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Foam: diode, CO2 and fiber laser compatibility
Manufacturers disagree on foam. xTool and Monport list foam for CO2 cutting and do not give a foam type. FSL and xTool support list polystyrene foam as a material that catches fire.
- Also called
- Styrofoam, EPS, EVA
- Diode laser
- Engrave or mark: Not listed, cut: Yes (1)
- CO2 laser
- Engrave or mark: Not listed, cut: Disagree
- Fiber laser
- Engrave or mark: Not listed, cut: No (1)
- Thickest one-pass cut listed
- Not listed
- Listed as No by
- FSL, xTool, Monport
Compatibility by laser type
Yes (2) 2 manufacturers or stores list it as workableNo (2) 2 list it as not workableDisagree manufacturers list bothWith conditions workable only under a stated conditionNot listed no manufacturer statement
| Laser type | Engrave or mark | Cut |
|---|---|---|
| Diode laser (blue, about 450 to 455 nm) | Not listed | Yes (1) Yes: Monport. |
| CO2 laser (10,600 nm) | Not listed | Disagree Yes: xTool, Monport. No: FSL, xTool. |
| Fiber laser (1064 nm) | Not listed | No (1) No: Monport. |
The material lookup adds a cut thickness for foam.
Manufacturer statements
| Laser and job | Manufacturer | Lists it as | Wording or table entry on the page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diode, cut | Monport | Yes | Foam: YES (diode). | Monport: CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog) |
| CO2, cut | FSL | No | PolyStyrene Foam. Catches fire. ... This is the #1 material that causes laser fires!!! | Full Spectrum Laser (FSL): What materials are safe and not safe to engrave/vector cut |
| CO2, cut | xTool | No | Polystyrene Foam. Melts and easily catches fire. | xTool: Support article 363, safety guide |
| CO2, cut | xTool | Yes | Cutting: Acrylic Wood Plywood MDF Bamboo Paper Rubber Fabric Foam Cork | xTool: Fiber vs CO2 vs diode laser guide (blog) |
| CO2, cut | Monport | Yes | Foam: YES (CO2). CO2 and diode lasers are effective on foam. | Monport: CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog) |
| Fiber, cut | Monport | No | Foam: NO (fiber). | Monport: CO2, fiber and diode material compatibility guide (blog) |
Not listed for: Diode engrave or mark, CO2 engrave or mark, Fiber engrave or mark.
One-pass cut depth
No one-pass cut depth is listed for this material on the laser machines page.
Notes
- The pages that list foam as Yes do not give a foam type. FSL and xTool support list polystyrene and polypropylene foam. The foam's safety data sheet identifies the foam type.
Fumes
Laser cutting and engraving give off fumes. The machine's manual has the venting rules for that machine. The fume and room lookup compares a machine's exhaust airflow with fume extractor airflow.