Laser cut gaskets

[ICEpeter]

Hello,
Are there any members who would be able to laser cut or do any cutting equivalent for cutting 10 pieces of 0.005 inch thick Teflon gaskets for use in two four cylinder ETW Sealion engines? I would provide the material and offer to pay for this service. I can only provide a drawing for the gaskets but am not able to create any software needed to do the laser cutting. I would greatly appreciate any feedback and offers for cutting these gaskets. Thank you.

Peter Jentsch

 

[Busted Bricks]

A drawing is all that is needed. I'd be happy to do it for you, but I'm probably in the wrong part of the World in relation to you.

 

[ICEpeter]

A drawing is all that is needed. I'd be happy to do it for you, but I'm probably in the wrong part of the World in relation to you.

Hello Busted Bricks,
Thank you very much for your reply. I am located in Tampa Florida, USA but in today's environment I am only a hop away across the Atlantic. Since the material can easily be mailed back and forth in an envelope, I would be interested in your offer if nobody over here in the USA could do it for me.
Let me get back to you on this shortly. Again, thanks for your offer, I do appreciate it very much.

Peter Jentsch

 

[Steamchick]

Laser cutting Teflon sounds intersting? But have you considered water jet cutting? It may not have the required accuracy though.
Also, is there a hazard with the PTFE? As a solid (sintered because it does not melt - it isn't plasic!) It is "harmless". But the dust, especially "smoke" from ablated PTFE, is harmful, and must not be inhaled. I get this from the safety training I had in a factory processing PTFE to make PTFE insulated cables for high temperature applications. That process took the PTFE Powder and compressed it onto the wire before heating, to fuse the powder into insulation on the conductor. Hence a sintering process. The PTFE dust was toxic because of its fine particulate nature. But overheating caused ablation of the PTFE and the "smoke" was deemed highly toxic. I guess a laser will do that? If the PTFE breaks down due to the high temperature within the laser, it releases Fluorine, which is horribly toxic! Never mind the hydrocarbons from the ethylene chemistry.... So please read the Safety codes for processing PTFE, and be careful. Lasers can kill, but Fluorine will kill.
Sorry to be an old moaner...
K

 

[Busted Bricks]

Some info:
https://www.ulsinc.com/resources/ad...t,sometimes associated with thermal processes.

I have very high volume extraction on my laser so no issues with laser cutting teflon.

 

[Jon.unique]

I wonder if the gaskets could be cut using a vinyl cutter...not sure if it will damage blade...its only .005 thick smay work..and no fumes

 

[Steamchick]

Good lad Busted Bricks. I guess you are a business anyway? - so you understand the risks and necessary precautions. I am just a dumb amateur, but had a 50 year career in various industries, so feel it is worth checking - for the benefit of others.
I guess you can laser-cut almost anythng?
Thanks,

 

[Steamchick]

The attachment re laser cutting Teflon was interesting. Thanks! I don't understand the chemicals from breakdown of Teflon but they sound a bit nasty!
Do tell us more about what you cut with your laser. The only industrial application I was Involved with was persuading the Japanese to permit laser drilling of 0.5 mm oil holes in a spray bar for a Nissan engine, as the "common" method had a risk of broken drill parts getting trapped then later released into the oil system where damage could occur. Solution, eliminate drill bits by using lasers. Holes were a consistent size, if not perfectly round. So no good for gas jets, but OK in the engine oil spray bars, for oiling cams and followers.
Thanks,
K

 

[Busted Bricks]

I run a small laser cutting business and have been full time self-employed since November 2019. I have a 100W CO2 laser cutter/engraver for wood and plastics and a 1kW fiber laser cutter for steel and metals. I also have a 50W fiber laser engraver for metal and ceramics. My customers are a mixed bag. Some are fabricators/blacksmiths, others design and sell decorative items. In the past I have designed and manufactured a range of garden railway kits (sold the business on when we left UK) and I was the first in the world to make laser cut marble machine kits. I sold a couple of thousand kits over a couple of years. I tinker with designing various items. You can see some of my projects on my Youtube channel: Michael Henriksen

Michael

 

[Steamchick]

Excellent! I'll have a look.
K

 

[Mike Henry]

I'm in the USA and have a 60-watt laser cutter. Would silicone rubber work as a gasket in your application? McMaster-Carr sells it in 0.005" thick sheets and says that it is good to 400 °F. I've cut thicker silicone sheets than that with no problem so 0.005: thick should work fine,

Otherwise, I happen to have some 0.005" thick Teflon sheet. I can cut your gaskets in silicone or Teflon assuming that they aren't too large. A DXF drawing would be great. No charge - I'm new here and enjoying learning from others so this would be a small way to pay it back, so to speak. PM or DM me, if my account allows that, or reply here if interested.

Mike

 

[ICEpeter]

I'm in the USA and have a 60-watt laser cutter. Would silicone rubber work as a gasket in your application? McMaster-Carr sells it in 0.005" thick sheets and says that it is good to 400 °F. I've cut thicker silicone sheets than that with no problem so 0.005: thick should work fine,

Otherwise, I happen to have some 0.005" thick Teflon sheet. I can cut your gaskets in silicone or Teflon assuming that they aren't too large. A DXF drawing would be great. No charge - I'm new here and enjoying learning from others so this would be a small way to pay it back, so to speak. PM or DM me, if my account allows that, or reply here if interested.

Mike

Hello Mike,
Thank you very much. I have sent you a PM.

Peter

 

[kuhncw]

I've had good luck with Teflon, but the silicone rubber tends to squeeze out of the joint if there is much load, such as a head to block joint.

Chuck

 

[BaronJ]

I've had good luck with Teflon, but the silicone rubber tends to squeeze out of the joint if there is much load, such as a head to block joint.

Chuck

Teflon will cold flow under pressure, which is one reason it makes good head gaskets.

Actually I could use about half a dozen 5 thou Teflon washers for a project that I'm building. I need 21 mm diameter ones with a 19 mm hole, for use as preload for the bearings I'm using.

I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to turn them or make a punch and die to stamp them out.