Laser cutting MDF 4mm: speed, time and cost
MDF 4mm cuts at about 16 mm/s on a 100 W CO2 laser in one pass. Below: what that means in time and money on common machines, plus settings tips. Price your own file in the calculator — it runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Open the calculator preset for MDF 4mm →MDF 4mm at a glance
| Material group | MDF |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 4 mm |
| Reference cut speed (100 W CO2) | 16 mm/s × 1 pass |
| Air assist | strong air assist |
| Diode lasers | yes, slower (5–10×), more passes as thickness grows |
Time and cost by machine (100 × 60 mm part, €60/h)
| Machine | Speed | Time | Machine cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| xTool D1 Pro 10W | 3.2 mm/s | 1 m 40 s | €1.67 |
| xTool D1 Pro 20W / S1 20W | 4.8 mm/s | 1 m 7 s | €1.11 |
| OMTech K40 (40W CO2) | 8 mm/s | 40 s | €0.67 |
| OMTech / Gweike 60W | 12 mm/s | 27 s | €0.44 |
| OMTech / Thunder / Gweike 80W | 14.4 mm/s | 22 s | €0.37 |
| 100 W CO2 (workshop reference) | 16 mm/s | 20 s | €0.33 |
Speeds scale from the workshop reference by machine class. Material, setup and margin come on top — open the calculator to add them and nest parts on your sheet.
Settings tips for MDF 4mm
MDF chars easily — use masking tape to avoid smoke stains; extract well, the dust is nasty. Test-cut a small square first: dial speed, not power, until it just cuts through — cleaner edge, less char.
MDF 4mm FAQ
How fast can you laser cut MDF 4mm?
On a 100 W CO2 laser about 16 mm/s in a single pass. Diode lasers are roughly 5× slower (and need more passes above 3 mm). A 100 × 60 mm part (320 mm of cutting) takes about 20 s at 16 mm/s.
How much does laser cutting MDF 4mm cost?
Laser cutting is priced by machine time: cut length ÷ speed = time, × hourly rate (€60/h typical for a small shop) + setup + material. At 16 mm/s a 100 × 60 mm part is about €0.33 of machine time before material and setup.
What settings do I use for MDF 4mm?
Start from your machine's mdf preset, use strong air assist, and do a test cut: if it doesn't cut through, slow down 10–15% before adding power. MDF chars easily — use masking tape to avoid smoke stains; extract well, the dust is nasty.