Aluminum cutting — sheet, profile, signage

Why does aluminum need a fiber laser?

Aluminum absorbs a fiber laser's 1064nm beam far better than a CO2 laser's 10600nm beam. With CO2 most of the beam reflects straight back, which makes the cut inefficient and can damage the machine's optics — this is why industrial aluminum cutting is almost always done on fiber-class equipment. The second factor is thermal conductivity: aluminum pulls heat away from the cut line very quickly, so above 3mm the cut slows down and demands more power. Together these two properties are what cap aluminum at a lower thickness than carbon steel.

What thickness of aluminum do we cut?

The manufacturable minimum hole diameter depends on the metal grade, thickness, geometry and particular equipment. Specify the required size in the drawing; the team confirms feasibility after reviewing the file. We do not cut aluminum above 5mm — for those jobs we point you to a partner workshop. Specify the required tolerance in the drawing; achievable tolerance and edge finishing are confirmed for the material, thickness and geometry.

• 0.5–3mm — cleanest, fastest range
• 3–5mm — possible, slower, light scorch risk on the edge
• Above 5mm — we do not cut it; routed to a partner workshop
• Specify the required tolerance in the drawing; achievable tolerance and edge finishing are confirmed for the material, thickness and geometry.
• The manufacturable minimum hole diameter depends on the metal grade, thickness, geometry and particular equipment. Specify the required size in the drawing; the team confirms feasibility after reviewing the file.

Which aluminum stock shapes do we accept — sheet, bar or tube?

We cut flat aluminum sheet — supplied by you or sourced by us — from your drawing. We also cut flat-laid bar and profile stock, provided the piece sits entirely within the work table. Cutting into the wall of a round tube or hollow profile — decorative openings on a pipe surface, for example — needs a rotary attachment and is not part of our standard workflow; contact us in advance for that kind of job. If you already have aluminum sheet and only need it cut to exact size, that is covered separately on our sheet-metal cut-to-size page.

Why is aluminum the default choice for signage and facade letters?

Aluminum is light, does not rust, and survives outdoors for years — which is why it is the most common metal for volumetric logos and facade lettering. For letters and signs we normally use 1–3mm: 1mm is enough for flat letters and nameplates, while 2–3mm supports the returns of a volumetric letter and its mounting hardware while staying light enough to install on a facade. One distinction matters: solid aluminum sheet and aluminum composite panel (Dibond — two thin aluminum skins over a plastic core) are different materials. We do not laser-cut Dibond, because the plastic core burns in the kerf; it is normally routed on a CNC mill, and CNC milling is not among our services.

How do anodized and polished aluminum behave when cut?

Aluminum sheet comes in mill finish, brushed, matte or anodized. The glossier the surface, the more beam it reflects and the slower the cut — mirror-polished aluminum is always run at a reduced feed rate. On anodized or painted aluminum, colour may shift or the coating may burn off in a narrow band along the cut line; that is a normal thermal side effect, not a defect. If holding exact colour right at the edge is critical for your finished product, we cut one test sample first and show you the result before running production.

How much does aluminum cutting cost?

Four things set the price: total cut contour length, sheet thickness (thicker means slower), who supplies the material — you or us — and batch size. Batch size matters on its own: with a single part the full setup time sits in that one price, while across 50 parts the same setup is spread over all of them and the per-piece price drops sharply. We do not publish a fixed price list, because two parts of identical outer dimensions can differ twofold in cost depending on contour complexity. Timing is agreed after the project review. Send the metal grade, thickness, drawing, finishing and quantity, required date and collection or delivery location.