Metal Fabrication: A Guide to Understand Laser Tube Cutting

May 29, 2020

Do you have a manufacturing job that needs automation, precision, and flexibility? Are your materials metal tubes? Do you need complex patterns cut in that tubing?

If you answered yes to these questions, there's a good chance a laser tube cutter is the tool you need. Laser tube cutting is the way to go when you want high-quality cuts and designs ready for assembly and construction.

For strong, crisp cuts that need no extra work, a laser tube cutter should be your choice.

To help you determine if laser tube cutting is right for your operation, we've put together this guide. Read through what we've learned so that you fully understand laser tube cutting. You'll find out everything you need to know to make the smart choice when it comes to cutting your metal tubing. 

What Is Laser Tube Cutting?

Laser tube cutting is the process and technique used to cut tubes, structural shapes, or channels. The process will cut these items to the length needed. It can also cut out holes or designs in the tubing.

It is a precise cutting technique. It can also be used on a wide variety of materials in all shapes and sizes. When considering using laser tube cutting, look for a metal fabricator with years of experience in laser cutting.

2-Axis or 3-Axis

Laser tube cutting equipment comes in a variety of types that can handle different cutting needs. 

A 2-axis machine cuts tubes in 2 dimensions. They are good for cutting to length. They also work well for producing features and joints to use between tube pieces in structures. 

A 3-axis laser tube cutter cuts in 3 dimensions. These machines are used for chamfering or tilt cutting.

When to Use Laser Tube Cutting

Knowing when to use laser tube cutting is important. If pieces of tube need to be welded at a later stage in manufacturing, a laser tube cutter offers the best solution.  

Laser tube cutting is precise, so it works well when precise and clean welding of pieces is needed.  

For tubes that need to be bent before welding, laser tube cutting offers the cuts you need. The cuts allow tubes to be manually bent. It reduces the number of parts needed as well as the amount of welding you'll have to do.

Advantages of Laser Tube Cutting

Laser tube cutting comes with a lot of advantages. Let's take a look at a few.

Flexibility

Laser tube cutting can handle a lot of different sizes and shapes of tubes. From less than an inch all the way up to 9 inches, cut the diameter of the tube you need. Rectangular tubes can also be cut up to 9 inches across.

Length is no issue either. Standard tubing of 24 feet is easily taken care of. 

A quarter of an inch of carbon steel is no match for laser tube cutting. Machines can also cut through stainless steel up to 0.25 inches. And on titanium, laser tube cutting gets through 0.04 inches with no problems either.

Use laser tube cutting on tubes with round, rectangular, or irregular profiles.

Shape, size, and thickness are no problems. The variety that laser tube cutting can handle shows the broad flexibility these machines can deal with. 

Materials

Laser tube cutting works on a wide range of materials. Choose this method for carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium. 

If you need to cut reflective material, you should opt for a fiber laser rather than a CO2 cutter. 

You can even cut non-metals. A laser tube cutter can work on everything from a piece of bread to wood, plastic, and styrofoam.

Efficiency

Because laser tube cutters are so precise and flexible, they are also extremely efficient. Tubes cut with these machines do not need any extra processing after the cut. The cuts are clean and precise, so there are no leftover materials to remove.

Cutting to length and doing complex designs are done with one machine. There are no additional tools needed. This means you don't have to change out pieces or parts, so your workflow is improved.

By using one piece of raw metal for all parts, laser tube cutters reduce the waste. This reduces the cost of your project.

Parts cut by a laser tube cutter will fit together easily and precisely. That means the secondary construction is simple and efficient as well.

Precision

The precision of cutting from a laser tube cutter means no secondary operation is needed. The parts are ready to use or assemble once they come off the cutter.

Cost

The efficiency and precision of laser tube cutters mean producing even complex parts is simple and automated. The automation reduces manual labor and improves time to completion. Your production line will be less costly when using a laser tube cutter.

Choose a Laser Tube Cutter

As you can see, for all your tube cutting needs, a laser tube cutter is the way to go. With so many options in what you can cut and how you can cut it, these tools offer you unparalleled flexibility.

The efficiencies you gain from automation and precision allow you to maximize your production workflow. You don't need secondary work done to clean up the cuts and joins. And your complex designs are easy for a laser tube cutter to handle, too.

When you're looking to find a laser tube cutting fabricator, we've got you covered. Our team of experts has years of experience working with these machines and customers like you. We offer quality assurance so that you can be assured you're work will get done on time and to the standards you expect.

Contact us today to learn more about our work or to get a quote. We'll be happy to assist you and find the best laser tube cutting solutions for your needs.