In short, a laser is a focused beam of light, concentrating a lot of energy on a very small area. When this happens, material in front of a laser will burn, melt, or vaporize, making a hole. Add some CNC to that, and you get a machine that can cut or engrave very intricate parts made of wood, plastic, rubber, metal, foam, or other materials.

Every material has its limitations and benefits when comes to a laser cutting. For instance, you may think that a laser can cut through anything, but that’s simply not the case.

Not every material is suitable for laser cutting. That’s because every material requires a particular amount of energy to be cut. For example, the energy needed to cut through paper is a lot less than the energy needed for a 20-mm thick steel plate.

Keep this in mind when buying a laser or ordering through a laser cutting service. Always check the laser’s power or at least what materials it can cut.

As a reference, a 40-W laser can cut through paper, cardboard, foam, and thin plastic, while a 300-W laser can cut through thin steel and thicker plastic. If you wish to cut through 2-mm or thicker steel sheets, you’ll need at least 500 W.