Laser and profile cutting
Fibre laser, plasma, gas and water-jet cutting of sheet and plate to your outline.
Profile cutting cuts flat parts straight from a drawing, without any tooling. Fibre laser gives clean, accurate cuts in thin and medium sheet; plasma and gas cutting handle thick plate; water-jet cuts almost any material without heat.
You send the outline as a DXF or DWG file, and the workshop nests the parts on sheets to reduce waste. The machine's bed size and power decide the largest sheet and the thickest plate it can cut.
Cut parts are often bent on a press brake, welded or finished. Many cutting workshops do this too, or send the parts on.
Materials commonly used
- Mild steel sheet and plate
- Stainless steel
- Aluminium
- Brass and copper (with the right laser)
- For water-jet: glass, stone, rubber and composites as well
What to send with your requirement
- A DXF or DWG of each flat part, at 1:1 scale
- The material, grade and thickness
- The quantity of each part
- Whether you supply the sheet or the workshop does
- Any bending, deburring or finishing needed
What affects the cost
- Material and thickness: thicker plate cuts more slowly
- Total cutting length and the number of holes (pierces)
- Sheet usage after nesting, and whose material it is
- Edge quality and tolerance required
- Bending, deburring and finishing after cutting
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending a drawing that is not to scale, or a picture instead of a DXF
- Leaving out the thickness or the grade
- Holes smaller than the sheet thickness, which may not cut cleanly
- Not saying whether the edges must be free of oxide for welding or painting
Need Laser and profile cutting done?
Post your requirement free. Workshops that take your kind of job see it and get in touch. You only talk to the ones that fit.
Get startedFrequently asked questions
- What file do I need?
- A DXF or DWG of the flat outline at 1:1 scale, plus the material and thickness. For bent parts, add a drawing with the bends.
- Laser, plasma or water-jet?
- Laser is the usual choice for accurate cuts in sheet and medium plate. Plasma and gas cutting suit thick plate where edge finish matters less. Water-jet suits materials that must not be heated.
- Can I get one piece cut?
- Yes. There is no tooling, so single pieces and prototypes are common, though the price per piece is higher than in a batch.