Corian is a mineral solid surface (acrylic resin filled with aluminium trihydrate), used for worktops and signage. A laser does not cut it, but engraves it remarkably well: the engraved bottom turns matt white, highly legible on coloured Corian.
Settings: what really matters
CO2 only, and engraving only: around 60% at 1,500 mm/min with a 40 W CO2. The mineral filler does not vaporise, it whitens: that whitening is what creates the contrast.
Several light passes give a more uniform white than one strong pass, which digs in and leaves an uneven, greyish bottom.
Corian offcuts are common at kitchen fitters: an almost free material for the workshop, ideal for interior signage.
Common thicknesses and pitfalls
Common thicknesses: 6 and 12 mm. Cutting is done with a saw or a router, never a laser: the beam does not get through the mineral filler.
Pitfall: the white dust produced by engraving settles in the recesses and misleads you about the contrast. Blow or brush before judging the result.
Risks and finishing
Engraving Corian produces a fine mineral dust that irritates the airways: extraction is mandatory and vacuum the bed after the batch.
For finishing, the engraving can be filled with acrylic paint then wiped flat: the design becomes perfectly crisp. Soapy water cleaning is then enough, Corian is not affected by moisture.
Every figure on LaserSettings comes with the machine, the laser source, the material and the thickness it was tested on. A setting published for a 10 W diode says nothing about a 40 W CO2, and a setting for 3 mm says nothing about 6 mm: check those four things before you copy any number.
Settings are confirmed or disputed by the members who reproduce them, so reliability comes from cross-checking rather than popularity. Photos of the result — cut edges, engraving shades, scorching — tell you more than a single number found on a forum.
Whatever the material, treat a published setting as a starting point: run a small power/speed test grid on an offcut, clean the lens, redo the focus, work with fume extraction and air assist, wear glasses rated for your wavelength and never leave the machine unattended.