Industrial And Manufacturing Use Cases For Precision Laser Cutting
by Willie Horton
Precision laser cutting makes the creation of complex designs vastly easier. Many industrial and manufacturing operations depend on custom laser cutting to deliver an array of products and components. You may wonder if your use case is a good match. Compare your ideas to these five proven use cases to decide whether laser cutting is a good fit.
Fabricating Sheet Metal
Sheet metal is often a cost-effective manufacturing input. The historical downside to sheet metal is that it requires complex manipulation and cutting. Custom laser cutting, though, takes much of the difficulty out of fabricating with sheet metal. You can use it with an array of materials, too, including aluminum, copper, brass, and steel. Consequently, precision laser cutting is popular in the automotive, electronics, and aerospace industries.
With good planning, you can also radically reduce waste. Planning what will come out of each sheet with precision laser cutting will yield more parts per sheet. You also can tightly plan the fits for high-precision products that have low or no tolerances for play.
Medical Implants
Many biocompatible materials require precise designs. A laser offers the ability to make detailed cuts on tiny products. If a company needs to design a stronger stent, for example, it may use a combination of materials and complex shapes to do the job. Polymers and titanium will also reduce or even eliminate reactions in many patients.
Textiles
Most fabrics respond well to precision laser cutting. If you need to rapidly prototype designs, a custom solution is likely available. Once you settle on a pattern, you can also use custom laser printing to make the use of each sheet of fabric more efficient. A low-waste product also serves as a strong selling point for customers.
Packaging
Many packaging materials are feisty. Corrugated cardboard, for example, isn't the easiest material to shape. If you want to create a custom design, there's a good chance you'll need to cut the pieces. Fortunately, precision laser cutting can save the day. You can create unique shapes and assemble them with ease. In a competitive market, this kind of packaging can differentiate your company from others.
Jewelry
Ornate designs are dominant features in much of the jewelry market. Especially when you're working with expensive materials like gold and platinum, you want the design process to avoid waste as much as possible. Jewelry manufacturers can use precision laser cutting to produce detailed pieces that'll catch the customer's eye.
Contact a professional to learn more about precision laser cutting.
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About Me
Owning any kind of industrial manufacturing facility means working with a lot of equipment and machinery. When you're new to this kind of thing, you may be wondering about what kind of ongoing maintenance the equipment will need. If you're lucky, the prior owner has logs and records that will tell you what you need to do. If you're not, that's what we're here for. We're sharing information here to help business owners like yourself to take care of the equipment in your facility today. We will post new information regularly, so check back often for the latest tips and plans.