Laser cutting is a term that is frequently heard in the metal fabrication world. The process is used to create patterns and designs by cutting into materials with a laser beam. This can be extremely beneficial when you are needing something custom made and is an ideal process for materials such as metal. Once materials have been cut, they are bent and folded into the desired finished product. This process allows for a lot of customisations, as each step of the process can be tweaked depending on the desired finished outcome.
Another one of the benefits of using laser cutting for any custom metal fabrication is the high-quality nature of the finished product. Due to the way the laser cuts through the material at such a high heat, the final product consists of a smooth finish and clean edge. This provides a higher-quality finished product and also allows for more precise custom work.
So now you know what the benefits of the process are, you may be wondering how it works. There are four main steps involved in getting your custom fabricated metal from a design idea to a tangible finished product.
1) The first step to the process is having your product designed by a draftsperson. This is designed on AutoCAD and is used to set out the patterns for the laser to cut the desired shape out of the metal sheet.
2) Once this CAD file with a “dxf” output is programmed into the laser cutting machine, the machine will set out the patterns on whichever metal sheet is used, and work out the most efficient way possible to get as many cuts out of one sheet. From here, the laser cutting begins.
3) Once the parts have been cut, an operator is on hand to bend the parts as required using a Press Brake. These bends are marked on the initial CAD file. Once these bends are completed, you will have your final folded part that is ready to be pre-treated and powder coated to your preference
4) The final treatment and coating process will change depending on your desired outcome, you can learn more about this process here.
If you have any questions about our own in-house end-to-end metal fabrication process, get in touch with the friendly team today. As all of our products at The Fabrication Company are completed start to finish in-house, you can rest assured that you will receive a high-quality product with a fast turn-around time.
