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Diode 5–10W · 455nm

Starting settings for Extruded acrylic on a Diode 5–10W machine

5–10W optical. Starting engrave chart — get close here, then make it yours on scrap.
Starting chip row
P70%S975 mm/s58500 mm/minLPI318airoff

dark/opaque only; extruded engraves grayer than cast

Focus on the material surface (ramp-test if you have never dialed this machine).

Copy into a test grid

P 40100% × S 6351365 mm/s · 5×5 on scrap · circle the sweet spot

Open in the interactive tool →

How to dial it in

The chip row above is the middle of the known-good window for a diode 5–10w on extruded acrylic. It is a starting point, not a guarantee: two diode machines with the same sticker can want different numbers once lens condition, air pressure, and material batch get involved.

Run the bracketed grid on the exact scrap you plan to sell. Watch for even tone without scorching or grain flare — drop power before you drop speed. Then log the winning cell so the next batch starts from your machine’s truth, not a forum thread’s.

Safety first, every time

Ventilate, keep a fire blanket or extinguisher within reach, and never leave the laser running unattended. If you are ever unsure a material is safe, it isn’t — chlorinated plastics like PVC and vinyl release chlorine gas and never belong on the bed. See the never-laser list.

Questions on this chart

What power and speed for extruded acrylic on a diode 10w?

Start around 70% power and 975 mm/s, 318 LPI. Then run a test grid from 40–100% × 635–1365 mm/s on scrap and circle the sweet spot — your lens, air, and material batch shift the window.

Do these Diode 10W settings transfer to other machines?

They transfer within the class — any honest 5–10W optical diode machine is a good starting match. Across classes they do not: power percentages mean different energies on different sources, which is exactly why the library is class-based.

Why does the chart say “starting points only”?

Starting points only — every tube/diode, lens, and material batch differs. Always run a test grid on scrap. Ventilate; never leave a laser unattended.

Same material, other jobs
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