Capabilities
Every limit we hold ourselves to, published.
Tolerances, machine envelopes, stocked gauges, minimum bend radii and finish compatibility. The same numbers the quote engine prices from — so nothing on this page can drift from what you are actually charged.
- 3
- processes
- 14
- materials
- 103
- stocked gauges
- 12
- finishes
01Laser Cutting
6kW fiber and a CO2 source. Flat parts, cut and deburred, in as little as 24 hours.
- Tolerance
- +/- 0.005 in
- Envelope
- 48 x 96 in sheet
- Standard lead
- 3 business days
- Setup charge
- $12
- Machine rate
- $3.40/min
- Materials
- 12 · 91 gauges
- Kerf 0.006-0.015 in depending on thickness
- Nitrogen assist on stainless and aluminum for oxide-free edges
- CO2 source for acrylic and other plastics, which fiber wavelengths cannot cut
- Nesting optimizer runs on every order, so you pay for the footprint your part uses rather than a whole sheet
Best for
- Flat parts: brackets, gaskets, panels, shims, bus bars
- High feature counts, where a punch would need custom tooling
- Prototype through production without a tooling change
Not the right process for
Anything needing a formed feature, a threaded hole, or a wall that is not perpendicular to the sheet.
Cut, deburred and shipped in as little as one business day.
Quote Laser02Sheet Metal Fabrication
Cut, formed, hardware-inserted and finished as one part number.
- Tolerance
- +/- 0.010 in, bend angle +/- 1 deg
- Envelope
- 96 in brake, 0.250 in max form
- Standard lead
- 5 business days
- Setup charge
- $28
- Machine rate
- $2.90/min
- Materials
- 8 · 65 gauges
- CNC press brake with offline programming, so there are no first-article surprises
- PEM hardware inserted in-house: studs, standoffs and nuts
- Powder coat, anodize, zinc plate and passivation from a single vendor
Best for
- Enclosures, chassis, mounting plates with standoffs
- Parts that replace a welded assembly with one folded blank
- Anything needing PEM hardware pressed in before finishing
Not the right process for
Thick sections above 0.250 in, brittle materials, or tolerances tighter than ±0.010 in across a bend.
Five business days standard, including forming and hardware insertion.
Quote Sheet Metal03CNC Machining
3-, 4- and 5-axis milling and turning for functional prototypes and production.
- Tolerance
- +/- 0.002 in typical, +/- 0.0005 in on request
- Envelope
- 32 x 20 x 20 in
- Standard lead
- 7 business days
- Setup charge
- $95
- Machine rate
- $2.15/min
- Materials
- 12 · 85 gauges
- ISO 2768-m by default; call out tighter tolerances on the drawing
- In-process CMM inspection on every production lot
- Most metals and every engineering plastic we stock, from bar and plate
Best for
- Functional prototypes that need real material properties
- Pockets, bosses, threaded holes and sealing surfaces
- Tolerances the sheet metal line cannot hold
Not the right process for
Thin flat parts. If it can be laser cut, it will be cheaper and faster laser cut.
Seven business days standard; add a day above 25 pieces.
Quote CNC04Materials
Everything on the shelf, with the numbers that matter
Filter by process when you know how the part is made, or by family when you know what it has to survive. Expand any row for stocked gauges, cut speeds and finish compatibility.
14 materials · 103 gauges in stock
| Material | Processes | Gauge range | Density | Tensile | Min bend R | Min hole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaserSheet Metal | 0.032–0.250 in | 0.097 lb/in³ | 33 ksi | 1× t | 1× t | |
Why you would pick itThe default sheet alloy. Forms well, welds well, corrosion resistant. Not heat-treatable. Stocked gauges0.0320.0400.0500.0630.0800.1000.1250.1900.250 Cut speed
Finishes
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| LaserSheet MetalCNC | 0.040–0.750 in | 0.098 lb/in³ | 45 ksi | 2.5× t | 1.1× t | |
Why you would pick itStructural workhorse. Strong and machinable, but it cracks on tight bends, so allow a 2.5x radius. Stocked gauges0.0400.0630.0800.1250.1900.2500.3750.5000.750 Cut speed
Finishes
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| LaserSheet Metal | 0.030–0.250 in | 0.284 lb/in³ | 44 ksi | 0.8× t | 1× t | |
Why you would pick itThe cheapest formable metal we stock. It will flash-rust bare, so specify a finish. Stocked gauges0.0300.0360.0480.0600.0750.1050.1350.1870.250 Cut speed
Finishes
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| LaserSheet MetalCNC | 0.125–1.000 in | 0.284 lb/in³ | 58 ksi | 1.2× t | 1.2× t | |
Why you would pick itStructural plate. Mill scale on the surface, so expect a rougher edge than cold rolled. Stocked gauges0.1250.1870.2500.3750.5000.7501.000 Cut speed
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| LaserSheet MetalCNC | 0.030–0.500 in | 0.289 lb/in³ | 84 ksi | 1× t | 1.1× t | |
Why you would pick itGeneral-purpose stainless. It work-hardens fast, and we allow for that in the feed rate. Stocked gauges0.0300.0480.0600.0750.1050.1250.1870.2500.3750.500 Cut speed
Finishes
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| LaserSheet MetalCNC | 0.048–0.375 in | 0.290 lb/in³ | 81 ksi | 1× t | 1.1× t | |
Why you would pick itMolybdenum-bearing. Specify it when the part sees salt water, chlorides or medical cleaning. Stocked gauges0.0480.0600.0750.1050.1250.1870.2500.375 Cut speed
Finishes
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| LaserCNC | 0.048–0.250 in | 0.280 lb/in³ | 75 ksi | 1.6× t | 1.2× t | |
Why you would pick itHardenable martensitic stainless. Chosen for wear surfaces and cutlery-grade edges. Stocked gauges0.0480.0600.1050.1250.1870.250 Cut speed
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| LaserSheet MetalCNC | 0.032–0.250 in | 0.323 lb/in³ | 32 ksi | 1× t | 1.2× t | |
Why you would pick it99.9% pure, the electrical choice. Highly reflective, so laser feeds run conservative. Stocked gauges0.0320.0400.0630.0930.1250.1870.250 Cut speed
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| LaserSheet MetalCNC | 0.032–0.187 in | 0.308 lb/in³ | 53 ksi | 1× t | 1.1× t | |
Why you would pick itCartridge brass. Excellent cold formability and the best machinability of any metal we stock. Stocked gauges0.0320.0400.0630.0930.1250.187 Cut speed
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| LaserCNC | 0.040–0.250 in | 0.160 lb/in³ | 138 ksi | 3.5× t | 1.4× t | |
Why you would pick itAerospace grade. The highest strength-to-weight we offer, and the slowest to machine. Stocked gauges0.0400.0630.0930.1250.1870.250 Cut speed
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| LaserCNC | 0.060–0.500 in | 0.043 lb/in³ | 10 ksi | no bends | 1× t | |
Why you would pick itCO2-cut for a flame-polished edge. Brittle, so do not specify bends or press-fit hardware. Stocked gauges0.0600.0930.1250.1870.2500.3750.500 Cut speed
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| LaserCNC | 0.062–0.500 in | 0.051 lb/in³ | 10 ksi | no bends | 1× t | |
Why you would pick itLow friction, dimensionally stable and self-lubricating. The default for bushings and gears. Stocked gauges0.0620.0930.1250.1870.2500.3750.500 Cut speed
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| CNC | 0.125–1.000 in | 0.038 lb/in³ | 6 ksi | no bends | — | |
Why you would pick itCheap, tough and paintable. Machined rather than laser cut, because it chars and gasses off. Stocked gauges0.1250.2500.3750.5000.7501.000 Cut speedMachined only. Relative machinability 3.00 against mild steel at 1.00. | ||||||
| CNC | 0.032–0.250 in | 0.065 lb/in³ | 45 ksi | no bends | — | |
Why you would pick itGlass-epoxy laminate. Electrically insulating and rigid, but abrasive on tooling and priced for it. Stocked gauges0.0320.0620.0930.1250.1870.250 Cut speedMachined only. Relative machinability 0.70 against mild steel at 1.00. | ||||||
Minimum bend radius is expressed as a multiple of material thickness and applies to the sheet metal line only. Minimum hole diameter is a laser constraint; machined holes are limited by depth-to-diameter ratio instead.
05Finishing
12 finishes, priced by area and lot
Finishing carries a per-square-inch rate and a per-lot fee for racking and masking. The lot fee is why a finish that looks expensive on one piece is nearly free at 100.
| Finish | What it is | Per sq in | Lot fee | Added lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deburr + edge break | Tumbled or hand-broken edges. Standard on anything handled by people. | $0.004 | $6 | — |
| Bead blast | Uniform matte texture. Hides tool marks and prior handling. | $0.016 | $22 | +1d |
| #4 brushed | Directional satin grain around 120 grit. The architectural stainless look. | $0.021 | $28 | +1d |
| Clear anodize (Type II) | Hard oxide layer in natural aluminum color. Non-conductive surface. | $0.028 | $45 | +3d |
| Black anodize (Type II) | Dyed after anodizing. Matte black and UV-stable. | $0.034 | $52 | +3d |
| Powder coat | Electrostatic thermoset at 2-4 mil. Any RAL color, hardest common finish. | $0.024 | $55 | +3d |
| Zinc plate (clear trivalent) | Sacrificial corrosion barrier for steel. Retains conductivity. | $0.019 | $48 | +3d |
| Black oxide | Conversion coating with near-zero dimensional change. Mild corrosion resistance only. | $0.014 | $40 | +2d |
| Passivate (ASTM A967) | Removes free iron from stainless. Required for medical and food contact. | $0.011 | $38 | +2d |
| Electropolish | Electrochemical deburr and brighten, with an Ra improvement of 50% or better. | $0.038 | $85 | +4d |
| Tin plate | Solderable, corrosion-resistant coating for copper bus work. | $0.023 | $50 | +3d |
| Flame polish | Optically clear acrylic edge. Cosmetic parts only. | $0.009 | $18 | +1d |
06Tolerances
What we hold, and what you have to tell us
Unmarked dimensions are held to the defaults below. Anything tighter has to be called out on a drawing — we will hold it, and the quote will reflect the inspection it requires.
Laser Cutting
+/- 0.005 in- Machine envelope
- 48 x 96 in sheet
- Standard lead
- 3 business days
- Materials available
- 12 of 14
Sheet Metal Fabrication
+/- 0.010 in, bend angle +/- 1 deg- Machine envelope
- 96 in brake, 0.250 in max form
- Standard lead
- 5 business days
- Materials available
- 8 of 14
CNC Machining
+/- 0.002 in typical, +/- 0.0005 in on request- Machine envelope
- 32 x 20 x 20 in
- Standard lead
- 7 business days
- Materials available
- 12 of 14
Checked before you order, not after
17 manufacturability rules run against your geometry as you configure it — minimum hole diameter against thickness, bend radius against alloy, hole-to-bend clearance, flange length, wall thickness, machine envelope. Anything we cannot make blocks the order.
Run it on your part