What to consider when choosing a laser cutting machine?
Discover the practical guide to selecting the right laser cutter for your materials, applications, and production volume.
Laser cutting works by passing the beam entirely through the material, creating clean, precise shapes with no contact, minimal kerf, and polished edges. It's widely used for signage, personalisation, industrial needs, and creative projects, on materials ranging from acrylic and wood to leather, paper, plastics, and thin metals.
Two laser machine types handle cutting differently. A gantry table moves the laser head along the X and Y axes to cut organic materials (plastic, wood, paper...) and sheet materials, while a galvo station relies on motorised mirrors. This station is not designed for sheet materials, though it can cut paper, thin plastics with a CO2 source, or ultra-thin metals using the wobbling technique on a Fibre source.
Choosing the right laser cutting machine comes down to your materials, your application, and your production volume.
What criteria should be used when choosing a laser cutting machine?
Size
The size of the parts is another factor to consider, as is the number of parts to be cut. To cut a large sheet, you need a table with large dimensions (as opposed to cutting small parts).
For one-off jobs or small batches, a compact CO2 table is enough. For larger batches, big sheets, or large-format signage, a mid- to large-size table is more useful. A bigger table won't cut a single part any faster on its own; the gain only appears once you're running full batches through it.
Power
As explained in our guide on how laser cutting works, the process demands far more energy than engraving, which is why a powerful source isn't optional here.
Power determines both the thickness you can cut and how fast: more power means thicker materials, faster cuts, and more versatility; the same machine can move between thin signage work and thick acrylic batches.
Safety and certifications
Price differences between machines rarely reflect the cutting quality on a given material. They depend primarily on speed, cutting area, and automation options. What does vary, however, is the laser cutting machine safety class and the required workspace:
- A fully enclosed Class 1 system can operate in an open workshop.
- A Class 4 systems with higher power require a dedicated, access-controlled space as well as protective equipment for the operator.
Check a machine’s safety class and CE certification in relation to your workspace before making a purchase.
What materials can be cut with a laser source?
Compatible materials
- Acrylic (PMMA) is the benchmark material for laser cutting: results come out flawless, with a flame-polished, transparent edge straight off the machine.
- Wood, including hardwood, plywood, and MDF, cuts just as cleanly, with a natural, darker tone left by the heat of the beam.
- Leather, paper, cardboard, and cork suit highly intricate stencils and decorative designs, staying sealed rather than fraying, which preserves fine detail well.
- Plastics (2-ply plastic as Gravoply™) handle dual-layer signage, labels, and industrial components with consistent quality.
- Thin metals (only to wobbling with a galvo laser), up to 1 mm (0.039''), work particularly well on precious and soft metals like brass, copper, stainless steel, gold, and silver, with jewelry being a common application.
With which laser sources?
CO2 lasers are compatible with organic materials, wood, paper, and most plastics, which makes them the go-to source for cutting those.
Fibre lasers, on the other hand, are compatible with metal. Metals reflect light and dissipate heat quickly, which is exactly what limits most laser sources (for cutting), but Fibre compensates through the rapid-oscillation wobbling mode.
What cannot be cut with a laser?
A few materials fall outside what laser cutting can do.
- Bulk metals thicker than roughly 1 mm (0.039'') cannot be cut.
- Stone, ceramic, and thick glass can be engraved or marked, but not cut.
- PVC and other halogen-containing materials are a hard no: cutting them releases toxic fumes, damages the machine, and puts the operator at risk.
- Composites with metal layers, such as dibond, are another exception, not workable on a CO2 table.
| Materials | CO2 laser table | CO2 laser station | Fibre laser station |
| Acrylic / PMMA | Yes (Flame-polished) | No | No |
| Wood | Yes (Clean edges) | No | No |
| Leather, Paper, Cork | Yes | Yes | No |
| Plastics (except PVC) | Yes (Signage) | No | No |
| Thin Metals (< 1 mm - 0.039'') | No | No | Yes (with wobbling) |
| Bulk Metals (> 1 mm - 0.039'') | No (needs high-power, CNC) | ||
| Glass & Stone | No (engraving only, thermal shock hazard) | ||
| PVC & Halogens | No (toxic gas & corrosion) | ||
Which laser cutting machine best fits your needs?
These stations focus on localised micro-cutting, fine customisation, and jewelry design. Both rely on the wobbling mode to cleanly cut soft and precious thin metals, brass, stainless steel, gold, silver, up to 1 mm (0.039'') thick.
- WeLase™
- Fibre: a compact, sleek desktop station created for retail stores, e-commerce hubs, and small workshops, bringing high-precision fibre micro-cutting and personalisation directly to a customer-facing environment.
- CO2: designed for the same compact, customer-facing environments, the CO2 version is suited to fine cutting of thin non-metallic materials, such as paper and thin plastics, alongside engraving and personalisation applications.
- LW2 & LW3 Fibre station (30W or 50W): a heavy-duty, highly secure industrial workstation suited to continuous, high-volume production, ideal for industrial part marking and batch cutting.
Laser tables are designed for cutting, signage, and creative workshops, well suited to plastics, dual-layer signage materials, acrylic, wood, and paper.
- LS100: compact, entry-level flatbed table with a 460 × 305 mm (18.11'' x 12.01'') workspace, ideal for small workshops and individual custom jobs
- LightSpeed 300: high-speed CO2 table with a 610 × 305 mm (24.02'' x 12.01'') workspace, engineered to maximise throughput on fast-paced production lines
- LS900: heavy-duty, large-format table with a 610 × 610 mm (24.02'' x 24.02'') workspace, made for large sheets and high-volume parallel batch production
The cutting table or pin supports keeps contact with the material to a minimum, avoiding back-reflections and burn marks on the underside.
The air assist nozzle directs pressurised air right onto the cut line, clearing debris and dust as it happens. That same airflow suppresses flames, essential when cutting wood, leather, or other organic materials, and protects the focusing lens from smoke and residue.
Lenses complete the setup: a short focal length suits fine for detailed engraving, while a longer one penetrates deeper, better suited to cutting thicker materials. Also, this results in straighter cut edges and less of a V-shape or bevel effect.
Improve your cutting quality while protecting the back of your material from beam returns
Laser cutting bed
Discover this product
Quick Switch table system
Discover this product
Precise air assist for improved cutting
Laser nozzle
Discover this product
Precision engraving, large and smooth engraving, high thickness cutting, productivity enhancement...
Laser tables lenses
Discover this product
Click Lens
Discover this product
Choosing the right laser cutter comes down to matching power, source, cutting area, accessories, and safety class to your application and your materials.
The laser cutting machine itself is only part of the equation: the right accessories make a real difference in cut quality and operator safety.
Talk to a Gravotech expert to find the setup that fits your needs: