laser cutting

[Nickm]

whats up with laser cutters? are they really inexpensive? There seem to be many mom and pop type shops, are selling laser cut parts. My google search seemed to turn up only vendors. Most of these things are big bucks. Really big buck. So where are they getting these things? Or do ya ll think they buy the part already cut and resell them?

[jeepnmatt]

i deal with a local shop who cuts the parts for me. i do all the design work in AutoCAD and email the drawing to the shop. they can easily import this drawing into the laser program and run the part, essentially eliminating any programing time. i have to pay for time and material. the hourly rate on the machine is relatively high (over $100/hr), but when that gets broken down into each part, the price is usually really good.

when i started having parts made, i found that the shop could make the parts CHEAPER than what it was costing me for just the material. this is mainly because they get wholesale pricing on sheets of plate and i was buying cold-rolled bar stock. still, i save some $$ and A LOT of time having the parts made.

what kind of parts are you looking for?

[shopteach]

they are buying and re-selling the parts or contracting a job shop to make a run for them. unless they own one......my uncle's shop has 2. they have over a million in the pair

[SeanP]

laser or plamsa? Cheapest CNC laser is now about $175K. Plasma torch with table is $12K. Laser has a little cleaner edges than plasma.

I have a plasma table and am pleased with the output. I have done up to 3/8s and can do thicker.

SeanP

[Nickm]

damn they're both expensive.

[HaWiiLuVeR]

I have done up to 3/8s and can do thicker.

SeanP

and it was pretty clean too.

[JLanigan]

Thats the key with laser, there is so little cleanup of parts, often none whatsoever, so it's literally a case of emailing a file, and waiting for a box of ready to sell parts to arrive back