Capability · 04 / 06
Laser Cutting
Flat parts cut from sheet and plate: brackets, plates, panels.
Laser cutting handles flat parts from sheet and plate: brackets, base plates, gussets, panels, shims, and gasket-style shapes in steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, and copper. Send a DXF or DWG of the profile (a STEP or PDF works too) and name the material and thickness; a quote comes back in 24-48 hours and states the tolerance used. There is no minimum order, one panel is a normal job, lead time is quoted per job with rush available, and every part is inspected against your print before it ships.
Updated October 2026
What We Make
Laser cutting handles flat parts from sheet and plate: brackets, base plates, gussets, panels, and gasket-style shapes. Send a DXF, DWG, or STEP file and we’ll quote it. A flat part that also needs tapped holes, a bend, hardware, a machined feature or a finish is quoted as one order on the laser-cut parts page. A finish called out on the print is quoted with the part.
Typical parts
- Brackets and base plates
- Gussets and weldment parts
- Panels and enclosures
- Gaskets and shims
- Signage and decorative parts
What does laser cutting suit?
A laser melts or vaporizes material along a flat outline and leaves a cut edge (sources 1 and 4), so it suits brackets, plates, panels and shims cut from sheet and plate. A part with pockets or depth is a milled part instead, and laser vs waterjet vs CNC compares the routes.
Any laser-cut part has a heat-affected zone along the edge of the cut, and for most work it is not an issue (source 4). If a cut edge will be welded, tapped or reamed, say so on the print. The laser cut tolerances page goes further on the edge.
By metal, the pages are laser-cut steel, stainless steel, aluminum and brass and copper.
How should thickness go on the print?
A DXF or DWG of the flat outline is the usual file for a laser job. DXF is an exchange format for the content of AutoCAD drawing files (source 3), and the laser file guide lists what else to put on the print.
Give thickness as a decimal in inches or millimeters, not a gauge number. Gauge is defined differently for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and the use of gauge numbers is discouraged by standards organizations (source 2).
Sources
All accessed 30 September 2026. Where a figure here differs from your print, the print governs.
1. Wikipedia, "Laser cutting": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cutting (a laser vaporizes material to leave a cut edge).
2. Wikipedia, "Sheet metal", Gauge section: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_metal (gauge defined differently for ferrous and non-ferrous metals; use of gauge number discouraged by standards organizations).
3. Library of Congress, "DXF (AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format) Family, ASCII variant", Sustainability of Digital Formats, updated 9 May 2024: loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000446.shtml (an exchange format for the content of AutoCAD drawing files).
4. Kevin Fradette, "Considerations for designing parts for laser cutting", The Fabricator, 1 February 2016: thefabricator.com (the light source melts metal in a millisecond; a laser-processed part has a heat-affected zone along the edge of the cut, which for almost all fabricators is a nonissue).
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 What files do you need to quote laser-cut parts?
A DXF or DWG of the flat profile is ideal. A STEP file or a PDF drawing works too, and any file type is accepted: include the material and thickness so the quote is right the first time.
02 What materials can be laser cut?
Steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, and copper, cut from sheet and plate. Name the material and thickness on the print. Other alloys and plastics quoted on request. Name the grade on the print.
03 Is there a minimum order for laser cutting?
No. One piece to production runs of 10,000: short runs and one-offs are quoted the same way. Ask for more than one quantity, such as 1, 25 and 100, and the quote shows each.
04 What tolerance do laser-cut parts hold?
The quote states the tolerance used on the cut profile. If a feature needs to be tighter (a bearing bore or a locating slot), call it out on the print: it can be finished by machining and is quoted from the print.
05 How fast can laser-cut parts ship?
Quotes come back in 24-48 hours and state the lead time for that job. Laser lead time is quoted per job rather than promised as a fixed range, and rush is available. Lead time starts at order approval. Put your need date in the part description and the quote answers it.
06 Can I order laser cutting online?
Yes. Upload the files on the quote form, with no account or portal, and a person quotes the job in 24-48 hours. The quote arrives as a PDF by email. Card by secure link (a processing fee applies), ACH, wire or check. Shipping is quoted as its own line, or ships on your carrier account.
07 What if I have a sketch or a sample part instead of a DXF?
A dimensioned sketch, a new sample part or photos with a ruler in frame are enough to start a quote. The CAD work is then quoted as its own line, and the quote lists anything missing. The sample ships back with the parts. A fully dimensioned 2D PDF drawing is quoted without a CAD line.
More Capabilities
Other things we make.
CNC Milling
Milled parts (from a single prototype to a production run) quoted in 24-48 hours.
View → 02CNC Turning
Custom turned parts, one piece or a small lot, quoted by a person in 24-48 hours.
View → 03Wire EDM
Hardened tool steel, carbide, sharp internal corners, punch and die profiles.
View → 05Precision Grinding
Surface, cylindrical, centerless, ID/OD and jig grinding on turned, milled and hardened parts.
View → 06Custom Fasteners
Bolts, screws and studs to your print, for when the catalog size or material won’t do.
View → ,All Capabilities
Everything we make, in one place.
View All →Get Started
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A quote in 24-48 hours, no minimums. Like the quote, and we’ll make your parts and ship them to you.
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