Laser Cutting Service

Twenty20 Engineering provides a professional and responsive laser cutting service, that utilises modern machinery to precisely cut and cut engrave a variety of sheet metal materials of different thicknesses. Laser cutting services are commonly used by the construction, automotive and industrial sectors. Laser cutting is a usually a precursor to sheet metal fabrication, a service also provided by Twenty20 Engineering.

What is Laser Cutting?

The process of laser cutting involves using a focused laser beam to melt, burn or vaporise the material being cut. The laser beam is focused and controlled by the computer within the machine, directing the beam to follow a path determined by the 2D CAD Model created by an engineer. The laser can cut through a wide variety of materials and thicknesses these include but are not limited to:

Mild / Plain Carbon Steel
Stainless steel
Aluminium
Brass
Copper
Titanium

How can sheet metal be cut?

Sheet metal can be cut in variety of ways, Twenty20 engineering utilises them all depending on materials thickness and the accuracy required for the parts and assembly.

For most projects Twenty20 Engineering makes use of either laser cutting or CNC plasma cutting, due to their affordability and relative accuracy. As the accuracy and precision increases the cost of production increases accordingly. Below are the ways in which Twenty20 Engineering can cut sheet metal listed in order of accuracy:

Manual Cutting – Using a Guillotine or Cropping machine to shear the material. This is used for simple components.
CNC Plasma Cutting – creating an ionised jet of plasma to cut through the material, which is controlled by a computer for direction and intensity. This can cut thin and thick materials but will require further processing to remove sharp ragged edges. – known as deburring
Water Jet Cutting – This utilises a high velocity jet of water containing abrasive particles to cut through the material. This is especially effective for material thicknesses above 20mm.
Laser Cutting – Utilising a focused laser beam to cut through the material to a very high accuracy and precision at rapid rates. Laser cutting is highly effective at cutting materials up to 20mm, higher thicknesses are cut using a water jet machine.

What are the key benefits of using a Laser Cutting Service?

Precision and Accuracy: Laser cutting offers exception precision allowing for intricate designs and tight tolerances. Usually, this type of cutting will provide a clean and smooth finish, without the need for deburring.

Versatility: Laser Cutting machines can handle a wide variety of materials and thicknesses, making it suitable for many diverse applications.

Speed and Efficiency: Laser Cutting is a rapid process as the laser beam can move quickly across the surface of the metal, producing fast production times. Additionally, the computer-controlled automation, ensures high efficiency and consistency.

Minimal Material Waste: Laser Cutting can reduce material waste due to its precise nature. Using CAD Software Twenty20 Engineering can nest multiple parts from the same or different projects on to a single sheet of material, reducing waste and cost.

Prototyping and Small Production Runs: Due to the nesting of components prototyping single items and small batch runs are feasible, without the need for expensive tooling and setup costs.

Integration with CAD Software: Twenty20 Engineering can produce the relevant CAD files for use with the laser cutting machines, such as DXF, DWG and SVG for the components to be cut, as part of our 2D Drafting Service.

Why choose Twenty20 Engineering as your Laser Cutting service provider?

When considering a laser cutting service, it is important to choose a reputable provider with modern equipment, experienced operators and a track record of delivering high quality results.

Twenty20 Engineering will collaborate closely with our customers to create a detailed CAD Model and Technical Drawing for customer approval, this ensures your components are cut to your exact specifications.