Precision laser cutting technology has come a long way in the last decade, and it's becoming easier for more people to use.
In 2022, the global market for laser cutting machines was worth $6,832.8 billion, and it's expected to reach $10,668.36 billion by 2030, according to Allied Market Research.
This growth is happening because manufacturers from various industries are turning to precision laser cutters to make their production processes faster, more efficient, higher in quality, more capable, and more reliable.
So, what exactly is precision laser cutting?
Well, it's a process where we use a powerful and precise laser to cut through materials with a very narrow cut and tight measurements. Compared to old-fashioned cutting methods that use physical blades or abrasive jets, precision laser cutters can work all day with very little supervision and produce complex parts with incredible accuracy.
At Engineered Mechanical Systems, we're experts in precision laser cutting services. We have a fleet of top-notch laser machines that can handle both big and small jobs, cutting intricate parts to your exact specifications at record speed.
In this article, we'll talk about five ways that using precision laser cutting technology can help manufacturers like you improve product quality, streamline workflows, save money, and meet customer demands by upgrading your current processes.
1. Speed and Efficiency Gains
One of the biggest advantages of implementing precision laser cutting is the sheer speed at which parts can be produced compared to conventional fabrication methods.
Lasers can operate continuously with minimal downtime, and they cut through material faster than physical cutting tools that require frequent changes.
For example, laser cutting speeds for 1⁄4” mild steel plate are typically around 40 IPS (inches per second) versus 10-15 IPS for processes like CNC machining or punching.
For thinner gauge material like sheet metal, laser cutting speeds can exceed 100 IPS. This difference adds up to significant time savings, especially for high production volumes.
Beyond raw cutting speed, precision laser cutting also offers efficiency advantages by consolidating steps in the manufacturing sequence. Parts that may have required separate operations like drilling, milling, and finishing can often be completed in one streamlined laser cutting job.
The more optimized workflow leads to less production time, lower labor requirements, and higher throughput.
As an illustration, switching to laser cutting enabled one contract manufacturer to reduce production time for a stainless steel orthopedic implant from 12 minutes to just 2 minutes per part.
This boosted their output for the part from 300 units per day to over 2000 units per day with the same staffing level. That’s an efficiency gain of over 500%!
The combination of faster cutting and process consolidation makes precision laser cutting a game changer for manufacturers looking to speed up production, increase capacity, and deliver parts to customers more quickly.
It can cut production times by 50% or greater compared to conventional fabrication.
2. Enhanced Quality Control
Another major benefit of precision laser cutting is the ability to achieve more consistent, high-quality results. The extreme precision of laser cutting leads to far fewer errors, defects, and much less scrap material than other fabrication methods.
Lasers can hold incredibly tight tolerances, commonly reaching ±0.005" for high precision systems. This level of accuracy results in parts that match design specifications perfectly.
Lasers also produce clean, smooth edge cuts without burrs or deformities that usually require secondary deburring or finishing.
The consistency and precision of laser cutting delivers huge quality control advantages for complex components, tight-tolerance parts, and industries where safety is critical.
For example, many medical device manufacturers rely on laser cutting for nitinol stents and small stainless steel biopsy forceps where accuracy and surface finish is paramount.
Aerospace companies also utilize precision laser cutting to produce intricate aluminum and titanium components that must adhere to strict aircraft certification rules. Minimizing defects reduces inspection time, rework, and most importantly, the risk of failure.
Overall, the automated precision and minimal scrap rates enabled by laser cutting results in a higher proportion of completed parts meeting quality standards compared to other methods.
This translates into lower inspection costs, less rework, and higher customer satisfaction.
3. Design Freedom
Precision laser cutting grants manufacturers far more design freedom compared to conventional fabrication techniques. Since lasers can cut complex 2D contours and shapes with tight internal cutouts, engineers can create component designs not possible through other processes.
Lasers place almost no restrictions on part geometries - any 2D profile can be cut quickly and accurately. This allows for innovations like intricate medical implants, miniature electronics enclosures, and lightweight aerospace structures.
Designers no longer have to avoid undercuts, small radii, thin walls, and other features that are fabrication-unfriendly for tools like punch dies.
Precision laser cutting also enables miniaturization and density improvements for products through its ability to yield tiny, closely spaced features.
Cutting thin walls, small holes, and sub-millimeter gaps that provide electrical or fluidic interconnectivity are no problem.
Machining or molds cannot match lasers' flexibility in this regard.
Manufacturers willing to push design boundaries can leverage laser cutting’s near limitless capabilities to create novel part shapes, custom enclosures, and innovative new products that set them apart from the competition.
However, designers should still consider manufacturing requirements when drafting concepts. For example, including removable tabs, slots and other concessions can make parts easier to work with after cutting. But overall, laser cutting frees designers to bring creative ideas to reality.
4. Material and Process Consolidation
Precision laser cutting also enables major process consolidation because lasers can cut such a wide range of materials. Everything from stainless steel and aluminum to plastics, wood, textiles, and acrylics can be cut with the same laser system.
This versatility allows manufacturers to simplify and streamline their workflows by standardizing on laser cutting versus relying on an array of fabrication methods tailored to each material.
Switching between materials requires no changeover or retooling – the laser power and settings are simply adjusted.
Consolidating on laser cutting to produce parts from mixed materials results in significant time and cost savings compared to separate cutting, milling, stamping, or molding steps.
It also reduces the capital investment required in dedicated equipment for each material.
As an example, a medical device company manufacturing components from plastics, ceramics and titanium consolidated 5 different machining and etching processes down to a single laser cutting system.
This decreased their per-part processing time from 52 minutes down to just 12 minutes – 4.3x faster.
The universal nature of laser cutting provides flexibility to adjust part materials as needed. Engineers can try out alternatives with minimal process changes during prototyping or select the optimal material once in production.
Having a “one process fits all” fabrication method is invaluable.
5. Consistent and Reliable Results
The automated precision of laser cutting also ensures manufacturers can count on consistent, reliable results that match their design intent.
Precision laser cutters are highly repeatable thanks to CNC coordination and minimal tool wear. This results in every part coming out identical with no deviations or surprises that require inspection and rework.
Lasers also provide extreme consistency across production runs. Part dimensions stay true to the original design regardless of shifts, operators, or environmental conditions.
This level of robustness is critical for assembly fittings, precision tooling, or components that interface across different systems.
In applications where safety or performance is paramount, the reliability provided by precision laser cutting delivers tremendous value. There is no questionable operator technique, tool erosion, or gradual drift over time that degrades output quality.
For example, an automotive OEM switched their airbag component fabrication from steel rule stamping presses to laser cutting. The dimensional consistency improved from +/- 0.5 mm down to +/- 0.05 mm, completely eliminating faulty activations.
With laser cutting, manufacturers gain complete assurance that finished parts will match their design perfectly every time.
This tight process control results in components that function and assemble predictably without adjustments, as well as eliminating surprise field failures down the road.
Realize the Full Potential of Your Manufacturing
Implementing precision laser cutting technology is a strategic investment that enables manufacturers to achieve new levels of speed, efficiency, quality, capabilities, and reliability.
As we've explored, upgrading to laser cutting offers quantifiable benefits:
- Faster turnaround times - up to 5x or more
- Reduced errors, defects, and material waste
- Ability to produce highly complex part geometries
- Consolidated workflow for all material types
- Consistent, reliable results over long production runs
The technology has proven its merits across industries from aerospace and medical devices to electronics, automotive, and consumer products. It facilitates innovations in design, expanded capacity, and disruptive new manufacturing techniques like rapid prototyping.
At Engineered Mechanical Systems, we are ready to partner with you on implementing precision laser cutting. Our team of experts can conduct production trials and sample part runs to demonstrate the technology's advantages for your specific application.
We invite you to contact us today to discuss how precision laser cutting can help you gain a competitive edge. Contact Us today to get started.
The future of your manufacturing is waiting to be unlocked!