Laser Cutting Specifications & Guidelines
This page outlines our standard laser cutting tolerances, file requirements, manufacturing guidelines, and shipping information. If your project has special requirements or critical dimensions, please contact us before placing your order.
Dimensional Tolerances
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Standard Dimensional Tolerance
For laser-cut parts under 10 inches, our standard dimensional tolerance is ±0.010".
Actual results can vary depending on material type, material thickness, part size, geometry, heat input, and material condition.
If your part has a critical dimension or requires a tighter tolerance, please contact us before placing your order.
Material Thickness
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Material Thickness
The listed material thickness is the nominal thickness of the material.
Actual sheet thickness can vary from the nominal dimension due to normal manufacturing tolerances from the steel or material producer.
This variation is outside the control of the laser-cutting process.
If actual material thickness is critical for your application, please contact us before ordering.
Cut Edge & Kerf
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Cut Edge & Kerf
Laser cutting generally produces a clean, accurate cut edge. However, the finished edge can vary depending on the material type and thickness.
Normal characteristics can include slight edge taper, small pierce witness marks, heat discoloration, and variations in edge finish.
Unless otherwise arranged, parts are supplied as-cut.
Holes & Small Features
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Holes & Small Features
Very small holes, slots, notches, and other features can be difficult to produce accurately when their size approaches the thickness of the material.
As a general rule, inside contours should be at least as large as the material thickness.
For example, a 1/4" diameter hole in 1/4" material is generally more suitable for laser cutting than a significantly smaller hole.
If you have unusually small or critical features, please contact us before ordering.
Part Size
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Part Size
Parts ordered through our online quoting system must fit within a maximum size of 48" × 48".
For parts outside these dimensions, or projects that require special arrangements, please contact us directly.
DXF File Requirements
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DXF File Requirements
DXF files should be drawn at 1:1 scale and contain only the geometry that is intended to be cut.
Files should use closed contours wherever possible and should not contain duplicate or overlapping lines, unnecessary construction geometry, dimensions, notes, borders, or text unless those elements are intended to be cut.
A clean DXF with the cutting geometry on a single visible layer is preferred.
Before ordering, please make sure the uploaded file represents exactly what you want manufactured.
Layers & Hidden Geometry
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Layers & Hidden Geometry
Some CAD programs can create DXF files that contain multiple layers, hidden entities, construction geometry, blocks, or other information that may not display consistently between different CAD systems.
We recommend exporting a clean DXF containing only the geometry that is intended to be cut.
If the preview in our quoting system does not look like your intended part, do not complete the order. Please contact us so we can review the file.
Online DXF Preview
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Online DXF Preview
The DXF preview in our online quoting system is provided as a visual reference to help you verify the geometry being submitted.
Please inspect the preview carefully before ordering.
If lines, holes, cutouts, or other features appear to be missing or incorrect, do not complete the order. Please contact us so we can review the file.
Customer-Supplied Files
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Customer-Supplied Files
Parts are manufactured based on the geometry contained in the file supplied with the order.
Customers are responsible for confirming that the correct file and revision have been uploaded, the scale and units are correct, and all required holes, slots, cutouts, and other geometry are present.
If something in the file or preview does not look right, please contact us before placing the order.
Material Surface & Appearance
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Material Surface & Appearance
Sheet and plate are industrial materials and may have normal surface variations.
Depending on the material, parts may contain mill scale, light scratches or handling marks, surface oxidation, protective film where applicable, heat discoloration near cut edges, or marks from contact with the laser cutting bed.
Unless specifically arranged beforehand, cosmetic surface condition is not guaranteed.
Part Flatness
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Part Flatness
Laser cutting introduces heat into the material. Thin parts, long narrow parts, or parts with a large amount of cutting concentrated in one area may experience some distortion or warping.
The flatness of the original sheet can also affect the finished part.
Standard dimensional tolerances do not imply a specific flatness tolerance unless one has been agreed upon before manufacturing.
Manufacturing Lead Time
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Manufacturing Lead Time
Most orders are typically manufactured within approximately 3–5 business days.
Manufacturing times are estimates and can vary depending on order size, material availability, current workload, and other production requirements.
If you have a firm deadline, please contact us before placing your order.
Shipping & Delivery
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Shipping & Delivery
Customers can select from the available shipping options during checkout.
Shipping transit times displayed during checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier. Manufacturing time and shipping transit time are separate.
Once an order has been transferred to the carrier, actual delivery timing is outside the control of 302 Shaping and delivery dates cannot be guaranteed.
If your order is time-sensitive, please allow additional time for possible carrier delays.
Problems With Your Order
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Problems With Your Order
If you believe we manufactured a part incorrectly, please contact us as soon as possible with your order information and a description of the issue.
We will review the supplied file, order information, and manufactured part to determine what happened and work with you toward an appropriate solution.
Issues resulting from manufacturing a customer-supplied file as submitted are different from manufacturing errors. We strongly recommend reviewing your files and online previews carefully before placing an order.