Laser cutting

The laser focuses its beam to a spot a fraction of a millimetre across. The metal melts along the line and a jet of gas clears it out of the cut, leaving a narrow slot called the kerf. Because nothing touches the sheet, thin material is not pushed out of shape and small features come out crisp.

A fibre laser’s light passes through or scorches acrylic, wood and plastics rather than cutting them cleanly, so ours cuts steel, galvanised steel, aluminium, brass, stainless only. Acrylic, ply and board go on the router instead.

The bed is 610mm × 610mm, so every part has to fit inside that square. Many parts can be nested on one sheet.

The laser holds fine detail the router cannot, but every material has a thickness beyond which the edge stops being clean.

Minimum hole diameter

TBC

Holes smaller than this taper through the thickness and may not clear.

Minimum slot width

TBC

Narrower slots close up as the heat goes in.

Minimum feature size

TBC

Thin webs between cuts distort or burn away.

Kerf

TBC

The width the beam removes. Draw the finished size; we allow for it.

Cutting tolerance

TBC

On the cut profile, not on folded dimensions.

• Small holes in thick sheet are the hardest thing to cut cleanly. If a hole is close to the sheet thickness in diameter, point it out.
• Leave a web of material between neighbouring cuts, or the heat can distort it.
• Mark any edge that must stay sharp or burr-free, so we know to check it.