Laser cutting uses a high-power laser beam directed through optics to melt, burn, or vaporize material along a programmed cutting path. The laser beam is focused to a very small spot (typically 0.1–0.4 mm diameter), creating intense energy density that rapidly heats and removes material. An assist gas (oxygen for steel, nitrogen for stainless steel and aluminum) blows away molten material to produce a clean kerf. Today's dominant technology is fiber laser cutting — far more efficient than older CO₂ lasers for metal cutting.
China has become the world's laser cutting workshop. Shenzhen alone has over 1,500 laser cutting service bureaus, many operating around the clock with prices as low as ¥2–8 per meter of cut ($0.30–1.20/m). The widespread adoption of Chinese-made laser cutting machines (HSG, Golden Laser, Penta-Chutian, Bodor, etc.) has driven prices down dramatically, making laser cutting often cheaper than traditional stamping or waterjet for short-to-medium volume runs.
| Material | Thickness Range | Machine Power | Cut Speed (m/min) | Kerf Width | Edge Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mild steel (carbon) | 0.5–25 mm | 1–12 kW | 0.5–25 | 0.15–0.40 mm | Excellent (O₂ assist) |
| Stainless steel 304/316 | 0.5–16 mm | 1–12 kW | 0.5–20 | 0.15–0.35 mm | Good (N₂ assist, no oxide) |
| Aluminum (5052/6061) | 0.5–12 mm | 2–12 kW | 0.5–15 | 0.15–0.30 mm | Good (N₂ assist, burr on >6 mm) |
| Copper / Brass | 0.5–6 mm | 3–12 kW | 0.3–8 | 0.15–0.30 mm | Moderate (reflective metal challenge) |
| Galvanized steel | 0.5–6 mm | 1–8 kW | 0.5–12 | 0.15–0.35 mm | Good (zinc oxide fume ventilation needed) |
| Acrylic/PMMA | 0.5–20 mm | CO₂ 80–300 W | 0.5–6 | 0.10–0.30 mm | Flame-polished edge (CO₂) |
Note: For fiber laser, max thickness depends on power. 6 kW ≈ 20 mm mild steel, 12 mm stainless; 12 kW ≈ 25 mm mild steel, 16 mm stainless, 12 mm aluminum. Blue laser (450 nm) is emerging for copper cutting.
The laser cutting capital of China — estimated 1,500+ shops. Extreme competition keeps prices low. Nearly all shops have 1–6 kW fiber lasers (IPG, Raycus, or MAX Photonics sources), with 8–12 kW becoming common for thick plate. Same-day or next-day turnaround for standard carbon steel. Prices: ¥3–8/m for 3 mm steel ($0.45–1.20/m). But quality control varies: some shops have zero deburring or are too fast on edge quality checks.
Higher-end laser cutting for automotive, electronics, and medical device OEMs. Shops here tend to have newer machines (12–20 kW fiber), automated material handling (sheet loading/unloading robots), and nested cutting optimization software. Better dimensional accuracy (±0.05 mm vs ±0.10 mm typical). Prices: ¥6–15/m ($0.90–2.25/m) but with ISO 9001 or IATF certifications. Good for high-precision cut parts.
Heavy plate laser cutting hub serving industrial machinery and shipbuilding. Many shops have 8–20 kW lasers rated for 20–30 mm steel. Prices for thick plate (>12 mm) are competitive at ¥10–20/m ($1.50–3.00/m). Large format tables (6 m × 2.5 m) available. Slag and dross removal quality is the main watchpoint on thick cuts.
Cost optimization secret: Laser cutting cost is largely driven by cutting time, not material used. When nesting parts on a sheet, leave 1–2 mm gap between parts (not 0.5 mm) — the machine runs faster with wider gaps because the cutting head doesn't need to slow down between parts. This can reduce total cutting time by 15–25% even though it uses slightly more raw material. Always ask your supplier to show you the nested layout before cutting.
Thick stainless steel (>6 mm) and aluminum (>5 mm) cut with nitrogen assist often produce "dross" — re-solidified material adhering to the bottom edge. This is the most common quality complaint from buyers. Different shops have different tolerance for dross. Best approach: include a sample requirement in your PO — "free of dross, smooth edge, Ra ≤ 6.3 μm, no heat discoloration on bottom edge." And ask for photos of the cut edges from a sample before full production.
When cutting very small parts from a sheet (e.g., < 50 mm diameter), parts can fall through the machine slats and cause machine damage. The solution: micro-joints — tiny uncut tabs (0.3–1.0 mm wide) that hold parts in place. After cutting, these tabs must be broken off and the burr ground flat. Some shops charge extra for this manual deburring. Specify the acceptable number and location of micro-joints. A well-nested layout uses no more than 2 micro-joints per part for parts > 30 g.
Laser cutting removes material — the width of the cut line (kerf) ranges from 0.15 to 0.40 mm depending on power and thickness. Your CAD file must be compensated for kerf, or finished parts will be undersized by 0.15–0.40 mm per cut edge. Most Chinese shops automatically apply kerf compensation in their nesting software (typically in the CAM post-processor), but not all use the same compensation value. Best practice: request a first-article dimensional check before batch production, especially for tight-tolerance features like slots and holes.
| Cost Component | % of Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Machine time | 40–55% | Dominant factor — priced per meter of cut or per minute of machine time. Depreciation + electricity + consumables |
| Material | 20–35% | Sheet metal cost, including nesting waste (typically 10–20% scrap rate) |
| Labor (CAD + nesting + setup) | 10–15% | DXF preparation, nesting optimization, machine programming |
| Assist gas | 5–10% | O₂ for steel (cheap), N₂ for stainless/aluminum (more expensive, especially for thick plate) |
| Deburring / post-processing | 5–15% | Manual edge grinding, micro-joint removal, surface cleaning. Often overlooked in initial quote |
| Packaging | 3–5% | Edge protection (cardboard or foam on sharp edges), palletizing for sheet parts |
Typical unit pricing: ¥3–30/m ($0.45–4.50/m) depending on material type, thickness, and complexity. Small holes and internal cutouts cost per piercing + per meter rate. Minimum charge: ¥100–300 ($15–45) per job.
For metal cutting, fiber lasers have largely replaced CO₂. Fiber lasers are 2–3× more energy-efficient, have lower maintenance (no mirrors or gas resonator), and cut reflective metals (copper, brass) much better. CO₂ lasers remain superior for non-metals — acrylic (gives a flame-polished edge), wood, fabric, rubber, and leather. If you're cutting only metal: choose fiber. Mix of metals and organics: CO₂ or a dual-source machine.
DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) is the universal standard — almost every Chinese laser cutting CAM software reads it. Tips: (1) Export 2D flat geometry only (no 3D); (2) Use polylines (not splines) for smooth arcs; (3) Close all contours completely — an open contour fails nesting; (4) Layer separation: put all holes on one layer and external profiles on another; (5) Include a dimensioned PDF as reference — Chinese software auto-scaling sometimes misreads DXF units if they're not mm. Some advanced shops also accept STEP for automatic flat pattern unfolding (for bent parts).
Material utilization depends heavily on part geometry. For rectangular parts: 85–92% utilization. For complex shapes with internal cutouts: 70–85%. For mixed shapes on a sheet: 75–85% is typical with good nesting software. True-shape nesting (which rotates parts freely) achieves 5–10% better utilization than rectangular bounding-box nesting. If you own the design, consider modifying geometry to increase nesting density — even 5% improvement saves significant material cost on large runs.
Typical max thicknesses for a 6 kW fiber laser: mild steel 20–22 mm (with oxygen), stainless steel 12–15 mm (with nitrogen), aluminum 10–12 mm (with nitrogen). Beyond these thicknesses, edge quality degrades significantly — the bottom of the cut will have heavy dross and a wider kerf. For thicker sections, either upgrade to 10–15 kW laser or use waterjet/plasma instead. Note: Chinese shops' claims about "max thickness" are often optimistic — the actual clean-cut maximum is typically 15–20% less than advertised.
Yes — especially near the cut edge. For thin steel (≤ 3 mm), the HAZ is negligible (≤ 0.15 mm). For thick steel (≥ 12 mm) cut with oxygen, the HAZ can reach 0.5–1.0 mm from the edge, causing localized hardening. For stainless steel, the HAZ can cause sensitization if cutting speed is too slow — this makes the edge susceptible to intergranular corrosion. If corrosion resistance at the cut edge matters, specify nitrogen assist cutting (which produces an oxide-free edge with minimal HAZ) and confirm with micro-hardness traverse testing.