Alameda laser cutting service - parts quoted online and delivered same day.^*

Ponoko is a US-based laser cutting service that is available to all corners of the United States including Alameda. For low-volume orders, Ponoko provides 24-hour shipping to any state in the US (after the parts have been cut and packaged). One of the biggest advantages of using Ponoko is that it is ideal for scaling up production runs from individual prototypes to full-scale mass production.

All the materials stocked by Ponoko are available to all customers in all locations, and these materials include metal, plastics, wood, paper, and fabric. Metals stocks by Ponoko include steel, aluminium, brass, and copper, paper stocks include both cardstock (i.e., thick paper), and cardboard, while fabrics include leather and felt. A wide range of plastics are also stocked by Ponoko including acrylic, Delrin, PETG, and foam.

Alameda has a diverse range of industries and businesses that range from the brewing industry to the manufacturing sector, and all of these can benefit from laser cutting services. The brewing industry, for example, can take advantage of laser-cut paper and cardstock for decorative purposes. Instead of using standard sticky labels or glued paper labels, laser-cut labels can have edging, cut-outs, patterns, and shapes not possible with other manufacturing methods that would make any glass bottle stand out from any other. Retailers can use Ponoko laser cutting services to make high quality signage from the wide range of materials stocked by Ponoko. For example, acrylic is ideal for creating company signs that need to glow in the dark using LEDs, while metals like brass can be used to create old fashioned wall signs. Companies that are involved with autonomous vehicles (such as drones), can utilise Ponoko for creating prototype parts including structural frames, replacement blades, compartments, and battery holders. Materials such as acrylic are ideal for creating parts that have a high strength to weight ratio, while materials such as aluminium can be ideal for creating parts that are required to have exceptional structural strength. Software companies are also another area who can benefit from laser cutting services. While software companies generally do not produce their own hardware, custom hardware may be needed if new systems are being developed using hardware that does not follow a standard form factor. For example, AI chips on PCIe cards may require a specialised rack that is not available through normal channels, and so a laser-cut enclosure would provide an ideal solution. Manufacturing industries that require large quantities of laser-cut parts can rely on services offered by Ponoko. The fast turnaround time for prototypes can give manufacturers the assurance that bulk versions of a part will be made to the same standards, while the ability for Ponoko to produce thousands of parts provides manufacturers with scaling opportunities. Companies who are heavily invested in R&D will also benefit from Ponoko laser cutting services. The ability for Ponoko to rapidly manufacture parts, have them shipped using 24-hour services, and then scale with ease allows for the acceleration of R&D projects while keeping costs low.

When comparing laser cutting to other manufacturing methods available, laser cutting is one of the most cost-effective methods. To start, laser cutters have far less consumables than CNCs and injection moulding machines meaning that they do not wear down overtime. This means that there are no extra costs for coving the replacement of drill and router bits. Laser cutters are also far faster than other mechanical methods for cutting meaning that they can produce more parts for any given amount of time. The ability for laser cutters to both cut and engrave in the same production cycle also means that there is no need for parts to be moved to a different machine, nor does the laser cutter require any mechanical changes. Ponoko also offers a metal bending service which is particularly useful for those needing laser-cut metal shapes with bends. For example, metal enclosures can be constructed from fewer sheets of metal.  

Ponoko stocks a wide range of different laser cutters as different materials have different cutting requirements. For example, soft organic materials are easily cut with CO2 lasers, but metal can often require fibre laser whose power range can extend well past 5KW. Despite the need for multiple laser technologies, Ponoko has a guaranteed set of parameters that all laser-cut parts will conform to. For example, dimensional accuracy is guaranteed to ±0.13mm, the smallest part possible is 6x6mm, and the smallest complex feature size is 1x1mm. The accuracy and precision available by Ponoko services makes Ponoko ideal for those looking for repeatability of manufactured parts. Comparing the first laser-cut part to the one thousandth laser-cut part would show little difference, and the position of engravings and cut-outs would all fall within the tight tolerance offered by Ponoko.