01
The blank does not match the CAD file
A hole lands 0.3 mm off, then the bent flange pulls the whole assembly out of alignment. You spend two days reworking parts that were supposed to bolt straight on.
Sheet metal fabrication · Dongguan, China
Laser Cutting Service
We cut and bend flat stock for prototypes and production runs. Steel, aluminum, stainless and copper, from one part to 10,000, with forming and finishing handled in the same plant so you deal with one supplier.
±0.005 mm tolerance3–5 day shippingNo minimum order quantity12-hour quote and DFMISO 9001:201515 years in metal
15 yearsFabrication and CNC work
±0.005 mmAchievable cut tolerance
12 hoursQuote plus DFM feedback
100%Inspection before shipment
Where jobs go wrong
Four problems that show up after the parts arrive
02
The cut edge needs hand work
Dross on the bottom edge, a rough kerf, heat tint that will not come off in the wash. Someone has to deburr every part before it can be painted or anodized.
03
Two suppliers, two schedules
One shop cuts the blanks, another bends and finishes them. Parts sit in transit for a week, and when a dimension is wrong neither side will own it.
04
The quote hides the real cost
A low blank price, then tooling fees, setup charges and a minimum quantity you did not plan for. The invoice at the end looks nothing like the quote at the start.
How we cut
Cut, form and finish in one plant
Cut blanks, bends, tapped holes and surface finish all leave from the same building in Dongguan.
Cutting
Fiber laser cutting for flat parts up to 4,000 mm
We cut mild steel, stainless, aluminum, brass and copper on fiber laser machines. For most jobs the kerf stays tight enough that a Ø6 mm hole comes out at Ø6 mm, so downstream assembly does not need reaming.
Thickness drives the choice more than the material does. Thin gauge cuts fast and clean; past roughly 6 mm in stainless the edge starts to taper and we will tell you if the tolerance you asked for is realistic.
- 1Tolerance±0.005 mm on critical features, held by fixture and program
- 2Edge qualityRa 1.6–3.2 μm as cut, better after deburring
- 3SizeUp to 4,000 mm long, 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm travel
Forming and finishing
Bending, tapping and coating without a second supplier
After cutting, the blanks go to press brakes and to our CNC mills when a part needs a machined boss, counterbore or thread. That matters on brackets and chassis panels where a punched hole is fine but a tapped hole is not.
Finishing runs in house too: anodizing, powder coating, black oxide, bead blasting, brushing and laser marking. One purchase order covers the whole route, and one inspection report covers the finished part.
- 1BendingPress brake forming with bend allowance matched to your flat pattern
- 2Machined featuresTapped holes, counterbores and slots on the same blank
- 3FinishAnodizing, powder coat, plating, blasting, laser marking from 1.5 mm character height
Material and thickness
What cuts well, and what needs care
Practical limits we work to, based on part geometry rather than a datasheet.
| Material | Comfortable range | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Mild steel 1018, A36 | 0.5–12 mm | Thick plate needs slower feed and shows more taper |
| Stainless 304, 316L | 0.5–8 mm | Heat tint on the edge; clean before welding |
| Aluminum 5052, 6061 | 0.5–10 mm | Reflective surface; high power needed above 6 mm |
| Brass and copper | 0.5–6 mm | Copper needs more power; kerf widens on thick stock |
| Titanium TC4 | 0.5–5 mm | Cut under shielding gas; oxide layer must be removed |
What you can order
Six routes to a finished metal part
01
Laser cutting
Flat blanks and profiles from DXF, DWG or STEP. Steel, stainless, aluminum, brass and copper, up to 4,000 mm long.
02
Sheet metal fabrication
Cut, bend, weld, tap and finish. Enclosures, brackets, panels and chassis delivered as one assembly.
03
CNC milling and turning
When the part needs machined faces, tight bores or threads rather than a cut edge. 127 machines, 16 of them 5-axis.
04
Rapid prototyping
One blank to a fitted prototype. No minimum order quantity, so you can validate the design before committing to a run.
05
Surface finishing
Anodizing, plating, powder coating, blasting, brushing and polishing. Laser marking from 1.5 mm character height.
06
Die casting and vacuum casting
For parts where cutting and forming will not hold the shape. Complex geometry in aluminum, zinc and magnesium alloys.
Scope
What a job includes
| Item | Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing formats | DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, PDF | Send the flat pattern if you have one |
| Order size | 1 part to 10,000+ | No minimum order quantity |
| Quotation | Within 12 hours | Includes free DFM analysis |
| Production start | Within 24 hours of approval | Material stock dependent |
| Shipping | 3–5 days | Historical late-delivery rate under 2% |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment | Reports on request |
Why GreatLight
Numbers we can be held to
±0.005
Tolerance in millimeters
Held on critical features with fixture and program control. That is ±0.0002 in for engineers working in imperial.
15Y
Years in metal
Founded in 2011. Three wholly-owned plants and 150 technicians across Dongguan and Singapore.
127
High-precision CNC machines
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers.
99.99%
Qualification rate
Raw material check, in-process monitoring and final inspection on every order before it ships.
4,000 mm
Maximum processing size
Long blanks and large panels stay on one setup, which keeps hole-to-hole position consistent.
4
Certifications on file
ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 27001:2022. NDA available on request.
7,600 m²Manufacturing space
150Technicians on staff
3Wholly-owned plants
<2%Historical late-delivery rate
Industry fit
What different sectors ask us to hold
Automotive and EV
Brackets, busbars and battery tray plates cut from aluminum and steel.
- IATF 16949:2016
- 100% inspection
- 3–5 day shipping
Electronics enclosures
Chassis panels, shields and mounting plates in thin-gauge steel and aluminum.
- ±0.005 mm
- Laser marking
- No MOQ
Industrial machinery
Guard panels, covers and structural plates with tapped holes on the same blank.
- 4,000 mm length
- Bending in house
- ISO 9001:2015
Medical and lab equipment
Stainless housings and frames where the cut edge has to clean up for coating.
- ISO 13485:2016
- Ra 0.8–1.6 μm
- Deburred edges
FAQs
Questions engineers ask before sending a file
What file format should I send for a laser cutting quote?
DXF is the cleanest for a flat blank because it carries the outline and holes at 1:1. DWG works the same way if the geometry is drawn in model space.
If you only have a 3D model, send STEP or IGES and we will unfold the flat pattern and send it back with the quote. Check that unfold before you approve it, especially on parts with several bends.
How tight can you hold the cut tolerance?
±0.005 mm is achievable on critical features when the part is fixtured and the program is set for that feature. It is not a blanket tolerance across a whole 2,000 mm panel.
Hole position tends to hold tighter than the outside profile. If a mating part needs a specific clearance, tell us which dimension matters and we will control that one.
When does a part need CNC machining instead of laser cutting?
A cut edge has no depth control. If the part needs a counterbore, a threaded hole, a shoulder or a face that must sit flat against something, that feature comes off a mill.
We can cut the blank and machine the features on the same order. That is usually cheaper than cutting a blank somewhere else and shipping it to a machine shop.
What thickness can you cut before quality drops?
Mild steel cuts cleanly to about 12 mm. Stainless is comfortable to 8 mm and aluminum to 10 mm, though reflective aluminum above 6 mm needs more power and shows a wider kerf.
Copper and brass are the awkward ones. Copper reflects most of the beam, so thick copper cuts slowly and the edge tapers. If your design uses 6 mm copper, budget for a deburr step.
Do you have a minimum order quantity?
No. We run from one prototype to 10,000+ part runs on the same equipment, and the setup work is the same either way.
For a single part, the cost is mostly setup and material. Sending a clean DXF and a clear drawing keeps that setup time short.
How do you handle heat tint and dross on stainless?
Laser cutting stainless leaves a thin oxide layer along the kerf. It does not affect the fit, but it does affect welding and some coatings.
We remove it on request by bead blasting, brushing or pickling. If the part will be welded, say so on the drawing and we will clean the weld zone before it ships.
Can you keep my drawings confidential?
Yes. Uploads are secure and confidential, and we will sign an NDA on request before you send anything.
Access to customer files is limited to the engineers and programmers who need them for the job. We do not reuse your parts or drawings in any promotional material without written permission.
How fast can I get parts?
Quotation and DFM analysis come back within 12 hours. Production can start within 24 hours of approval, and parts typically ship in 3–5 days.
That timeline depends on material being in stock. For uncommon alloys or unusual thicknesses, add a few days for material procurement and we will tell you at quote stage.
Send a DXF, get a quote in 12 hours
Upload your flat pattern or 3D model. We reply with price, lead time and a DFM note on anything that will be hard to cut or form.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo minimum order quantityNDA on request
