5000 dollars is alot to cut material you can cut with many other tools. I gues if you are a neat freak.
I dont like using plastics for electronics because the emi performance is always degraded unless you use a plastic shell over a metal enclosure but thats like 3d printer stuff.
What exactly are these used for in the electronics industry anyway?
Laser cutting is super fast and easy compared to other methods. There's effectively no cutting force, so gravity is generally all the workholding you need--that means crazy outlines and delicate shapes are as easy as rectangles are. You can also do thin films that can't be milled, and you can do raster engraving on surfaces.
We have an Epilog Helix at work, and some of the things we use it for are:
- Engraving anodized aluminum parts
- Cutting acrylic panels for assembly fit checks (way faster than machining or sending out for waterjet)
- Small jigs and templates out of acrylic or chipboard
- Cutting cardboard and foam for oddball packaging
- Occasional kapton stencils for small prototype boards