Sometimes your image size (width x height) will be the same as the standard
stock lenticular lens sheets. If they are not, we can custom cut a
sheet to your required size. However, sometimes, you may want to cut,
or trim, the sheet yourself. Here are some hints when working with our
lenticular lens sheets.
When
working with lenticular sheet, please wear the appropriate Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) for the task you are performing. Safety
glasses should be worn when working with most power tools due to the
likelihood of flying objects. Depending on the tool used, other
PPE (such as gloves, hearing protection, etc.) may be required.
Please follow your company guidelines regarding the proper use of PPE.
PETG Lenticular Lens Sheets
Lenticular lens sheets made of PETG are very user friendly. They can
be cut using a variety of tools, including: utility knife, circular
saw, jig saw, shear, die cutter, and router. PETG sheets
can also be drilled, punch-cut and bent using common machine-shop tools.
Acrylic Lenticular Lens Sheets
Lenticular lens sheets made of acrylic must be cut with more care because
they will tend to shatter with abrupt impact cuts. The best tools to
cut acrylic sheets are circular saws and routers, however, a utility knife
can be used to score and snap the sheet (see below) if a circular saw or
router is not available. These high speed
cutting devices will provide a relatively smooth cut, but will generate a
large amount of dust when cutting. Blades and bits designed
specifically for cutting plastic are highly recommended.
Using a Utility Knife
If
you do not have access to special cutting tools, a score and snap method can be used to cut
most PETG and acrylic sheet. A utility knife and a straight edge are
used to score the plastic sheet. After scoring, the sheet should be
placed across an object to elevate the sheet slightly. The object
should be aligned directly below the score across the sheet. Pressure
applied away from the score line in a quick, snapping action should be used
to sever the two pieces at the score line. (Fig. 1) This method
is not completely reliable, but will usually produce a clean straight cut
provided the original score line is straight.

FIGURE 1: Score and Snap Method
Using a Circular Saw (or Panel Saw)
A circular saw (or panel saw) will cut either PETG or acrylic sheet.
The use of a blade for specifically cutting plastic will achieve
the best cut quality. The blades are usually carbide tipped with a
triple chip design. The triple chip design means that each tooth of
the blade will cut different parts of the plastic minimizing plastic
chipping. The blades should have a minimum of 60 teeth to achieve a
good quality cut. If you are cutting sheet with a plastic release
liner, you may want to apply masking tape over the liner along the cut line
before cutting. This will minimize the chance of the saw accidentally
removing the liner during cutting.
Using a Shear As stated
above, a shear works great for PETG material, but do not attempt to use with
acrylic sheet. Acrylic sheet will shatter if cut with a shear.
Depending on the thickness of the material and the type of shear used,
multiple PETG sheets may be cut with a shear at one time.
Using a Router A router
will cut either PETG or acrylic sheets with ease. A no-load spindle
speed of at least 10,000 rpm is necessary, 15,000 to 20,000 rpm is
recommended. A material feed rate of approximately 150 in/min for x
and y movement and approximately 25 in/min for z movement should provide
good quality cuts. Bits made for cutting plastic should be used to achieve
the best cut quality. A common bit design for cutting plastic is a
single edge carbide bit with an upcut spiral. If you are using a chip
evacuation system, the upcut spiral will
remove the excess chips from the material quickly and efficiently to the
evacuation system. The top release liner may have to be removed to
prevent it entangling in the router bit during cutting. If the release
liner is removed, be careful not to scratch the surface of the sheet.
The use of a pressure foot attachment may be needed when cutting thinner
sheet. The router bit will raise thinner sheet from the cutting bed.
The pressure foot maintains contact with the thin sheet keeping it close to
the cutting bed. A brush foot attachment may also be used to minimize
any scratching to an uncovered sheet surface.
The
information above is provided as a guide to the user. Please refer
to the instruction manual or the manufacturer of the tool being used for
complete instructions on the safe and proper use of the tool.
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