Custom Laser Cutting
Sheets of material can be cut according to any design and engraved with whatever text, logos or graphics are desired by the customer, with the use of a custom laser. Unlimited design freedom and a wide use of materials, including steel, stainless steel, spring steel,
titanium, wood, cork and acrylic makes products manufactured via
laser cutting unique, intricate and completely customizable. This type of complex laser cutting is always done with computers, referred to as
CNC since the computer controls the machine numerically. Specialized software programs, referred to as CAM or CAD are used to design the blueprints. If the customer doesn't have access to the software, they are often able to submit a sketch of their desired product with all the dimensional details and the manufacturing company will convert it to the computer program. Industries that make use of custom laser cutting services include all industrial manufacturing companies that use assembly lines, such as food canning and tool shaping companies. The construction industry and the military are two other examples of large groups that often use these machines.
Laser cutting machines are confined to producing two dimensional products, but can manufacture parts with slots, tabs, brackets or screws that, when put together, form a three dimensional product.
Welding, which melts the edges of two pieces so that they might be put together, becoming one piece when they resolidify, is also often done by way of lasers. This is partly because the cost is lower when welding with lasers since no filler is required to combine the two pieces.
Engraving is also often done with lasers, since the laser power can be controlled to the point that it will pierce partway but not all the way through a material. Projects both large and small, separating and combining, make use of custom laser machines. Laser cutting machines in general eliminate the tooling process, which cuts down on cost and time. Custom laser cutting is mostly used for prototyping or low production yields for promotional or commercial products. Since the laser beam is tapered in a cone shape, one side of the cut part is smaller than the other side. Although there is no way around this problem, it is not noticeable when thinner sheets of material are used.
