The medical device sector sets a very high standard for custom sheet metal fabrication, including extremely accurate product dimensions, very fine surface qualities, as well as materials that can be used for medical purposes.
Through this case study, you will see how we have dealt with the client's main issues and, at the same time, reduced the price.
Client's Problem
A top-notch medical device manufacturer was looking to customize 6mm thick 316L stainless steel surgical stent frames with the condition that the edges should have absolutely no oxide layer and in addition, there should be no heat deformation, and the subsequent coating treatment with high demands.
The client had initially employed waterjet cutting and had a production of only 800 sets per month which could not satisfy the demand of 2,000 sets, and the cost per piece was $120, which brought quite a bit of cost pressure.
LS Manufacturing's Solution
Pain Point Analysis: Main client desires were "no oxide, high efficiency, and low cost." Confirming the current waterjet cutting process not only was inefficient, high cost but also could not provide the features needed by the client.
Process Selection: To meet the medical-grade requirements of no oxide and high precision, changing the process to "10,000-watt high pressure nitrogen fiber laser cutting, " was the best solution.
Parameter Optimization: Auxiliary gas pressure was increased to 25 Bar and focal point was -3.0 mm. A specially designed anti-oxidation cutting head was used to completely eliminate the oxygen in the cutting area thus preventing oxidizing the metal surface.
Sample Testing:Tests on 100 parts showed that the part cut surface roughness Ra was 1.6μm and there was no oxide layer, so there was no sandblasting requirement. The perpendicularity limitation was 0.08 mm, which is medically acceptable.
Layout Optimization: The nest layout was improved. Number of parts from a 4'x8' 316L stainless steel sheet load was increased from 12 to 14 leading to less material waste and cost reduction.
Results and Value:
Process changes helped to rework the production system.
The production efficiency was improved by 60%, with a monthly output of 2500 sets.
The cost of each part dropped to $90 (a 25% decrease), which led to an annual saving of $72,000.
Besides that, all parts were 100% compliant with the medical grade salt spray test and their service life was extended by 30%.
After process modifications, the manufacturing time per piece was cut from 15 minutes/piece to 6 minutes/piece, production efficiency was increased by 60%.
The monthly production output seldom fell below 2,500 sets, which was well above the customer requirement.
The overall procurement cost per part was reduced from $120 to $90, a 25% cut, resulting in the customer saving $72,000 annually.
Also, all parts underwent 100% medical grade salt spray test successfully and their service life was increased by 30%.
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This is a clear case that proper process selection should be at the heart of matching customer's needs and our capabilities to switch processes can give the best solution for custom sheet metal fabrication in high end fields like the Medical Industry.
If you have needs for precision stainless steel frames or other medical-grade sheet metal parts customization, please contact our expert team for a customized solution and quote.
How To Accurately Select The Most Suitable Sheet Metal Laser Cutting Service Based On The Thickness And Material Hardness Of The Sheet Metal?
Knowing a sheet metal laser cutting service helps a lot after you find out what sheet thickness and material characteristics are. Actually, various materials and thicknesses will hardly be through by laser cutting parameters as well as by the resulting effects.
Just grabbing a model without paying attention may bring you quality problems and wastes of money very easily. We offer highly accurate matching solutions based on the very latest 2026 standards.
Laser Cutting Parameter Matching for Common Materials
Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel:
For thoroughly working on Q235 carbon steel 1-12mm, 6-12kW power and oxygen assistance seem to be the perfect set of features to both control the speed and avoid slag formation.On the other hand, for 304 stainless steel 1-8mm, our recommendations are to use 8-12kW power and nitrogen assistance so as to effectively suppress oxidation.
Special Alloys:
For aluminum alloy 1-6mm, 12kW power and nitrogen assistance are our suggestions, while anti-reflection technology being used for the protection of the equipment, for titanium alloy 1-4mm, 12kW power and argon assistance are our advice to help in balancing of energy and preventing thermal deformation.
Key Considerations for Laser Cutting
Highly reflective metals processing:
Mixing anti-reflection technology (back-reflection protection) enabled us to solve the cutting problems of aluminum alloy and copper, so we can continuously cut and avoid breakdown of the equipment.
Parameter adjustment:
It is crucial to change the power and feed speed according to the thickness of the sheet to be cut. For example, if you work with ultra-high strength steel (1-8mm), you will have to decrease the feed speed in order to keep the quality of the cut while also meeting the requirements of the industrial structural components.
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Material Type
Thickness Range
Recommended Laser Power
Auxiliary Gas
Key Notes
Adaptability to Custom Metal Fabrication Parts
Q235 Carbon Steel
1-12mm
6-12kW
Oxygen
Control cutting speed to avoid dross.
High, suitable for mass-produced standard parts.
304 Stainless Steel
1-8mm
8-12kW
Nitrogen
Prevent oxidation and optimize focus position.
High, suitable for precision parts.
Aluminum Alloy
1-6mm
12kW
Nitrogen
Adopt anti-reflection technology to avoid equipment damage.
Control energy density to avoid thermal deformation.
Medium, suitable for high-end customized parts.
Ultra-High Strength Steel
1-8mm
12kW
Nitrogen
Reduce feed speed to ensure cutting quality.
High, suitable for industrial structural parts.
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Our anti-reflection technology is a powerful solution to the tough problem of cutting highly reflective metals like aluminum alloys and copper. Besides ensuring continuous cutting without interruption, this technology also prevents equipment failure. If you don't know what laser parameters suit your sheet metal, just upload your CAD drawings and you will get free process selection advice.
Figure 3: Several metal samples with cut edges, showcasing results from different cutting processes like laser and waterjet.
Why Is It Necessary To Strictly Control The Heat Affected Zone In Industrial Sheet Metal Fabrication To Ensure Subsequent Welding Strength?
In the field of industrial sheet metal fabrication, the laser cutting stage has a major impact on how the parts will be bent and welded later on. Controlling the heat-affected zone (HAZ), i.e. the small surface layer that is altered by being heated, is critical for weld strength and is something that is commonly neglected.
Potential Hazards of the Heat-Affected Zone
Fiber laser cutting creates a 0.1-0.3mm thick surface layer with different mechanical properties (i.e. a heat affected zone or HAZ) that if uncontrolled can cause:
Too much springback during CNC bending leading to bending accuracy deviations of up to 0.2mm, thus impacting assembly.
Lowering the weld toughness of the structural components that will be welded, thus increasing the chances of microcracks and failure to meet the AWS D1.1 requirements for steel structure welding.
Heat-Affected Zone Control Scheme
Parameter Optimization: To limit the HAZ to 0.1mm, reduce energy density and increase cutting speed, which will also keep the weld strength at least 95% of the base metal.
Auxiliary Processing: For very high demand projects, a 0.2mm machining allowance is left for subsequent precision grinding to remove the hardened layer, areas of critical welding are processed by the water jet method to completely eliminate the HAZ.
How Can Professional Industrial Sheet Metal Fabrication Manufacturers Ensure Stable Delivery Time Through Equipment Redundancy?
Stable delivery times are a fundamental customer requirement in industrial sheet metal fabrication. Delivery delays are mainly caused by equipment failures and maintenance downtime. We implement an equipment redundancy strategy to provide a "zero delay" delivery guarantee.
Equipment Redundancy System Construction
Our company has several 12kW laser cutting machines and high pressure water jets of the same specifications to set up an "equipment hot backup" system.
In case a single piece of equipment is broken down or is under maintenance, the production line can be immediately switched and the backup equipment can be running within 10 minutes, thus completely avoiding the downtime and ensuring uninterrupted production.
Auxiliary Measures for Delivery Time Guarantee
We implement a 24/7 lights out production mode, along with an intelligent scheduling system aimed at unattended continuous production, thus not only improving efficiency but also reducing the risks of delivery time. Heavy asset investment is turned into a "zero delay" brand promise, satisfying the requirements of high value procurement.
FAQs
Q1: What are the achievable tolerances for laser cutting and waterjet cutting in sheet metal processing?
Our fiber laser is capable of achieving a positioning accuracy of 0.1mm (ideal for 1-12mm thin plates). However, precision waterjet cutting can consistently maintain a tolerance of 0.05-0.15mm when working on thick plates.
Q2: Why do you suggest giving fiber laser cutting a higher priority when producing high precision aluminum alloy parts?
By combining fiber laser with our dynamic frequency compensation technology, we have achieved a method of eliminating the issue of the accumulation of slag on aluminum alloys after processing. The processing speed is 5-10 times faster than that of waterjet cutting, resulting in a drastic increase in efficiency and a reduction in costs.
Q3: How does LS Manufacturing ensure the perpendicularity of the cut for ultra thick carbon steel plates exceeding 25mm?
LS Manufacturing's solution to the problem is to utilize a powerful waterjet or a laser head, which is compensated for bevel. By lowering the speed and raising the gas flow, we can guarantee that the bevel angle is kept within 1 therefore fulfilling the requirements of thick plates.
Q4: Does fiber laser cutting change the chemical properties of the edges of stainless steel parts?
In some cases when cutting with oxygen, the metal surface can be oxidized. We usually cut the metal with high pressure nitrogen to protect the metal color naturally and also make it easier to weld without doing any extra work.
Q5: My drawing requires extremely small micro holes. Will waterjet cutting cause chipping?
Waterjet cutting micro holes smaller than 1.5mm may cause chipping. To prevent damage in the weak parts of the material, we advise laser pre-drilling or usage of a complete laser setup.
Q6: When customizing sheet metal parts in bulk, which process can help me obtain a more competitive quote?
For large volume workpieces with thickness less than 10mm, fiber laser cutting has such a high production rate per hour that a price of only 40% higher than waterjet cutting would significantly lower your bulk purchase costs.
Q7: If my parts require mirror polishing, what are the considerations for choosing the cutting process?
It would be best if you consider laser cutting together with our surface finishing procedure so that you can minimize grinding after processing, get a surface roughness of around Ra1.6, and be ready for mirror polishing.
Q8: Will LS Manufacturing allow uploading of CAD drawings for a free evaluation of the DFM process?
Yes, Our engineers will give you process recommendations and price quotes based on your drawings in 24 hours to help you achieve a balance between manufacturability and cost.
Summary
Fiber laser cutting is a good way to cut medium or thin plates in custom sheet metal fabrication and Waterjet cutting is a good choice for thick plates and heat sensitive materials (quality assurance). Material thickness tolerances, and post processes should be considered when deciding both methods.
The right process can save 20%-25% of costs and speed up delivery times. With top notch equipment and technology, LS Manufacturing assists customers in choosing the best balance of cost, quality, and delivery time.
Upgrade your precision sheet metal supply chain. Get in touch with one of our experts now or upload your STEP/DXF files to receive a personalized DFM evaluation and price. Take advantage of our 24-hour rapid quote service and get a cheap custom sheet metal fabrication solution.
The contents of this page are for informational purposes only. LS Manufacturing services There are no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or validity of the information.不应推断第三方供应商或制造商将通过 LS Manufacturing 网络提供性能参数、几何公差、具体设计特征、材料质量和类型或工艺。 It's the buyer's responsibility. Require parts quotation Identify specific requirements for these sections.Please contact us for more information.
LS 制造团队
LS Manufacturing 是一家行业领先的公司。专注于定制制造解决方案。 We have over 20 years of experience with over 5,000 customers, and we focus on high precision CNC machining, Sheet metal manufacturing, 3D printing, Injection molding. Metal stamping,and other one-stop manufacturing services. Our factory is equipped with over 100 state-of-the-art 5-axis machining centers, ISO 9001:2015 certified.我们为全球150多个国家的客户提供快速、高效、高质量的制造解决方案。无论是小批量生产还是大规模定制，我们都能以最快的24小时内交货满足您的需求。选择LS制造。 This means selection efficiency, quality and professionalism. To learn more, visit our website:www.lsrpf.com.
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