Clients ask us this question more than almost any other: should a job go through CNC punching or laser cutting? The honest answer is that it depends on what you’re making and how many you need, plus the finish you’re after. Here’s how the two compare.
CNC punching is hard to beat on repeat runs. Once a tool is set up, the machine can replicate the same hole pattern hundreds or thousands of times with barely any variation. That makes it the cheaper option for high-volume jobs, particularly where a part needs a mix of hole sizes and shapes across a single sheet. Our EM MII Series can punch a five foot by ten foot sheet without repositioning, which keeps setup time down and throughput up.
Laser cutting takes over when a design calls for complex contours, tight tolerances or shapes that punching tools simply can’t achieve. There’s no tooling to change between jobs, so short runs and one-off prototypes are often quicker and more cost-effective through the laser. It also leaves a cleaner edge on intricate cuts, which matters if the part is visible in the final product.
For simple, high-volume hole patterns, punching usually comes out cheaper per part. For low-volume or highly detailed work, laser cutting tends to work out better value once you account for tooling costs. Plenty of projects use both, punching the straightforward holes and laser cutting the detailed sections on the same sheet.
At DB Sheetmetals, we run both processes in-house on the Amada Alpha IV and EM MII Series, so we can recommend whichever method, or combination, suits your specification best rather than pushing you towards one machine.
Not sure which process your project needs? Speak to our team on 01440 706218 or email info@dbsheetmetals.co.uk and we’ll help you specify it correctly the first time.