Question 1

How does laser cutting metal work?

Accepted Answer

Laser cutters, as the name suggests, use high-powered lasers to cut through materials and are typically mounted on a 2-axis gantry. Laser cutting relies on a laser beam to heat a piece of material to such a high temperature that it either melts or vaporises, and while softer materials such as acrylic and wood can be cut using low-powered lasers, metals often require much higher laser powers (typically in excess of 100W).

Question 2

What metals can be laser cut?

Accepted Answer

Almost any sheet metal can be laser cut, and Ponoko offers a wide range of various metal sheets and thicknesses. Steel is available in mild, stainless, and carbon varieties of thicknesses up to 3mm, and is ideal for structural parts, enclosures, and faceplates.

Question 3

How thick can laser cut metal parts be?

Accepted Answer

Laser cutters are not ideal for cutting thick materials as the laser beam diverges (meaning that the intensity of the beam rapidly drops with depth). This means that materials cut using laser cutters are generally thin with a maximum thickness of up to 3mm. However, Ponoko does offer laser cutting services with thicknesses of up to 19mm in other materials.

Question 4

What can laser cut metal parts be used for?

Accepted Answer

Metal parts made from laser cutters can be used for a wide range of applications including enclosures, panels, mounting plates, brackets, and signs. The structural integrity of metal makes it particularly useful for making strong structures, and laser cut parts can easily be welded or fitted together using brackets and screws. The high-precision capabilities of Ponoko laser cutters also make metal cut parts ideal for intricate metal designs such as small metal gears, levers, and metal conductive plates used on PCBs.

Question 5

Can a laser cutter cut sheet metal?

Accepted Answer

Yes, laser cutters can cut sheet metals and are particularly ideal for making precision-cut parts. However, laser cutters cannot work with thick pieces of metal, and therefore laser cutting should only be used for metals with a thickness of 3mm and under.

Question 6

Is laser cutting metal expensive?

Accepted Answer

While laser cutters can use more power than a CNC engraver, it should be understood that power consumption is a minor cost in the production of laser cut parts. A design that requires a metal part will find that laser cutting services are one of the cheapest options, and Ponoko offering customers the ability to purchase only a single piece further helps to reduce the cost.

Question 7

What is Ponoko’s precision capabilities for laser cut metal parts?

Accepted Answer

For metals, Ponoko offers a dimensional accuracy of ±0.13mm, a laser kerf of 0mm, and complex features capability of 1mm x 1mm. Furthermore, the smallest laser cut metal parts that Ponoko can produce are 25.4mm x 25.4mm, and the largest parts can be 790mm x 384mm.

Question 8

How is Ponoko able to produce parts so quickly?

Accepted Answer

Ponoko prides itself in its ability to have parts manufactured and shipped fast.. Ponoko is able to do this by standardising the production process and carefully matching materials with laser cutters that they work best with.

Question 9

How can Ponoko help with engineering projects?

Accepted Answer

Whether you need to produce just one part, or ten thousand, Ponoko is ready for any engineering challenge. Scaling the production of a product can be a challenging task, and switching manufacturers can cause logistical problems, quality control issues, and unknown expenses. Ponokos’ ability to scale helps engineers expand their projects from prototypes into early production runs while also getting engineers ready for the next leap; full-scale production.

Question 10

Why use Ponoko services?

Accepted Answer

When it comes to laser cutting, Ponoko is an industry leader and recognised by many large institutions and companies including NASA, Intel, and Google. Ponokos’ ability to produce precision cuts makes it ideal for use in any application requiring accuracy, while Ponokos’ carefully source materials are ideal for applications needing reliability and quality. With over 200 engineered sheet materials available to customers, Ponoko is able to provide service to all areas of industry whether it be aerospace, medical, and military.

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