When you’re sending a design to Datum for coil-to-part laser cutting, a little prep goes a long way. Here’s a guide to help ensure your CAD files translate into flawless, precision-cut parts.
1. Pick the Right Material, Thickness & Finish
Start by deciding on:
- Material: Datum can laser cut the following materials:
- Stainless Steel
- Nickel Plated Steel
- Nickel
- Aluminium
- Contact Datum to discuss other material types
- Thickness: Datum provides ultra-thin laser cutting services for materials ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm thick.
- Grade: for surface quality and performance; Datum FG 304 is a great example.
- Finish: consider if you need matte, coated, or etched surfaces.
- Bending or coating: if your part needs bending or powder-coating after cutting, flag that early.
2. Choose Clean, 2D CAD File Formats
We accept DWG and DXF CAD file formats for laser cutting. These should be:
- 2D drawings only-no title blocks, dimension lines, or extra notes – If you can provide a .pdf with this extra criteria as a separate document this will be a big help
- Clean: only one component per file, without overlapping, duplicates, or frames would help streamline processing
3. Keep Your Lines Continuous-No Broken Paths
All cut lines must be complete and continuous. Broken or dashed lines require cleanup, otherwise lasers can’t interpret them.
4. Scale Your Design 1:1
Always export and submit your CAD files at actual size (1:1 scale). Mismatches can lead to parts cutting too small or too large.
5. Understand “Lead-ins”
A lead-in is a short entry path the laser uses to start cutting smoothly. It leaves a tiny “pip” on the edge of your part. Datum adds these automatically unless you’ve got a specific need or desire for a feature to have no witness, just let us know.
6. Check Your Dimensions Carefully
This will streamline the process and avoid delays. Any adjustments can affect your lead time, so accuracy from the start is best.
7. Watch Out for Corners & Tolerances
- Tolerances: Our laser technology enables us to achieve ±0.05mm on linear dimensions, and a positional tolerance on features of ±0.15mm.
Find out more about our laser parameters:
8. Summary Checklist
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| Material & Finish | Choose material, thickness, grade, and any after-cut processes |
| File Format | Use clean DWG, or DXF CAD files (2D, no extraneous elements) |
| Lines | Ensure paths are continuous-no broken or duplicate lines |
| Lead-ins | Let Datum handle these unless you specify otherwise |
| Dimensions | Double-check every measurement |
| Tolerance | Be aware standard tolerances |
Already have your drawing and chosen your material? Submit a quote request now: