CNC Plasma Cutting Services

The choice depends on edge quality, tolerance, and material thickness.

Conventional plasma is the cost leader for structural and non-cosmetic parts in 6 to 80 mm carbon steel. Kerf is 2.5 to 5 mm and the cut edge has a small bevel and visible heat-affected zone. Acceptable when the part will be welded, ground, or hidden in an assembly.

High-definition (HD) plasma uses a constricted nozzle and oxygen or argon-hydrogen gas mix to produce a near-square cut edge at ±0.2 mm tolerance and Range 2-3 edge quality per ISO 9013. The trade-off is slightly higher operating cost. Specify HD plasma for visible parts, weld-prep edges, and any application where laser was the previous default.

For plate over 25 mm thick, HD plasma still delivers a clean cut where laser becomes uneconomical. Our engineering team can recommend the right plasma class during DFM review.

Plasma and laser are both thermal cutting processes but they suit different thickness ranges and budgets.

Laser cutting (fiber or CO2) holds tighter tolerances of ±0.1 mm and produces a narrow 0.1 to 0.3 mm kerf. Best on thin and medium-gauge metal from 0.5 to 25 mm, especially when edge quality must be weld-ready or paint-ready without deburring.

Plasma cutting holds ±0.2 mm with HD systems and ±0.5 mm with conventional, but cuts much faster on plate over 15 mm and at lower equipment cost. Best on plate from 6 to 80 mm thick where speed and per-part cost matter more than the tightest edge quality.

A common production split: laser for the thin parts and HD plasma for the thick plate on the same assembly. Both processes run in our facility on coordinated schedules.

Plasma cutting requires an electrically conductive material. The process works on any metal that conducts current.

Mild and carbon steel from 1 to 80 mm, including A36, Q235, S235JR, S355, and HARDOX abrasion-resistant plate. Carbon steel is the dominant plasma material because oxygen-plasma combustion accelerates the cut.

Stainless steel from 1 to 50 mm including 304, 316, 321, 430, and 2205 duplex. Cuts with nitrogen or argon-hydrogen gas to keep the edge bright.

Aluminum from 1 to 40 mm, including 1050, 5052, 6061, and 7075 plate. Nitrogen plasma produces cleaner edges than air plasma on aluminum.

Copper, brass, and bronze in limited thickness ranges. These conductive non-ferrous metals cut well on shorter runs but waterjet is often more economical for production volume.

Materials plasma cannot cut: glass, stone, ceramic, plastic, composites, wood, and any non-conductive substrate. Use waterjet or laser for those materials.

Accuracy depends on plasma class, material thickness, and traverse speed.

Conventional plasma holds ±0.5 mm typical positional tolerance with ISO 9013 Range 3-5 edge quality. Suitable for structural blanks, gussets, and parts where the cut edge will be welded or hidden.

High-definition plasma holds ±0.2 mm typical with ISO 9013 Range 2-3 edge quality. Approaches fiber laser performance on plate up to 25 mm. Standard for visible parts, weld preparation, and parts that previously required laser.

Tolerance loosens with thickness: ±0.2 mm at 1 to 6 mm, ±0.3 mm at 7 to 15 mm, ±0.5 mm at 16 to 25 mm, ±0.8 mm at 26 to 50 mm, and ±1.2 mm at 51 to 80 mm on HD plasma.

Bevel angle on the cut face runs 1 to 3 degrees on conventional plasma and under 1 degree on HD plasma below 25 mm. 5-axis bevel heads compensate for taper and cut intentional weld-prep angles.

We cut conductive metal up to 80 mm thick on conventional plasma at 200+ amperes.

Typical thickness by material: mild and carbon steel up to 80 mm production (100 mm with severance settings), stainless steel up to 50 mm, aluminum up to 40 mm, copper and brass up to 25 mm before edge quality drops.

Maximum sheet size is 3,000 × 1,500 mm with table extensions available for longer plate. HD plasma typically caps at 25 to 30 mm for tight-tolerance work; above that thickness, conventional plasma is the standard choice.

Each process has a sweet spot.

Choose laser when the material is thin sheet (0.5 to 12 mm), edge quality must be weld-ready or paint-ready, and tolerance under ±0.1 mm matters.

Choose waterjet when the material is non-conductive (stone, glass, ceramic, composites), heat-sensitive (hardened steel, heat-treated alloys), or thicker than 80 mm.

Choose plasma when cutting conductive plate from 6 to 80 mm thick, especially carbon steel, and per-part cost or throughput is the primary driver. Plasma is also the right choice for bevel-cut weld preparation on thick plate, since 5-axis plasma heads do this in one operation that would otherwise need waterjet plus secondary machining.

Many real fabrication programs use two or three processes: laser for the thin gauges, HD plasma for the structural plate, waterjet for the composites or weld-sensitive material on the same assembly.

Yes. Most production programs include at least one post-machining operation.

Anodizing is standard on aluminum parts for corrosion and wear resistance. Type II anodizing adds 5 to 25 μm; Type III hardcoat adds 25 to 75 μm for abrasion-heavy applications.

Powder coating is standard on steel parts for outdoor or high-salt environments. Powder coat delivers 500 to 1,000 hours of salt spray resistance in 60 to 120 μm coatings.

Passivation is required on stainless steel medical and food-grade parts to remove free iron and restore the chromium oxide layer (ASTM A967).

Hot-Dip Galvanizing and Plating adds bright chrome, nickel, zinc, or tin for cosmetic and functional finishes on steel and brass. Plating adds 5 to 30 μm to part dimensions.

Polishing to Ra 0.2 to 0.8 μm is available for optical surfaces, sealing faces, and mirror finishes. Specify on the drawing which surfaces require polishing since it is a manual operation.

Decide on finish requirements during the DFM review because they often influence material selection and dimensional tolerance.

Custom fastener production covers a range of processes that convert wire or bar stock into finished parts. Here are the primary processes available through most full-service fastener manufacturers.

1. Cold Heading: Progressive dies form the head, shank, and recesses from a wire blank. The most cost-effective process for volumes above 10,000 pieces. Diameter range 1.5 to 25 mm.

2. CNC Turning: Rotating bar stock is machined by cutting tools. Suitable for fasteners with complex geometries, unusual thread forms, or tolerances tighter than cold heading allows.

3. Swiss Machining: A variant of CNC turning for small-diameter, long, or precision parts. Used for miniature fasteners and medical screws with tolerances to ±0.01 mm.

4. Thread Rolling: Hardened dies form threads by cold displacement rather than cutting. Rolled threads are stronger than cut threads and produce no chips. Standard process for high-strength fasteners.

5. Heat Treatment: Quenching, tempering, carburizing, or induction hardening produces fasteners to specified strength grades (Grade 5, 8, Class 8.8, 10.9, 12.9).

6. Plating and Coating: Zinc, hot-dip galvanizing, electroless nickel, black oxide, Dacromet, and chrome plating applied after threading. Provides corrosion resistance and appearance.

7. Inspection and Testing: Dimensional inspection with CMM and thread gauges. Mechanical testing includes tensile, hardness, and torque-tension. Salt spray testing for plated fasteners.

A full-service manufacturer combines these processes under one roof, reducing lead times and eliminating the coordination overhead of managing multiple suppliers.