Fiber Laser Cutting
6kW fiber laser on 3000×1500mm sheets — carbon steel to 20mm, stainless to 12mm, aluminium to 10mm, cut to ±0.05mm with per-job kerf compensation.
Get a QuoteWhat Separates a Good Laser Cut From a Cheap One
Almost nobody quotes the laser. They quote the part. The differences that actually move your cost and your part quality are underneath: whether the kerf is compensated, whether the gas is right for the material, whether the parameters were tuned for the alloy instead of assumed, and whether the hole you drew comes out at nominal size or a third of a millimetre under.
On carbon steel we run oxygen assist: fast, and the oxide layer does most of the cutting work. On stainless we switch to nitrogen, which burns the cut clean without oxidising the surface — slower, but it is the difference between a part that passes a corrosion requirement and one that does not. On aluminium, nitrogen again, and a clean sheet, because aluminium reflects more of the beam back at the source.
We calibrate kerf per material, thickness and gas rather than carrying one number, and we offset every closed profile and every hole accordingly. If you send an un-compensated DXF from another supplier, tell us — we will check it before cutting.
Per-job kerf calibration
Profiles offset inward, holes offset outward, so measured parts match the drawing instead of drifting undersize.
Gas chosen per material
Oxygen for fast carbon steel cuts, nitrogen for stainless and aluminium where the surface has to stay clean.
Automatic nesting
Standard common-line nesting where geometry allows. On bracket batches this is often the largest single saving in the quote.
Materials, Thickness and Gas Assist
Thickness limits are the headline capability. The table below is what actually changes when you move between materials — because the gas choice, not the laser power, is what sets edge quality.
| Material | Grades | Max Thickness | Gas Assist | Edge Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon Steel | Q235, S235JR, Q345, S355JR | 20 mm | Oxygen | Clean, bright cut; fastest route. Dross appears on the exit side above roughly 12mm. |
| Stainless Steel | 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 430 | 12 mm | Nitrogen | Oxide-free cut with a straw-to-blue heat tint band. Oxygen assist is faster but oxidises. |
| Aluminium | 5052, 6061, 6082, 7075 | 10 mm | Nitrogen | Bright, smooth cut. Sheet cleanliness directly affects the result — an oily surface causes spatter. |
| Galvanized Sheet | SGCC, DX51D | Review per job | Nitrogen | Accepted, but the zinc coating is burned away at the cut edge — specify edge protection. |
| Copper | C11000, C10100 | Review per job | Nitrogen | High reflectivity, lower throughput. Requires a clean, oil-free sheet. |
| Brass | C26000, C36000 | Review per job | Nitrogen | Reflective like copper; thicker sections need slower feeds to avoid spatter. |
Rows marked “review per job” are quoted individually: cut speed, kerf width and achievable tolerance all shift with geometry, and for reflective metals the sheet surface condition has to be declared.
Design Rules That Decide Whether a Part Cuts Cleanly
Minimum hole diameter
About 0.5× material thickness, and roughly 1mm absolute on our machine. Below that the pierce does not form cleanly and the hole exits with a heavy burr on the back face.
Minimum slot width
About 1.5× thickness. Narrower slots burn rather than melt cleanly, and the edge drags. For narrow slots, ask about a two-pass or outline strategy.
Hole-to-hole and hole-to-edge spacing
Keep at least 2× thickness between features. Closer, the heat-affected zones merge and the surrounding material distorts during the cut.
Kerf is not zero
If your DXF has already been compensated, say so. Applying compensation twice puts every hole out by a full kerf width, which on thin sheet is exactly the kind of error that shows up only at final inspection.
Fiber Laser vs Plasma vs Waterjet
| Factor | Fiber Laser | Plasma | Waterjet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild steel thickness | Up to 20mm | Up to 40mm, but rougher | Very thick, non-contact |
| Stainless / aluminum | Excellent | Requires separate consumables | Excellent, no HAZ |
| Heat affected zone | Minimal | Larger, with visible taper | None (cold process) |
| Edge tolerance | ±0.05mm | ±0.5mm class | ±0.1mm |
| Surface finish | As-cut, good | Requires deburring | Matte, glassy edge |
| Best for | Most sheet metal parts | Heavy plate, rough tolerance | Heat-sensitive and thick mixed work |
Waterjet is genuinely better for heat-sensitive alloys and thick mixed stacks — the chamfered edge is a real trade-off, not a defect. If your material is heat-critical, tell us at RFQ stage so we can route it correctly.
What We Cut
Flat patterns and blanks
Gaskets, shims, washers, mounting plates and blanking panels — delivered deburred, ready for downstream forming.
Brackets and supports
Tab-and-slot, gusseted or welded brackets. Nesting makes batch economics work well here.
Enclosure components
Chassis panels, front panels, fan guards and perforated airflow openings in cold-rolled or stainless sheet.
Instrument and sensor housings
Small precision parts where hole position and flatness after bending both matter — often paired with our CNC machining.
Lamination and core stacks
Electrical laminations, transformer and motor stacks — thousands of small parts, where nesting speed drives the price.
Prototypes and fixtures
Jigs, drill plates and assembly fixtures where one piece is enough and nobody wants a die.
Fiber Laser Cutting FAQ
What thickness can a 6kW fiber laser cut?
Carbon steel to 20mm, stainless steel to 12mm and aluminium to 10mm as standard. Cut quality degrades as thickness rises — dross, taper and heat-affected zone all grow — so the practical limit for a quality-critical edge is usually lower than the headline number. Send your thickest requirement and we will tell you what the edge will actually look like.
Why do stainless parts come out discolored?
The cut surface oxidises. Nitrogen assist instead of oxygen burns the surface clean and leaves a characteristic straw-to-blue heat tint band. That band is not a defect but it is not decorative either, so parts needing a bright edge should be specified as passivated or mechanically finished.
How do you account for the laser kerf?
Kerf is the width of material the beam actually removes. Every closed profile is offset by half the kerf inward and every hole by half the kerf outward, so the measured part matches the nominal drawing. Kerf depends on material, thickness and gas, so we calibrate it per job rather than using a single number — and it is why an un-compensated DXF gives holes a fraction of a millimetre undersize.
What is the smallest hole or slot you can cut?
Practical minimum hole diameter is about 0.5× material thickness, and roughly 1mm absolute. Below that the hole does not pierce cleanly or exits with a heavy burr. Slots narrower than about 1.5× thickness suffer the same way. Keep hole-to-hole and hole-to-edge spacing at least 2× thickness so the heat-affected zones do not merge.
Can you cut copper and brass?
Yes, with dedicated parameters and lower throughput. These metals reflect most of the beam back toward the source, so surface condition matters more than on steel or aluminium — a clean, oil-free sheet is worth telling us about. Copper reflects close to 90 percent of the beam, which is why it behaves so differently from mild steel at the same power.
Do you nest parts to save material?
Yes, standard automatic nesting with common-line cutting where geometry allows. On a batch of brackets the material saving is often the single largest cost difference between a laser quote and a manual one. We return the nest layout with the quotation if you want to review it.
Can I get cut parts only, without bending or welding?
Yes. Blanks and flat profiles are delivered deburred with a standard edge break, wrapped and shipped. If you need them bent or welded later, send them back to us rather than to another shop — the flat parts already carry our kerf compensation and deburring, and keeping the bend history in one place avoids argument about who owns the tolerance stack.
Send a DXF, Get a Cut Quote
Material, thickness and quantity are enough for a starting figure. DFM feedback within one working day.
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