Laser cutting enables complex geometries to be processed as quickly and precisely as possible. In addition to classic punching, laser cutting has established itself as the standard in the industry, as even small quantities can be produced economically. But even for large quantities, laser cutting remains a cost-effective alternative because of their clean, narrow, often post-processing-free cut edges.
Laser-cut parts can be obtained from almost any material and in all sheet thicknesses. With it, sheets can be cut in thicknesses from 0.1mm to 25mm. For stainless steel sheets, the maximum possible thickness for laser cutting is currently even 30mm.
Due to the selected material thickness, minimum dimensions must be observed in the sheet metal design, since too much energy input on one surface leads to a faulty production result and the desired workpiece quality cannot be achieved:
If the hole diameter falls below the minimum dimension, subsequent drilling and thus an additional manufacturing step becomes indispensable.
Sharp corners on sheets pose a risk of injury and are automatically rounded off by most programming systems. If sharp corners are required, they should therefore be marked accordingly.
Corner radii also have a positive effect on the production time of the workpiece since a simplified cutting pattern can be run. Depending on the sheet thickness, the following radii should be observed:
Material thickness
Corner radius
1mm to 5mm
0.5mm
6mm to 12mm
1mm
15mm to 25mm
3mm
Inner contours that do not have connections to the main part fall out of the sheet and can lead to errors in production. Accordingly, such contours must be removed or connected to the main part by webs.
