Which cutting technique is best?
We decide the best cutting tool on a variety of factors; the material to be used, its thickness, the finish required and the production volume. If you contact us with a specification then we’ll be more than happy to recommend a process for delivering your project.
What materials can we cut?
A shorter list to write is what we can’t cut. Across our laser, water and routing machines we’re able to cut most materials including all metals, plastics, glass, ceramics, carbon fibre and timbers.
How does Waterjet cutting work?
Water is pressurised before being focused through an orifice, the size of which is dependent on the material being cut. Once the jet passes through the orifice it enters a mixing chamber. This creates a vacuum, transferring controlled amounts of garnet abrasive into the jet stream. The water and abrasive mixture is realigned in a focusing tube.
The faster the material is cut the rougher the surface finish will be but we are able to cut through metals up to 200mm deep.
What are the benefits of cutting with water?
Its ability to cut through very thick material is unmatched by lasers, and with its quick set up time (due to intelligent CADCAM software) you can go from drawing to finished part in rapid time.
You can cut stone, rubber and other materials not achievable with laser cutting, and those that are won’t have their composition altered by the heat of a laser.
What are the capabilities of Laser Cutting?
Our fibre laser cutter can tackle mild steel up to 20mm, stainless steel and aluminium up to 12mm, and brass or copper up to 6mm.
What are the benefits of cutting with fibre laser?
Put simply, the speed and accuracy of a fibre laser is its major advantage over other methods. With +/-0.1mm tolerance it is incredibly precise and in a test between our Waterjet machine it has shown to be 16x as fast at producing the same component.
What can be achieved with CNC Routing?
CNC routing allows the cutting and manipulation of plastic, wood and aluminium. Set-up times can be longer than Water or Laser but neither of these methods will cut wood for example.
What can SP offer in terms of fabrication?
We’re able to offer a full range of sheet metal fabrication including:
Surface Finishing, Inserts and Formed Cases, Sheet Metal Punching, Cutting, Bending & Folding, Tubular Cutting, Drilling, Deburring and Rolling, Assembly & Silk Screening, Anodizing, Engraving & Welding, Cropping, Shearing & Forming, Graining, Brushing & Polishing.
Can’t see the answer you need?
If you have another question for us regarding our precision engineering manufacturing process then please get in touch via our contact form