01
Holes drift out of position after bending
A flat pattern that ignores bend deduction puts hole centers 0.3–0.5 mm off after forming. The mating bracket no longer lines up, and the whole batch needs rework or scrap.
Fabrication · Dongguan, China
China Sheet Metal Manufacturer
GreatLight cuts, forms, and welds custom housings, brackets, and chassis in 3–5 days. Bending and laser cutting to ±0.005 mm, with 100% inspection before shipment.
Laser cuttingCNC bendingWeldingPowder coating±0.005 mmNo MOQ
2011Manufacturing since
7,600 m²Production floor across 3 plants
±0.005 mmCutting and forming tolerance
3–5 daysTypical production lead time
Common problems
Why Fabrication Projects Slip
These four problems show up often enough that we plan around them before cutting any blank.
02
Welds pull the part out of square
Heat from MIG or TIG welding warps thin panels. A frame that measured square on the bench comes back 1–2 mm out of diagonal, so doors and covers no longer fit.
03
Cosmetic surfaces arrive scratched
Handling between cutting, bending, and packing leaves marks on brushed or anodized faces. The parts function, but they fail incoming visual inspection.
04
Quotes take a week, then miss the date
Waiting days for a price, then learning the shop outsourced finishing and added two weeks. Assembly schedules get pushed, and the launch date moves.
How we run it
One Shop, From Coil to Finished Panel
Cutting, forming, welding, and finishing happen under one roof, so nothing waits on a subcontractor.
Flat pattern and cutting
Laser Cutting That Matches the Bend Model
We build the flat pattern from your 3D model, not from a hand-drawn DXF. Bend deduction and K-factor are set per material and thickness, so hole positions stay where the model puts them after forming. Fiber laser cuts mild steel, stainless, aluminum, and copper up to 4,000 mm long.
Thin gauges move fast. A 1.5 mm aluminum panel with a few hundred holes cuts in minutes, and nesting keeps material cost down on larger runs. For parts that will be visible, we cut from the protected side and leave the film on until forming is done.
- 1Flat pattern built from 3DBend deduction and K-factor set per material, not reused from a default table.
- 24,000 mm maximum lengthLong chassis rails and enclosure panels fit in one pass.
- 3Protective film left onBrushed and anodized faces stay clean until after forming.
Forming and joining
Bending, Welding, and Hardware in Sequence
Press brakes with CNC backgauges hold bend angles to ±0.5° on panels up to 4,000 mm. For a run of 200 brackets, the first article is checked against the drawing; the rest follow the same program. We note bend order so a part that needs four bends does not get trapped by its own flange.
Welding is done by fabricators who work thin gauge daily. We use fixtures and tack sequences that limit heat input, then check diagonals before the part leaves the bench. Pressed-in nuts, standoffs, and rivets go in after welding so threads stay clean.
- 1Bend angles to ±0.5°CNC backgauges and a checked first article before the run continues.
- 2Weld fixtures control distortionTack sequence and heat input set for thin panels, not heavy plate.
- 3Hardware after weldingNuts and standoffs pressed in last, so threads are not damaged by heat.
Process fit
Which Process Fits Your Part
Pick the route before you send drawings. The wrong one adds cost without adding accuracy.
| Part condition | Recommended route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness under 3 mm, flat or few bends | Laser cut + press brake | Fastest and cheapest for thin gauge |
| Enclosed frame with seams | Cut + bend + welded assembly | Seams close gaps that bending alone cannot |
| Visible brushed or anodized face | Cut from protected side, film on | Keeps cosmetic surfaces free of marks |
| Wall thickness over 6 mm | CNC machining instead | Thick plate bends poorly and distorts |
| Tight thread or bore tolerance | Fabricate, then machine the feature | Holds ±0.005 mm where it matters |
| One prototype, no fixture budget | Laser cut + hand-formed | No tooling cost, geometry still true |
What we do
Fabrication Services Under One Roof
Six processes cover most enclosure, bracket, and chassis work.
01
Laser Cutting
Fiber laser cuts mild steel, stainless, aluminum, and copper up to 4,000 mm long. Flat patterns are built from your 3D model so holes land where the drawing says after forming.
02
CNC Bending
Press brakes with CNC backgauges hold bend angles to ±0.5°. Bend order is planned so multi-flange parts do not collide with the tooling.
03
Welding and Assembly
MIG, TIG, and spot welding for frames, enclosures, and brackets. Fixtures and tack sequences control distortion on thin panels.
04
Hardware Insertion
Pressed-in nuts, standoffs, rivets, and threaded inserts installed after welding. Threads stay clean and hardware sits flush.
05
Surface Finishing
Anodizing, powder coating, zinc plating, black oxide, bead blasting, brushing, and polishing. Laser marking down to 1.5 mm character height.
06
CNC Machining Add-On
When a sheet metal part needs a tight bore or thread, we machine that feature after fabrication instead of chasing it with a drill.
Scope
Materials, Thickness, and Finishes
Standard stock we run every week. Other grades are quoted on request.
| Category | Options | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | 5052, 6061, 6063, 6082, 7075 | Enclosures, brackets, panels |
| Stainless | 304, 316L, 430, 17-4PH | Food, medical, outdoor hardware |
| Steel | 1018, 1045, A36, SPCC, SECC | Chassis, frames, mounting plates |
| Copper and brass | C110, C27400, C36000 | Busbars, shielding, contacts |
| Thickness range | 0.5 mm to 6 mm typical | Thicker plate routed to CNC |
| Finishes | Anodize, powder coat, zinc, black oxide | Cosmetic and corrosion protection |
Why GreatLight
What You Get With the Order
Numbers, not adjectives.
±0.005 mm
Tolerance when it matters
Laser cutting and bending hold ±0.005 mm on critical features. Standard panel work runs at ±0.1 mm, which is enough for most enclosures.
12 h
Quote and DFM feedback
Send a STEP file and get a price plus notes on bend relief, hole placement, and material choice within 12 hours.
24 h
Production start
Once the drawing is released, cutting can start within 24 hours. No waiting for a fixture queue.
100%
Inspection before shipment
Raw material check, in-process monitoring, and final inspection on every lot. Reports on request.
0
Minimum order quantity
One prototype or a 10,000-part run. Same process, same inspection, no setup surcharge for small lots.
15Y
Fabrication experience
Working with thin gauge since 2011. The bend and weld problems above are ones we have already solved.
127High-precision machines on site
150Technicians across 3 plants
99.99%Qualification rate
<2%Historical late-delivery rate
Where it lands
Industries and What They Need
Industrial Control Chassis
Aluminum chassis with vent cutouts, mounting bosses, and a powder-coated face.
- ±0.005 mm
- 3–5 days
- 100% inspection
Automotive and EV Brackets
Stainless and steel brackets with pressed-in nuts, run under IATF 16949 process control.
- IATF 16949
- Pressed-in hardware
- No MOQ
Medical Device Enclosures
Stainless 304 and 316L covers, passivated, with edges deburred for handling.
- ISO 13485
- 304 / 316L
- Passivated
Robotics and Automation Frames
Welded frames kept square with fixtures, then anodized for a clean finish.
- Square to 0.5 mm
- Anodized
- Welded assembly
FAQs
Questions Engineers Ask
What file format should I send for a quote?
STEP or Parasolid for the 3D model, plus a PDF drawing with tolerances and finish notes. A DXF alone is not enough for us to set the flat pattern correctly.
If you only have a DXF, send it with the material, thickness, and bend requirements. We will build the 3D model and flag anything that looks ambiguous before quoting.
How do you hold ±0.005 mm on a bent part?
The tolerance applies to cut features and machined details, not to every bend radius. Bends are held to ±0.5° on a CNC press brake.
If a hole or bore needs ±0.005 mm, we usually cut it undersize and machine it after forming. That costs more than a punched hole, so we only do it where the drawing calls for it.
What thickness range do you fabricate?
0.5 mm to 6 mm is the common range. Thin gauges run fast on the laser and bend cleanly.
Above 6 mm, bending gets difficult and distortion is harder to control. Those parts usually go to CNC machining instead, and we will tell you when that is the better route.
Can you weld a frame and keep it square?
Yes, with fixtures and a planned tack sequence. We tack the frame, check diagonals, then complete the welds in an order that balances heat on both sides.
We hold squareness to about 0.5 mm on frames up to 1,000 mm. Tighter than that usually means machining after welding, which we can do in-house.
Do you offer finishing, or is it outsourced?
Anodizing, powder coating, plating, black oxide, blasting, and polishing are all available through our process. We control the schedule instead of waiting on a third party.
Laser marking is done in-house with a minimum character height of 1.5 mm. Below that, the mark gets hard to read after coating.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
No. One prototype and a 10,000-part run go through the same process and the same inspection.
Small lots do not carry a setup surcharge, though unit cost drops as quantity rises because laser nesting and bending setup are spread across more parts.
How fast can you ship?
Quotation and DFM feedback within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of drawing release, and parts typically ship in 3–5 days.
Finishing adds time depending on the process. Powder coating and anodizing are the usual reasons a schedule extends, so we quote them into the lead time up front.
How do you protect confidential designs?
Uploads are handled as confidential, and we sign an NDA on request before reviewing drawings.
We hold ISO 27001:2022 for information security, which covers how files are stored and who can access them.
Send Your Drawing, Get a Price in 12 Hours
Upload a STEP file and a drawing. We will reply with a quote and DFM notes, then start cutting within 24 hours of release.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum orderNDA on request
