Acrylic has become an indispensable material in modern design. Its transparency, hardness and durability enable it to show excellent performance in various applications. However, to transform the material into real products, we need to learn some cutting skills.

 

Introduction

 

Cutting is a key step in the production process of acrylic products. You can cut large pieces of acrylic sheets into the required shapes and sizes, thereby making a variety of products.

 

Cutting methods

 

There are many ways to cut acrylic sheets, such as mechanical cutting, laser cutting, and hot knife cutting.

 

Mechanical cutting is the way to cut acrylic sheets by a rotating blade. This is simple and easy, but requires certain skills and experience.

 

Laser cutting is a more advanced cutting method that uses high-energy lasers. This method has high precision and high speed, but the equipment needs high costs.

 

Hot knife cutting is something new. It uses a high temperature knife to cut acrylic sheets. This method can achieve high-precision cutting while maintaining the integrity of the acrylic sheet, making it an ideal cutting method.

 

Cutting tools

 

Laser cutting machine

 

Laser cutting machine is the preferred tool. It can achieve high-precision and high-efficiency cutting. The cutting edge is smooth and burr-free. However, the cost is high, and it is suitable for large-scale production.

 

Jig saw

 

Jig saw is a handheld electric cutting tool suitable for straight and simple curve cutting. The price is low, but the cutting efficiency is low. It is suitable for small batch production.

 

Angle grinder

 

Angle grinder is a multifunctional cutting tool that can be used for a variety of materials such as metal, stone, ceramics, etc.. Although its cutting efficiency is high, burrs and melting are prone to occur when cutting acrylic sheets.

 

Cutting tips

 

Pretreatment

 

Before cutting, you need to draw the cutting line on the sheet. This can help the cutting tool to better position and avoid cutting deviation.

 

Cutting with water

 

When cutting acrylic sheets, you can drip some water on the cutting line. Water can play a role of cooling and lubrication. It reduces friction heat during cutting, and reduce the risk of sheet melting. Water can also help remove dust during cutting.

 

Speed and force

 

When using a jigsaw or angle grinder to cut acrylic sheets, you need to control the cutting speed and force. Too fast speed and too much force can easily cause the acrylic to melt and produce burrs. Therefore, it is recommended to use a low-speed, low-force cutting method to ensure cutting quality.

 

Challenges

 

Cutting acrylic may seem easy. It is actually full of challenges.

 

1. Acrylic is a very hard material that requires special tools and techniques to be effectively cut.

 

2. Acrylic tends to generate heat during the cutting process, which may cause the sheet to deform or burn. Therefore, you need to know how to control the temperature during cutting.

 

3. Due to transparency of acrylic sheet, you need to protect the acrylic surface from scratches and stains during the cutting process.

 

Conclusion

 

In general, cutting acrylic is not that simple. Only by learning the correct cutting methods and techniques can we transform acrylic sheets into beautiful products. We also need to innovate to meet challenges in the cutting process, and improve the efficiency and quality of cutting.