. The draw is cutting intricate shapes from sheet stock with no tooling and no die costs, so a new pattern is simply a new file.
Where Topstar Fits
These non-metals are cut with a CO2 source, a different process route from Topstar’s own line, which is fiber for metal — sheet, precision, and tube. If your work is metal, those are the right pages. To mark non-metals rather than cut them, a CO2 laser marker handles plastics, paper, and more.
