Laser Cutting Services

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.

Fractory’s laser profiling service only focuses on one group of materials – different types of metal. Therefore, we include a list of most common metals 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

Lasers are suitable for cutting a variety of non-metal materials. These include MDF, acrylic, wood, card, paper, etc. Unfortunately, we do not offer such cutting services at the moment.

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.

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.

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 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 certain situations.

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.