Laser cutting services with instant online quotes

There is no fixed price per part because laser cutting is priced from the manufacturing work required, not just the outline size. A simple bracket in thin mild steel may be inexpensive in quantity, while a one-off part in thick stainless steel with many internal holes can cost substantially more. The main cost drivers are material grade and thickness, sheet utilisation, total cut length, number of pierces, machine time, setup, quantity and delivery. To reduce cost, combine parts into one order, use standard materials and thicknesses, avoid unnecessarily intricate geometry and order practical quantities. The fastest way to get an accurate price is to upload a DXF, DWG or SVG in millimetres and select the material, thickness and quantity.

A laser-cut part is priced as material plus production. Material cost includes the selected sheet, the part area and the unavoidable offcut created after nesting parts onto a standard sheet. Production cost includes setup, pierce cycles, total cutting distance, cutting speed for the chosen material and thickness, machine time and handling. A design with the same overall dimensions can therefore cost more if it has dozens of small holes, tight internal corners or long intricate contours. Quantity matters because setup is shared across the batch, while good nesting reduces wasted material. Any minimum-order adjustment and UK delivery are shown separately in the PartFab quote.

The price covers more than the time the beam is moving. Industrial laser cutting requires capital-intensive machinery, extraction and safety systems, maintenance, assist gas, electricity, software, trained operators and quality control. Thick material costs more because it cuts more slowly and may require more demanding piercing and gas settings; stainless steel, aluminium and other higher-value materials also increase the material cost. One-off jobs can appear expensive because drawing checks, nesting, machine setup and handling still have to be completed for a single part. To reduce cost, simplify the profile, keep feature sizes sensible, select a standard material, avoid ultra-low quantities where possible and combine parts into one order.

PartFab offers online laser cutting from 1–15mm for S275 and S355 mild steel, 304 stainless steel and aluminium, subject to the selected material and drawing geometry. More generally, cutting capacity depends on the metal, grade, surface condition, laser power, assist gas and required edge quality. The maximum technical thickness is not always the best production choice because cutting slows and cost rises as material gets thicker. Above PartFab's laser range, plasma or flame cutting may be a more suitable and economical option for supported steels.

PartFab's online laser service is limited to S275 and S355 mild steel, 304 stainless steel and aluminium from 1–15mm. Unsupported grades, copper, brass, non-metal materials, contaminated stock, laminates and material with undeclared coatings, adhesive or protective films are not accepted. Materials containing PVC, halogens, PTFE or hazardous additives must not be laser processed because they can release dangerous fumes or damage equipment. The drawing must also fit the available sheet and pass checks for closed contours, duplicate paths, feature size and narrow sections.

Neither process is universally cheaper; the right choice depends on the part geometry and starting material. Laser cutting is usually the more economical choice for flat sheet-metal profiles because it is fast, needs no cutting tool for each feature and can nest many parts on one sheet. CNC machining is often the better option when a part needs pockets, 3D surfaces, turned features, threads, precise bores, machined faces or tight tolerances that a two-dimensional laser profile cannot provide. Choose laser cutting for flat profiles, then add downstream operations if needed; choose CNC machining where the function depends on three-dimensional machined features.

Upload a DXF, DWG or SVG in millimetres with one part design per file and closed cut contours. STEP files are not accepted by the online quote flow. Remove duplicate paths and unrelated reference geometry before uploading.

Yes. PartFab supports one-off parts as well as production quantities. Setup is still required for a single part, so the unit price often falls when the same design is ordered in a practical quantity.