The Many Types of Construction Contractor

Although laser cutting is widely used in manufacturing industries, it has not been a traditional process of the construction sector. Most buildings that are put together from timber frames, bricks and mortar require very little cutting. Indeed, that which takes place often doesn't need the level of accuracy you obtain from laser cutters. That said, some modern architectural practices are reliant on very fine tolerances. When these are multiplied up because of relatively small but regularly sized building materials, such as shingles or metal cladding elements, highly precise cutting may be essential. This is where metal laser cutting can be so beneficial to construction sector firms.

What are the main ways laser cutters are used in the industry today?

Steel Frame Construction

The sort of steel beams that are used in the construction sector can be cut in many different ways. In the past metal laser cutting was not considered for this sort of work. Usually, a degree of tolerance would be allowed for with the way in which steel beams would connect to one another and the foundations they were to sit upon. However, given that exposed beams are now commonplace in some architectural designs, greater accuracy has been increasingly called for. As such, laser cutters are now often employed to cut steels to the desired dimensions with a previously unheard-of level of accuracy.

Cutting Down on Material Wastage

Another important aspect of metal laser cutting is that it can be used to remove very thin sections of metal. This might be required in parts of a building where are coverings are required rather than structural elements. For example, sections of stainless steel can be cut to thicknesses of just a couple of millimetres, or even thinner, using modern laser cutting technology. This means that such materials are now suitable for cladding buildings as well as for internal finishes. In turn, this means that less material is wasted because it ends up being installed with too great a thickness.

Prefabrication

Even in the modern age of construction, metal laser cutting is not truly suited to site work where all sorts of problems can occur with sensitive equipment. That said, laser cutters are extremely useful in the construction of prefabricated structures and parts that can then be transported to a building site to be installed. With the high level of efficiency this approach brings, laser cutting can help to reduce the amount of time that is wasted by construction workers on-site with many fewer errors occurring.

You can learn more by contacting metal laser cutting services.