Parts cut on a laser are generally made with a tolerance
of 0.005 inches (5/1000 of an inch). This means that you should not
depend upon features to be more accurately placed than 0.005 inches.
Holes may be up to 0.01 inches smaller or larger than your
specification.
Kerf
Kerf is the cutting width of the tool used to make your parts.
We typically cut parts with a laser beam width of
0.06 inches. Features smaller than this size may be lost. Also, inside
corners have to be able to accommodate the width of the laser beam.
Taper
Parts will have a slight taper along the cut edge of the part,
typically approximately 0.01 inches.
Surface Finish
Laser cutting plastics produces a fairly smooth surface, particularly
when compared with waterjet cutting. Here is what 0.118 inch thick clear
acrylic plastic looks like after being cut with a waterjet:
A closeup of the above image:
Tabs
Your part may have a small tab where the part was held to the
stock material. You can remove this tab with a file or a similar tool.
