As you would expect there are a number of laser cutting services available in the West Midlands, large and small companies have sprung up over the past 20 years as manufacturing needs coupled with advances in laser technology mean that laser cutting services are an important part of the industrial supply chain.

A number of the laser cutting services in the West Midlands have evolved from steel stockholders, the reason for this is that steel suppliers decided to offer a profiling service as demand for non-standard steel sizes grew. In addition, many steel stockholders wanted to diversify their businesses and laser cutting gave them an opportunity to broaden their customer base.

There are also laser cutting suppliers such as gf laser based in the West Midlands who offer a sub-contract laser cutting service to companies in the West Midlands and the rest of the United Kingdom. GF laser specialise in providing a quality service with a quick turnaround option allowing customers to hold less stock and operate on a just in time basis.

The third type of laser cutting service that is available is where companies have purchased a laser cutting machine for their own use internally and then decide to offer spare capacity as a way of generating additional revenue. The drawback with dealing with this type of laser cutting service is that they do not tend to offer the same level of service as sub-contract laser cutting companies or you may find that your work will no longer be wanted if this type of company sees an increase in their own laser cutting requirements.

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Morgan is looking to recruit more staff and already employs over 150 people with the majority in skilled production roles.

The Morgan 3 wheeler vehicle has proved espescially popular with reviews on Top Gear and has led to an increase in production as demand grows for a car that was inspired by a historic model that was produced by Morgan way back in 1909.

The manufacturing process of the vehicle includes laser cut parts for 5 axis laser cutting and traditional flat laser cutting. Laser cutting services are ideal for a vehicle such as this as it allows costs to remain low as expensive tooling is not required. Furthermore, 5 axis laser cutting gives even more flexibility for designers as apertures and holes can be cut into formed parts for aesthetic and engineering purposes.

If you are looking for 5 axis or flat laser cutting in the UK then midlands based company gf laser are able to offer a comprehensive laser cutting service for both flat and 5 axis laser cutting.

According to a survey from the Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers Index the results showed that the UK manufacturing sector, which includes laser cutting services, grew by around by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2012.

This is encouraging news and not just for manufacturing but the UK economy as a whole, the rebalancing of the UK economy where services play less of an important role will be vital for our economic growth for years to come. Interestingly, much of this growth has come from exporting to economies such as China, Brazil and the United States where British made goods are sought after because of their high quality.

So, although it may be difficult to export to the Eurozone economies where growth remains sluggish there are still opportunities for UK manufacturing companies to grow their businesses with profitable overseas work.

In general, the laser cutting market also seems to be fairly buoyant at present as we see new enquiries increasing and existing companies

There are numerous uses for laser cutting in the Automotive industry, the main use is for the profiling of metal parts for low to medium volume production metal components. Generally, these components fit into an assembly of some description for welding or riveting.

Some of the larger automotive companies such as Nissan operate their own laser cutting machines whilst others outsource to specialist laser sub-contractors such as gf laser. In addition, some of the larger off-highway and agricultural vehicle manufacturers such as JCB operate lasers in house and buy laser cut parts from sub-contractors. This allows them to better manage the peaks and troughs of global demand for their products.

5 axis laser cutting is also becoming more popular with automotive companies as they look to reduce costs and time with research and development. Utilising 5 axis or 3d laser cutting allows them to develop prototypes at a faster rate than with traditional trim tooling and also allows for multiple variant production using a common pressing. For example, you could have a single pressing which has different hole and trim conditions depending on the variant required. Production can be shifted between variants without interfering with high volume production processes.

The other common use for laser cutting in the automotive industry is that of laser cut and formed parts using a press brake facility. This process is remarkably simple yet effective as it removes the need for any expensive tooling, espescially where simple forming is required. As well as being used for production both at laser cutting sub-contractors and in-house the process is also used for prototype development work.

1. Who offers laser cutting services?

Most laser cutting services are provided by specialist laser cutting sub-contractors such as gf laser. However, there are also companies that offer laser cutting as part of an overall service such as general fabricators. Generally, laser cutting sub-contractors offer a more competitive service as they are able to run their lasers on a 24 hour basis thus reducing hourly overhead costs.

2. Why do companies use laser cutting services? Isn’t it cheaper to make cutting tools?

It can be cheaper to make cutting tools for simple, high volume parts which are required in very high volume. However, as laser cutting machines such as those in the Trumpf range have become faster and faster at cutting of all metals so the gap between tooling vs laser cutting has narrowed. In addition, modern laser cutting machines are able to cut parts to a high tolerance level with excellent repeatibility from most metals. Furthermore, there are no up-front costs with laser cutting whereas tooling can often have a large up-front cost combined with a piece part price.

3. How do I supply information to a company so that I can get a part lasered?

Most companies will be able to take information from you in DXF format ( standard CAD file), PDF / JPEG or a drawing. In addition, some companies offer a reverse engineering service where they can produce the necessary files from an exisiting component.  This is espescially useful for 3D laser cutting where actual components may differ from the original CAD.

4. Can I cut any material with a laser?

In theory anything can be cut with a laser, however, the majority of companies offer a metal laser cutting service rather than plastic. The main reason for this is that some plastics give off poisonous fumes when cut so the extraction systems that are required tend to be expensive when compared with those required for metal laser cutting. Some companies also offer a wood laser cutting service but again this is usually carried out by specialist companies as wood such as MDF gives off carcogenic fumes when cut.

5. Are there any shapes or designs that cannot be cut with a laser?

Laser cutting services are very flexible and the general rule of thumb is that if it can be drawn then it can be laser cut. However, there are some exceptions to this, for example it wouldn’t be possible to cut a 1mm hole through 10mm material as the laser pierce required would be larger than the 10mm hole itself.

To get a fast competitive laser cutting quote today call gf laser on 0121 557 2294, alternatively email sales@gflaser.co.uk

The UK has many laser cutting subcontractors to choose from which means that there is lots of healthy competition for laser cutting customers in the UK.

The majority of laser cutting companies in the UK tend to be based around the Midlands and the North, the obvious reason for this is that the laser cutting business in the UK centred itself around the exisiting industrial areas. Within the midands area espescially many laser cutting companies depended on the automotive industry for a large proportion of their business. However, as the scope of laser cutting has changed the sector finds itself serving many more markets than ten years ago.

Laser cutting in the UK now supplies a very wide range of industries including the architectural, aerospace and shopfitting sectors. Engineers from these sectors have come to rely on laser cutters in the UK as a cost effective method of obtaining cut metal at very short notice. This has in turn increased their competitiveness and cash flow as they are able to produce goods for their customers quickly without holding high levels of stock.

The UK laser cutting market is made up of many sub-contractors who operate anything from one laser to ten lasers. Many sub-contractors such as gflaser offer additional services such as folding and CNC machining providing a turn-key solution to many business sectors.

Cutting mild steel with a laser is one of the most popular methods to produce profiled parts quickly and easily.

The most typical thickness of steel that is cut with a laser is between 1mm and 20mm thick and is used in a wide variety of applications from automotive to shop-fitting. Most laser cutting companies will stock the most common mild steel grades such as HR4 or CR4 thus providing a quick turnaround for laser cut parts.

Mild steel is cut using oxygen as an assist gas which means that the oxygen blasts out the molten material which is created by the power of the laser. It is also possible to cut thinner grades of mild steel using compressed air which again is used at high pressure to blow away the molten material.

The settings on modern laser cutting machines mean that mild steel can be cut burr free with minimal intervention by the laser operator and some machines such as the Trumpf 3030, used by leading laser cutting sub-contractor gf laser, also have a high speed cutting head which cuts thin gauge mild steel faster than older lasers.

Laser cutting mild steel blanks are often formed afterwards using a press brake which puts simple folds or bends into a part but does not require special tooling. Products such as enclosures, shop fittings and signs are regularly laser cut and folded providing an economical attractive product which also has good properties for painting and powder coating.

If you would like a quotation for laser cutting mild steel please contact gf laser on 0121 557 2294.

When the concept of laser power was originally invented it was described as a solution looking for a problem. Over the years laser sources have been used in a variety of solutions from medical devices to heavy engineering.

The most common use of laser cutting services in the UK is for cutting metals such as mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium. Many sub-contract companies operate in the UK such as gf laser (www.gflaser.co.uk) who supply large and small companies with laser cutting services. Almost any design can be cut with a laser and usually if it can be drawn it can be laser cut.

Typically most sub-contract laser cutting services supply the material and laser cutting to the customer providing a complete solution. One of the main benefits of laser cutting over, for example, traditional tooling or machining is the speed that laser cutting services are provided. Many orders are turned round next or even on the same day with many laser cutting sub-contractors offering 24 hour capacity 7 days per week.

In addition, laser cutting services are a very low cost alternative to tooling as there are minimal set up charges and design changes can be implemented in seconds.

The area of 5 axis or 3d laser cutting is a growing area in general manufacturing and construction, the ability to cut a formed part such as a pressing, spinning or tube increases the design flexibility as well as reducing the high capital costs associated with trim tools.

There are numerous companies providing laser cutting services in the UK, before you decide take a look at our guide to choosing a laser cutting supplier.

If you are looking for laser cutting services then there are a number of things to consider prior to placing an order with a laser sub-contractor:

Prices

For the majority of laser cutting services price is the number one issue along with delivery. In order to gain the most competitive price laser cutting companies such as gf laser use specialist software to nest the parts prior to providing a quotation. This means that they are able to provide the best material usage which will in turn give the customer the best price.

Delivery

You may find the best price for your laser cutting but will you get the delivery you require? Many laser cutting services will promise you parts by a date but then fail to deliver which may leave you at the mercy of your customer! By then it is usually to late to find an alternative supplier. Ask your supplier to keep you regularly informed on how the job is progressing, also make sure you call a few days before the part is due just to make sure that the part is scheduled to be cut.

Quality of laser cutting services

So, you get the right price, the right delivery and then the parts arrive and a hole is in the wrong place or the parts are so burred they can’t be used! One way to make sure that you are getting the part you require is to sign off any drawings or CAD files before they enter into the cutting process. Alternatively, ask for a sample part before the full production run just to make sure the part meets tolerances and cut quality.

If your current supplier of laser cutting services isn’t giving you the service you require or perhaps you are new to the area of laser cutting why not try calling gf laser today on 0121 557 2294. They provide competitive laser cutting services, on-time delivery and are approved to the ISO 9001:2008 quality standard.

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