Top Industrial Applications: Laser Tube Cutting

The tube laser cutting process generates precise cuts with smooth edges in a variety of materials. This versatile metal fabrication technique offers high repeatability and the capacity to handle high-volume production, complex designs, and thick materials. With its ability to make clean cuts, it’s a fast and highly efficient method for producing laser-cut parts that won’t typically require secondary finishing.

Manufacturers and fabricators often use the process for cutting and shaping heavy-duty equipment parts, lending tube laser cutting to common applications in the automotive, transportation, and construction industries. Read on to learn more about how each of these market sectors utilizes tube laser cutting to generate reliable, high-quality components.

Automotive Industry

Vehicles are complex assemblies, and they require strong, precision-cut parts to operate reliably and safely. Ideally, such parts are also lightweight to help with enhanced fuel economy. Automotive fabricators use powerful lasers to cut through a range of metals and produce smooth components without burrs or excessive material waste generation.

Common automotive applications for tube laser cutting are:

• Chassis frames
• Engine components
• Exhaust systems, manifolds, headers, and pipes
• Roll cages
• Structural vehicle components
• Suspension system parts

Transportation Industry

In the broader transportation industry, tube laser cutting is useful for creating numerous parts for applications in buses, trains, commercial trucks, and industrial vehicles. Once again, lightweight yet durable parts are paramount in this sector. Components will experience rough use in rugged applications, carrying people or heavy freight over long distances and with tight deadlines. Such modes of transportation must have high-performance parts to function safely and dependably.

Tube laser cutting for the transportation industry can create the following:

• Bus parts
• Trailer cross members
• Trailer and railcar side panels
• Truck and train frames and underframes

Construction Industry

Strong and dimensionally accurate tubes are critical components throughout this industry, both in constructing buildings as well as the construction equipment itself. The tube laser cutting process is ideal for creating precisely cut, durable parts that can bear heavy loads. The process is also capable of producing parts of various dimensions in intricate and complex designs for custom fabrication projects. Fabricators can cut project-specific parts for architectural or aesthetic purposes based on a client’s requirements.

Manufacturers frequently utilize tube laser cutting to cut and shape the following structural and machinery components for the construction sector:

• Backhoe parts
• Bracing members for bridges
• Bulldozer components
• Columns
• Crane booms
• Decorative or architectural features
• Excavator arms
• Railings
• Structural beams and frames

Tube Laser Cutting Services From Champ Metal Fabrication

At Champ Metal Fabrication, we have decades of experience serving Tier-One suppliers and OEMs across diverse industries with a comprehensive range of precision metal fabrication capabilities. Our team specializes in prototyping, pressing, forming, CNC machining, laser cutting, welding, assembly, painting, and more to provide you with turnkey fabrication solutions.

In our efficient tube laser cutting services, we offer precision cuts and fast processing times even on high-volume projects. We power our operations with one of the best tube laser-cutting machines available to deliver reliable quality, speed, and project fulfillment. Equipped with a 3D 6-axis, 3500W CO2 cutting laser, our high-accuracy BLM LT8 tube laser cutting system can cut tubes of various materials and thicknesses into your desired dimensions and shapes. This high-powered equipment is compatible with automotive-grade metal materials, producing clean cuts to minimize post-processing operations. Also, our advanced nesting software helps us optimize operations, lowering production costs and reducing waste and material usage.

Contact us to learn more about our tube laser cutting capabilities at Champ, or request a quote today for pricing details on your next project.

Five Benefits of Custom Metal Fabrication

Metal fabrication services encompass the cutting, bending, and shaping techniques manufacturers use to produce metal parts and products for diverse industries. While standard components may suit the needs of some applications, working with a custom metal fabricator gives you greater options for creating a product tailored to the unique requirements of your specific design or project. Read on to learn more about metal fabrication, the five primary benefits of custom services, and how partnering with an experienced custom fabricator can elevate your project.

What Is Metal Fabrication?

Metal fabrication is an umbrella term for an array of processes that transform raw metal stock into desired parts and products. It includes such production methods as:

From structural components and heavy-duty machinery parts to hand tools and consumer goods, metal fabrication processes can efficiently create myriad precision components in unique designs for projects across industries.

Custom Metal Fabrication Benefits

Partnering with a metal fabrication services provider capable of handling custom orders allows you to capitalize on a wide range of specialized benefits.

SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO YOUR EXACT NEEDS

The ultimate benefit of custom fabrication is that you’ll receive components created with your specific application in mind. You won’t have to compromise on your design or make do with standard parts. The alternative — working with just any fabrication shop and having to default to standard dies, tooling, machinery, and processes — can negatively impact your project and impede your brand’s reputation as an innovator. With custom fabrication, the specialists will be able to evaluate your design and create precision components with tight tolerances for an exact fit.

SPECIALIZED AND VERSATILE PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES

Using just any standard manufacturing method for your production run may be detrimental to your product results, so it’s important to apply the fabrication techniques that make the most sense for your project. With custom metal fabrication, you’ll gain access to a broad spectrum of specialized processes, such as precision waterjet cutting, for creating parts in exactly the right shape and size per your specifications. To support the success of your project, find a custom metal fabrication partner with the relevant capabilities to produce your unique or complex product.

ADVANCED FABRICATION MACHINERY

In metal fabrication, high-quality equipment delivers superior results. Metal shops that only offer standard production often won’t invest in higher-end machinery due to its cost, limiting their ability to provide you with quality products and customized solutions. Custom metal fabricators, however, typically equip themselves with advanced fabrication machinery capable of making custom cuts. This enables them to deliver tight-tolerance parts with heightened precision, efficiency, and speed.

WELL-TRAINED WORKFORCE FOR EXPERT CRAFTSMANSHIP

Custom work requires a great deal of skill and expertise to execute. To find the right service provider for your project, look for a metalworking team with the qualifications and experience necessary to create custom projects, no matter how intricate or complex the design. Reputable fabricators should also be able to assist you should you have questions about the ideal metal for your project, potential design optimizations, cost-saving opportunities, and more.

BETTER MATERIAL USAGE FOR COST-EFFICIENT RESULTS

While steel fabrication parts are common for their strength and durability, the metal fabrication process is compatible with an array of metals. Custom fabrication service providers often have close, long-standing relationships with various metal distributors for procuring high-quality metals. This gives them the benefit of sourcing your preferred materials in smaller quantities or at lower, discounted prices than you could have yourself, with the fabricator passing those savings and benefits on to you. Custom metalwork generally produces less waste, as well, reducing material costs.

High-Quality Custom Metal Fabrication Services From Champ Metal Fabrication

Custom metal fabrication offers significant benefits over standard production, and choosing the right metal fabricator for your project can make the difference between product excellence and subpar results. At Champ Metal Fabrication, we like to say that we manufacture solutions. In medium to high volumes, our team of fabrication experts achieves custom metal parts through a range of fabrication and finishing services like prototyping, metal forming, stamping, laser cutting, CNC machining, welding and assembly, painting, and powder coating. We serve Tier One suppliers and OEMs, operating with a commitment to quality, continual improvement, and operational best practices.

Our custom metal fabrication services allow us to increase throughput, decrease turn times, enhance product quality and performance, and lower costs for our customers. Contact us to learn more about our capabilities, or request a quote today to start your project.