Manufacturing processes can be wasteful in a lot of different ways. For traditional production lines, processing materials can generate offcuts systematically – which ultimately means materials are being wasted. Add energy consumption trends on top of this and you’ll find that a manufacturing facility can generate a whopping carbon footprint. These sustainability impacts naturally then trickle down to retailers and suppliers, who have to factor in the indirect emissions within their own environmental management systems.
There is a solution here, however, and it’s alternative manufacturing processes – think 3D printing and, of course, laser cutting. Using CNC processing methods, laser cutting delivers a higher level of control over the manufacturing process, allowing laser cutters to maximise the value of any given sheet of material to optimally result in little to no materials offcuts.
Compared to other manufacturing processes, laser cutting is also leaner, cleaner and greener, delivering a fraction of the level of emissions or in some cases no emissions (i.e. with facilities run on 100% solar energy, like us).
Today, our laser cutting technicians here at Vector & Raster Laser Services will be diving deep into how exactly laser cutting helps reduce manufacturing waste alongside curbing costs. And if you’re based outside of Melbourne (i.e. you’re looking for Sydney laser cutting services or services across all other Australian states and territories), then you’ll be happy to hear that our online laser cutting services maintain this same standard for sustainability.
5 Ways Online Laser Cutting Reduces Waste
We’ve touched upon some of the major contributing factors for waste production in manufacturing already, so to balance that out, let’s explore how laser cutting comparatively curbs waste like offcuts, overstock, and carbon emissions.
1. Sub-millimetre Kerf
Unlike traditional cutting processes which can result in thicker cut or burnt gaps across materials surfaces, laser cutting instead delivers a super-fine sub-millimetre kerf. This means that laser cutting and laser engraving processes actually end up wasting significantly less material during the production process.
2. CAD Nesting Software
Using CAD nesting software, laser cutters can tightly pack cutting designs onto material surfaces, ensuring maximum coverage and resulting in minimal offcuts when compared to traditional manufacturing methods.
3. No Tool Wear
Using laser technology means you can expect sharp and consistent cuts across every project. This is naturally far preferable to working with contact-based manufacturing machinery, where variables like tool wear can result in a higher percentage of misshapen designs and rejected cuts.
4. CO2 and Fibre Laser Energy Efficiency
Laser cutting technologies are designed to be highly energy efficient, with an average 30-40% wall plug-to-beam power conversion. This means that your laser cutting machine can generate a high amount of energy with modest power sources (which is also the reason why it’s so easy for us to keep our studios operating on 100% renewable energy!).
5. On-demand Production Removes Overstock Waste
Traditional manufacturing production lines churn out a high frequency of products within a minimal timeframe, which results in a backlog of stock. If those manufactured products aren’t moved in time for manufacturers to replenish their storage, then that stock becomes overstock waste. Why are we still using systems that are essentially designed to produce waste?
Comparatively, on-demand laser cutting makes a lot more sense. You only manufacture what’s actually needed, and you don’t need to store excess stock, nor eat the added emissions that accompany storing and disposing of overstock.
Materials that Benefit Most from Low-waste Laser Cutting
Across the full range of laser cutting materials that we work with, virtually all of them can benefit from being processed via laser technology rather than via traditional factory workflows. The main reason for this again being that laser cutting is a no-contact processing method that requires no physical pressure placed onto the material.
This naturally makes dense, sheet-based and inflexible materials a fantastic fit for laser cutting, with cutting processes delivering a higher yield of finished products with little to no risks of damage to designs resulting in rejections and offcuts.
Here are just a few of the material types that we recommend to many of our online laser cutting clients.
Acrylic, Perspex, and Other Types of Plastic Sheets
Plastic sheet materials boast a lower cost per unit when compared to other premium alternatives like sheet metals, making them amongst the most popular and sought after project materials across our range.
Alongside being cheap and easy to work with, materials like acrylic plastic, mylar, and traffolyte are very versatile, offering dynamic use cases. Acrylic designs can be used in jewellery production, homewares, or even for business signage, mylar is useful for producing custom plastic stencils, and two-toned traffolyte is a natural fit for a variety of industrial-friendly creations, ranging from staff nametags to electrical tags, switchboard labels, and any other signage or label systems that need to be non-corrosive and high-contrast for easy legibility.
Sheet Metal – Aluminium, Brass, Stainless Steel, etc.
Like plastic, metal materials are also very versatile, however the higher cost per unit rate for metal sheets makes quality production an absolute necessity for reducing materials wastage (and by extension, financial loss).
Thankfully, laser cutting technology can be used to cut designs into metal materials with precision, resulting in little to no risk of burns, discoloration, or physical damage to metal surfaces. Using CAD nesting software, laser cutters can also orient cutting pathways to maximise yields from each metal sheet, resulting in minimal production of offcuts to boost project ROI.
MDF, Plywood, and Other Sustainably Sourced Timber Products
Wood laser cutting is a fan favourite here at Vector & Raster Laser Services, and it really boils down to just how organic and aesthetic laser cut wood designs look. The ‘burnt’ two-toned finish of laser cut wood is timeless and pairs well with a wide variety of creations and design styles – spanning from laser cut wood art to engraved sandwich boards as an alternative to chalkboards.
Like metal, wood materials can also boast a higher cost per unit, depending on whether you’re looking to work with solid timber or even wood composite materials like MDF or plywood. If, however, you’re working with sustainably sourced timber products, then you’ll naturally also want to make sure your production processes are equally green. What’s the point of investing in sustainable materials if you’re just going to send them through a diesel-guzzling factory machine?
Add to this the fact that laser cutting as a production process delivers far more timeless and beautiful results through facilitating that iconic two-toned wood finish, and there really is no better way to transform your timber materials into precise designs.
Partner with a Sustainable Online Laser Cutting Team
Understanding what a low-waste cutting workflow looks like in action starts with finalising your materials selections and fine tuning your designs. Thankfully, alongside offering laser cutting that’s 100% powered by renewable energy, our team here at Vector & Raster Laser Services is also proud to offer graphic design services to help you maximise yields across your project.
We absolutely love working with independent creators and business owners to produce laser cut designs that align perfectly with their vision. So no matter where you’re based in Australia, give us a call today to get the ball rolling on your next online laser cutting project. We’d love to hear from you.
Low-Waste Laser Cutting – FAQs
1. How does online laser cutting help reduce material waste?
Online laser cutting helps reduce material waste predominantly through its no-contact production method. By using high-precision lasers for cutting, materials are subjected to less physical pressure, resulting in significantly lower risks of damage and subsequently, failed results.
2. Is laser cutting more energy efficient than plasma or oxy-fuel cutting?
Yes, laser cutting is significantly more energy-efficient than plasma and oxy-fuel cutting. While oxy-fuel consumes no electricity, it’s a slower process comparative to both plasma and laser cutting, which results in diminished efficiency.
Contrastingly, plasma uses vastly more electricity and requires frequent replacement of consumable parts. In comparison to both plasma and oxy-fuel cutting, laser cutting is both faster and greener.
3. What materials can be laser cut sustainably?
Laser cutting is compatible with a wide variety of materials, including sustainable materials like ethically sourced timber, recycled plastics, cork, natural fabrics, and cellulose-based materials.
4. Does outsourcing to an online laser cutting service cut more waste than buying a laser cutter?
Yes, because professional laser cutting services are equipped with all the necessary experience and expertise to get your designs cut right the first time – no time wasted and no risks of material waste.
5. Does laser cutting support lean and just-in-time manufacturing?
Yes, as laser cutting is an on-demand production process that works at speed, it is suitable for agile manufacturing systems.
6. How does nesting software reduce offcuts?
CAD nesting software orients designs optimally on a single sheet of material to deliver the largest possible yield with the most minimal amount of offcuts.
7. Is acrylic laser cutting more eco-friendly than CNC routing?
While CNC routing may be suitable for thick materials (i.e. 3D carvings), laser cutting is a more eco-friendly process for thin acrylics due to the method’s high material efficiency and lower energy consumption.
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