Laser Cutting Services

Laser cutting services by Fractory ensure your growing needs never outpace your production capabilities. Our Project Engineers are ready to assist in planning and execution, making certain your projects are completed cost-efficiently and to high quality standards.

Capabilities

Maximum material thickness
Maximum material thickness
Carbon steel ≤30 mm
Stainless steel ≤30 mm
Aluminium ≤30 mm
Copper alloys ≤12 mm
Minimum material thickness
Minimum material thickness 0.2 mm
Cutting area
Cutting area Up to 6500 x 2500 mm
Laser sources
Laser sources Both fibre & CO2 lasers up to 12 kW
Repeatability
Repeatability Ps: +/- 0.05 mm
Positioning accuracy
Positioning accuracy Pa: +/- 0.1 mm

Gallery

marine industry, full service - from cutting to welding and assembly
sheet metal prototyping
oversized sheet metal bending
sheet metal balustrades
sheet metal project manufacturing
sheet metal batch manufacturing
cut and bent sheet metal
Previous
Next
expedited orders, fast delivery

Get your laser cutting quote now

Short on time? With our expedited order service, you can have your parts in 5 working days

Instant quote
Trusted by 62,000+ engineers

Why Order Laser Cut Parts From Fractory?

  • Scale your production without switching suppliers, we can handle single orders upwards of 2 million pounds.
  • Discuss your laser cutting project with Fractory’s engineers for cost-efficient solutions.
  • Fractory handles everything from quoting to delivery, including quality control.
  • A single point of contact simplifies project management, freeing up time for value-added activities.
  • We orchestrate your entire production path, seamlessly connecting initial cutting with finishing and final assembly stages.
  • Instant quotes and lead times for prototyping and low-volume orders.

Online Laser Cutting Service

Laser cutting online allows you to get instant quotes for prototyping and low-volume orders under £5000. There are no limitations to the minimum order size. Just upload your 3D part files or DXF drawings onto the platform to receive an instant quote and lead time. After confirming, we take care of the manufacturing side of things, using state-of-the-art machinery.

Online laser cutting’s pricing algorithms make it possible to design parts keeping cost in mind already in the prototyping phase, facilitating scaling up the production later on. On the platform, you’re able to see how the prices change when playing around with different quantities and materials.

The process looks like this:

  • Go to Fractory’s platform.
  • Upload your CAD files onto the platform. 3D models are preferred, as they can also be used to quote bent parts (supported 3D file formats are STP, SLDPRT, IPT). Flat cutting jobs can also be quoted based on 2D drawings in DXF format.
  • Select your material and address for an instant price and lead time.
  • We organise transportation all over the UK, including all the larger cities like London, Liverpool, etc.

If you have any questions, you can check our laser cutting quote page for more information or turn to our engineers via email.

Our Customers & Projects Done

From precision components to heavy structural frames, we deliver high-quality solutions for a wide variety of applications. Our core client segments include:

Machine builders – machine components, panels, etc.

Defense sector – high-stress armor plates (special steels), frames, etc.

Maritime industry – structural frames and marine-grade components (mostly aluminium and stainless steel)

Robotics & automation – frame, bodyworks, and moving parts.

Forestry & agriculture – heavy-duty panels, frames, etc.

 

Why Use CNC Cutting?

Laser cutting allows great flexibility, accuracy and top quality. It can cut very complex shapes with remarkable speed.

State-of-the-art automated laser cutters need little manpower. Combining their autonomous nature with their swiftness, Fractory’s online laser cutting service enables keeping your project costs low.

The accuracy tolerance for positioning is +/- 0.1 mm. Thermal effects on the material are small, therefore it is possible to cut small holes with a minimum diameter of 1/2 the material thickness as well as holes that can be threaded after cutting without requiring additional machining. The cutting line width is smaller than 0.5 mm for most materials.

Fractory’s manufacturing network offers lasers that can cut a number of materials. These include carbon steel, stainless steel, high-strength steels as well as non-ferrous materials like aluminium, brass, copper and titanium. For metal plates thicker than 20 mm, see more about our plasma cutting capabilities. Aluminium cutting has its own rules.

Sheet Metal Prototyping

Prototypes created from sheet metal are functional prototypes, not mock-up models that don’t possess the same material characteristics as the final product. Thus, in many industries, sheet metal and CNC prototypes are preferred to 3D-printed ones.

Each process has its place in the manufacturing world, though, and the evaluation of which fabrication process to use should be done on a case-by-case basis. Our experienced sales engineers can surely help you to make the most cost-effective decision.

What Is Laser Cutting?

Laser cutting is a thermal cutting process where the cut is made using an amplified light beam – laser. A high-power laser is able to achieve high-quality results for metal cutting. Lasers can be used for any metalwork, including industrial applications.

Laser profiling is more precise and less energy-consuming than plasma cutting, but it is more limited when it comes to cutting thick materials.

Fractory’s CNC laser cutting service offers CO2 and fibre lasers. While both use concentrated laser beams, the beam generation process uses different mechanisms. Both technologies have certain advantages, making them useful in specific situations.

Advantages of Laser Cutting

As already discussed, laser technology has an edge over other cutting methods when it comes to certain qualities. All those can work for your cause if you are aware of them.

The main advantages of laser cutting:

  • Great flexibility – One sheet may have 100 different cuts without having to change tools. Also, it is possible to cut all kinds of intricate shapes.
  • Precision – Accuracy of+/- 0.1 mm for laser cut parts gives the possibility to really cater to your most demanding needs. This kind of precision also ensures high quality.
  • Repeatability – +/- 0.05 mm ensures close to identical details.
  • Speed – Laser cutters are known for their speed, especially when cutting thin metal sheets.
  • Saves money – The machines are getting more energy efficient. Shuttle tables reduce the need for handling which means less need for manual labour. Smaller manufacturing costs result in lower total costs for the buyer.
  • Saving time – CNC laser cutting is automated. Therefore, it is the machinery that reads the drawings. The drawings only need to include cutting lines. This saves a lot of time in the drawing-room.
  • Small areas of HAZ – The heat affected zone is an unwanted byproduct of thermal cutting methods. As laser cutting has a small cutting kerf, the heat is not dispersed as heavily as with other cutting methods, leaving a smaller HAZ.

CNC Laser Cutting Materials

Fractory’s laser profiling service specialises in processing different types of metal, while also offering capabilities for a range of engineering plastics.

For our metal selection, we include a list of the most common materials with their maximum recommended thickness for getting the best quality results:

Mild steel – up to 30 mm

Stainless steel – up to 30 mm

Special steels (Hardox, Strenx, etc.) – up to 20 mm

Coated steel – up to 5 mm

Aluminium – up to 30 mm

Copper alloys – up to 12 mm

Our Multi-Stage Connected Manufacturing Approach

  • Upload & configure

    Upload & configure

    Simply upload your CAD files, choose your materials and processes, and receive a comprehensive quote for your entire project.

  • Multi-Stage Manufacturing

    Multi-Stage Manufacturing

    Our MSCM platform orchestrates a bespoke production path through our network of manufacturing partners, balancing speed, cost, and quality to meet your project's unique demands.

    • Intelligent planning
      Intelligent planning

      The core of MSCM. Our platform creates a complete production blueprint, mapping the original sequence of processes and identifying specialist partners.

    • Specialist production
      Specialist production

      Core manufacturing processes are routed to the ideal manufacturing partner. On completion, parts undergo rigorous quality checks before moving to the next stage.

    • Partner coordination
      Partner coordination

      Our platform manages all partner logistics and communication, orchestrating the production flow and adapting to real-world situations to eliminate delays.

    • Finishing
      Finishing

      We coordinate all secondary processes, from heat treatments to surface finishes, applying targeted quality checks to ensure they meet your exact requirements.

    • Assembly & kitting
      Assembly & kitting

      We manage the final assembly process. Parts are configured to your required level, from kitted components and sub-assemblies to complete units, ready for final validation.

  • Quality checked & delivered

    Quality checked & delivered

    Your completed parts are checked against your specifications to ensure quality before being packaged for on-time delivery.

Laser Cutting FAQ

What standards do you follow?

We follow ISO 9001, ISO 9013, and EN 10204 standards.

What are the lead times?

Our standard service brings the laser-cut parts to your doorstep in under 9 working days. With our expedited order service, you can have your parts in just 5 working days.

Can you provide material certificates?

Yes, we can! Simply tick the checkbox for material certificates when placing your order.

Do you provide manufacturing consultation?

Yes, business customers can rely on expert advice from our seasoned manufacturing engineers to find the most suitable solution for manufacturing your parts. For example, from certain volumes, it can be more cost-effective to opt for punching rather than laser cutting.

Do you cut anything besides metal?

Yes. We have expanded our capabilities to include a range of engineering plastics. However, please note that instant pricing is currently only available for metals, plastic projects require a manual review.

Let us ease your workload! Order metal fabrication from Fractory and experience the benefits yourself: 1-1 engineering support, payment terms for companies, a single point of contact, competitive pricing, on-time deliveries and quality control.
Get a Quote