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What is Laser Cutting Used For?

As a business that prides itself on  total metal component solutions  , we offer so much more than just etching, and one of the many services we offer is laser cutting. We are often asked “What is laser cutting used for?” as not all of our customers are immersed in the industry. With that in mind, we thought we would address this for you in the following post.

A Brief Introduction

Laser cutting was originally used in 1965 for drilling holes in diamond dies – which are special tools used every day in the manufacturing industry. It soon evolved into use within the aerospace industry, as well as various types of lasers being produced that could also cut non-metals, for example, textile materials.

How it Works

Laser cutting is a method of cutting shapes or designs into sheet metal or other structural materials that are primarily used in the manufacturing industry, but it is also growing in popularity among other sects, such as schools and hobbyists.

Laser cutting is often used when the etching process isn’t an option due to the size and nature of the component required. The laser cuts, burns, melts and then blows away the pattern, as instructed by a computer. The laser beams are easily manipulated to achieve the desired result.

Why Do We Use Laser Cutting?

As mention previously, it is an alternative to the etching process, but there are also many other benefits. Not only can laser cutting deliver high levels of precision, very accurately, but it is consistent in doing so, with very little room for human error. This means there is less energy used, less wastage, and is, therefore, a lower cost solution.

More complex designs can be implemented, on smaller parts than with etching and still leaves metals burr-free and clean cut. In addition to this, laser cutting means there is less workpiece contamination, which aids machine longevity.

How Do We Use it?

So, just  what is laser cutting used for? As laser cutting can be used on sheet metals; such as aluminium, stainless steel, mild steel and titanium among many others, it can be used for components and parts used with any of the  industries we serve. Furthermore, laser cutting is versatile in that it can be used on other materials as required by our customers.

All of our components can be processed to  yield maximum results. We can use sheets up to 3000 x 1500mm, with a thickness of up to 20mm; depending on the metal used.

We hope this goes some way to explaining  what laser cutting is used for; in an already confusing world of jargon and technical processes. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us and we’ll be  more than happy  to assist you or answer any queries you may have about the services we provide.