Laser Cutting Services

Laser cutting service by Fractory makes ordering really easy by taking it online. You can upload 3D models and 2D drawings for instant quotes. While this is ideal for prototyping and one-off parts, we also offer series manufacturing over a multi-year period. Our sales engineers are happy to help with planning the execution of larger projects.

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Just upload your CAD files onto the platform to get an instant quote and lead time. After confirming, we take care of the manufacturing side of things, using state-of-the-art machinery.

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 the 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.

Laser Cut Parts - Ordering & Delivery

Quote in seconds
Quote in seconds
Short lead times
Short lead times
Delivery by Fractory
Delivery by Fractory

Why Use CNC Cutting?

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

State of the art automated laser cutters need little manpower. Combining their autonomous nature to their swiftness, Fractory’s online laser cutting platform 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 it 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.

Our Customers & Projects Done

We have manufactured a lot of different parts for a wide range of projects. The only common denominator for all of them is “metal” because we only perform metal cutting at Fractory.

The projects include custom metal cut parts for many industries but also hobbyists with one-off parts.

Some of our client segments include:

Machine builders – machine components, panels, etc.

Car manufacturers – panels, roll cages, chassis etc.

Maritime industry – frames and other parts (mostly aluminium and stainless steel)

Robot building – frame, bodyworks, moving parts, etc.

Forestry & agricultural machinery – panels, frames, etc.

Art studios – signs and signage

Fashion designers – metal jewellery

We would advise looking at our design requirements first in order to avoid parts that cannot be produced. The main design principles revolve around cut widths suitable for production.

 

CNC Metal Cutting Materials

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.

Online Laser Cutting

Material selection
Online laser cutting platform

Laser cutting online makes quick pricing possible. You can get an instant quote for your STP, SLDPRT, IPT part files or DXF drawings. There’s no more need for detailed drawings. Thus, you can save a lot of time by skipping the drawings part of an engineer’s job.

Online laser cutting’s pricing algorithms make it possible to design things keeping cost in mind. Also, it helps you to see how the prices change for scaling up the production. Ordering from Fractory ends up with our algorithms choosing the best-suited manufacturing partner. The choice depends on a manufacturer’s availability, location, expertise, etc.

As our system knows all this info, we can reduce lead times, provide competitive prices and find a manufacturer with the right expertise for any project.

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 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.

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.

Laser Cutting FAQ

What standard do you follow?

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

What are the lead times?

We bring the parts to your doorstep in under 9 working days.

What industries do you specialise in?

Fractory’s clients come from all sorts of industries and we do not limit ourselves to anything specific. Everything from heavy machinery to art studio projects are welcome. We have experience with them all.

Do you help to create the designs?

Our experienced engineers can assist you with consultation regarding the possibility of producing your parts as well as material selection. Unfortunately, we do not currently help with creating a design from scratch.

Do you provide laser engraving services?

Yes, but the automated quoting system does not yet provide instant pricing to laser engraved parts. We need to quote them manually, so send the drawings to info@fractory.com.

Can you make me a custom one-off part?

Yes, as there are no limitation to the minimum order size. Just upload your CAD files to our system and get them quoted.

Do you cut anything besides metal?

No, not at the moment. We are aware that many of you would like to laser cut MDF, acrylic, wood, etc. So we are looking to add these materials to our selection in the future.

Let us ease your workload! Online metal fabrication gives you an instant price. Order your parts from a network of certified manufacturers. No user fees.
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