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Laser Cutting
Laser Cutting with Salamander
At Salamander Fabrications, we’re passionate about creating products that are of the highest quality, and using all the technologies at our disposal to do so. Laser cutting is a technology that allows us to rapidly and precisely cut sheet metals, creating either finished parts or components which require further operations.
Laser cutting is usually the first step in the manufacturing process when creating sheet metal fabrications, and uses an exceptionally powerful laser to create patterns and designs by cutting the material in specific places. Almost all projects that require laser cutting will go through a design process previously, usually using CAD design, to ensure that the laser is set up correctly and will cut perfectly according to the needs of the project. By integrating our design process with our aluminium cutting and bespoke steel service, we’re able to reduce additional set-up time, giving us quick lead times and faster turnaround for our clients.
Facts About Our Laser Cutting
- We utilise a fibre laser, as opposed to a CO2 laser, as it is more efficient and requires fewer external gases. Fibre lasers also allow for smoother cutting, faster speeds, more flexibility, and less wastage from our projects.
- Laser cutting allows us to customise cutting shapes, which means no additional tools are required, saving time and reducing costs for our customers.
- We have two bystronic lasers - one 3kw and one 6kw. The bed size for our laser cutter is 3000mm x 1500mm, allowing us to take on a range of different projects.
- Our 200 location automated warehouse enables 24/7 running capability on both of our laser cutting machines - with the ability to hold up to 200 different metal materials, our project capabilities and turnaround times can be significantly improved.
Our Technology
At Salamander Fabrications, we are always doing everything we can to ensure that our technology is as up to date and cutting edge as possible, and that we’re staying ahead of the industry curve in order to continuously improve and offer our customers the best possible laser cutting service.
We have two laser cutter machines at our Huddersfield premises – The Bystronic 3Kw BySprint Fiber and 6Kw Bystar Fiber laser cutters. This type of laser machine is ideal for CNC flatbed laser cutting and the industrial cutting techniques we specialise in.
These tools both have a fully automated loading system and optical fibre lasers, allowing for unmanned running which gives us 24/7 capacity. We don’t need to have staff on hand directly to allow for efficient sheet metal laser cutting, omnidirectional cutting and a highly flexible manufacturing process. By investing regularly in our technology we’re able to ensure a quick turnaround for sheet metal and stainless steel laser cutting jobs, which gives us – and therefore our customers – a competitive advantage in every project we create.
These machines are our technologies of choice as they have a flat-bed cutting range of 3048mm x 1524mm, and are considerably more environmentally friendly than traditional CO2 lasers, as they require less power consumption and also have less heat transfer, which results in less waste heat. They also offer premium cut quality and considerably faster cutting speed over traditional laser technologies.
Working with Salamander Fabrications
Since 1968 we’ve been providing laser cutting services to our sheet metal fabrication customers. Through our quality service and our passion for the work we do, we’ve developed a reputation as a sheet metal fabrication team that goes far above the industry standard in terms of customer care. We’re a full-service sheet metal fabrication team based entirely in the UK, with all of our industrial lasers based right here at our Huddersfield HQ. This means we never outsource precision laser cutting to another company, resulting in high-quality work for our customers every time.
Get in TouchWhat is Laser Cutting? The History of Laser Cutting and why it’s Important
Laser cutting has been around since the mid 1960s, when it was first used to drill holes in diamond dies. By the 1970s, it was being used to jet cut metals for aerospace applications, and then new techniques were developed to help cut textiles and other non-metal materials over time. Since then, advances in laser technology have developed quite considerably, with fibre laser, precision laser, hybrid laser and laser microject applications all being used commercially. Transverse flow lasers, solid-state lasers, tube laser cutting, direct diode lasers and radio frequency energy techniques have also been introduced as the laser cutting process for the manufacturing industries becomes more advanced.
Laser cutting uses a highly focused laser to vaporise or burn materials, resulting in a smooth and precise cut edge. While it’s historically been used for industrial manufacturing applications – something we’re very familiar with here at Salamander Fabrications – the technology is becoming considerably more accessible, and can now be used by schools, small businesses, art facilities and hobbyists as well as professional sheet metal fabricators like our team.
Most commonly, laser cutting works by directing the output of a high-power laser through laser optics. Then, the laser optics and CNC machines help to direct the focused laser beam, or move the raw materials (such as a steel plate or sheet), to create an accurate cutting path for the laser. This cutting path is set out in the designs of the product, and then the CNC system simply has to follow it – most commercial laser cutters also have a motion control system in place to ensure precision in their projects. Wherever the laser beam is directed, it will melt, burn or vaporise the material, depending on what it is, leaving an end product with a smooth, precise cut edge and high-quality finish to each of the cut parts.
Laser cutting can also be used to etch materials, which is the process of creating cuts, grooves, dips and patterns on a piece of material regardless of material thickness – usually sheet metal at Salamander Fabrications. This allows us to expand the abilities of our manufacturing process, and offer competitive prices without the need for us to purchase a huge range of custom designed tools.
What Can Laser Cutters Actually Cut?
At Salamander Fabrications, we’re specialists in creating products from sheet metal, so our laser cutters are used to cut aluminium and mild steel or stainless steel more commonly than any other material. However, laser cutting can be used in a wide range of disciplines, and depending on the technology you use or sector you’re working in. We also regularly use brass and copper in our projects as well as the traditional aluminium and steel, but laser cutters can also be used to cut through organic materials or thicker materials including wood, paper, cardboard, cork, acrylic sheet materials, Teflon, cloth and leathers, some plastics and some carbon fibre materials, among a wide range of materials. Laser cutting can also be used to etch other materials, including glass and ceramics. Particularly if you’re using plastics, however, you need to be incredibly careful before laser cutting, as some plastics can melt, burn, catch fire, damage the machinery or even create poisonous gases if you’re not careful!
Contact Us Today
To find out more about Salamander Fabrications and the work we do or to see how we can help with your next project, please contact sales@salamanderfabs.com or call to speak to a member of our Sales Team on 01484 843599, and we’ll be happy to help.
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