Laser Cutting (Fiber)

Fiber laser cutting produces precise, fast, clean-edge profiles in sheet metal using a solid-state laser, especially efficient on thin to medium-thickness metals.

Overview

Fiber laser cutting uses a high‑brightness solid‑state laser and CNC motion to cut flat metal sheets with tight tolerances, small kerfs, and clean edges. The beam couples very efficiently into metals, so it excels at thin to mid‑gauge sheet with high cutting speeds and good edge quality, especially on steel, stainless, and aluminum.

Choose fiber laser cutting for sheet metal parts with detailed profiles, small holes, tight nesting, and moderate tolerance requirements. It handles complex 2D geometries, fine features down to material thickness scale, and volumes from prototypes to production with minimal setup cost. Limits appear with very thick plate, non-metallic materials, and parts that need formed features in the same operation. Heat input is localized, but small parts can still experience distortion or tip‑ups if not fixtured or tabbed correctly.

Tradeoffs: heat-affected zones are small but present, surface finish depends on assist gas and parameters, and very tight positional tolerances or critical formed dimensions may still need secondary machining or fixturing steps.

Common Materials

  • Mild steel
  • Stainless steel 304
  • Stainless steel 316
  • Aluminum 5052
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Brass

Tolerances

±0.002" to ±0.005"

Applications

  • Electrical and electronic enclosures
  • Mounting brackets and gussets
  • Sheet metal chassis and panels
  • Machine guards and covers
  • Signage and architectural panels
  • Tabs, plates, and baseplates

When to Choose Laser Cutting (Fiber)

Use fiber laser cutting for metal sheet parts with intricate 2D shapes, fine features, and moderate thickness where edge quality and speed matter. It fits low to high production volumes with frequent design changes because tooling costs are minimal. It is especially effective for nesting many small or medium parts tightly on a sheet to reduce material waste.

vs Laser Cutting (CO2)

Choose fiber laser cutting when working primarily with metals and you need maximum speed and efficiency, especially on thin to medium gauges. Fiber lasers offer faster cutting and lower operating cost on metals, and they handle reflective alloys like aluminum, copper, and brass better than CO2.

vs Plasma Cutting

Choose fiber laser cutting when you need tighter tolerances, cleaner edges, and smaller features than plasma can economically deliver. It suits thinner sheet, finer geometry, and parts that go directly to bending or assembly without heavy edge cleanup.

vs Waterjet Cutting

Choose fiber laser cutting when cutting metals where a small heat‑affected zone is acceptable and you want higher speed at lower cost. It is better for high-throughput sheet metal work when ultra-thick sections, non-metals, or zero-heat processes are not mandatory.

vs Shearing

Choose fiber laser cutting when your part has internal cutouts, irregular profiles, or complex contours that straight-line shears cannot produce. It eliminates the need for custom tooling and multiple operations for notching and punching on more complex flat patterns.

Design Considerations

  • Keep minimum slot width and web thickness at least equal to material thickness for reliable cutting and part integrity
  • Call out critical dimensions and hole sizes clearly; leave non-critical edges with standard laser tolerances to control cost
  • Avoid very small isolated features that can tip up or burn away; use tabs or micro-joints for small parts in nests
  • Allow for kerf width (typically 0.006"–0.015") when designing tight-fitting tabs and slots, and specify clearance rather than line-to-line fits
  • Specify edge quality or cosmetic requirements only where functionally needed, as fine finishing on all edges increases cost
  • Group similar material and thickness in your BOM so parts can be cut in a single setup and quoted more accurately