If you have ever tried to cut a metal sheet to the right size, you will know how difficult it can be. If you need to cut a piece of acrylic into an intricate shape, the challenge can be even more difficult. Rather than struggling to cut items to shape using hand tools, it is easier to call a laser cutting company, especially if you have a large amount of cutting to do. CNC laser cutting avoids human error by using a laser to follow a pre-programmed cutting route that will produce a perfect result every time the program is run. If you are thinking about working with a laser cutting company, here are three questions that you should ask them before they start work.
What can you cut?
Perhaps, you are working in metal, or maybe you want to make something out of acrylic. Laser cutting machines can work with a wide range of materials. Metal and acrylic may be the most popular, but you could ask the company to cut any plastic or even wood, cement or leather. To find out more about the capabilities of a particular laser cutting company, you must talk to them. They may need to use a particular machine to cope with the size or texture of the material you want to use, so it's best to ask them what they can do.
Do you have any samples?
A good laser cutting company should be happy to let you look at their work. Viewing samples will give you a good idea of the quality of their workmanship and the type of materials with which they generally work. For most metal and acrylic materials, you should expect a perfect cut with no burring or ragged edges at all. The results with other materials could vary, so ask to see a sample that closely resembles the product you want to create.
How long will the job take?
Whatever job you want the company to undertake, you probably have a production schedule in mind. When you first speak to the laser cutting company, you must ask them how long it takes to move a project through from the initial design stage through to completion. The crucial factor in this calculation is likely to be the allocation of machine time, so find out whether the company is running close to capacity and what guarantees they can offer that your job will reach the machine at the expected time.
