Laser cutting has become more and more popular and with good reason.  Laser cutting offers several important advantages over mechanical cutting.  Mechanical cutting, by necessity, requires a physical cutting edge that can be contaminated by the work material or can contaminate the work material.  Lasers don't have this issue, as the work material is melted, burned or blown away from the laser.  Laser cutting also can be more precise as there's no cutting edge to wear or change during the cutting process.  Laser cutting also can often cut more complex shapes than traditional methods.  Narrow kerf widths are also more easily achieved with this method, which can reduce costs by more efficiently utilizing the work material.  Additionally because laser cutting has a small heat-affected zone, there's less of a chance of warping the material.  Tools and dies are also avoided with laser cutting techniques, which can make them much easier to use and more efficient and effective than mechanical cutting systems.  Cuts are easily repeated and don't suffer from nearly the setup time and effort as traditional systems.  There are also materials that can't properly be cut with mechanical cutting systems.  Metal cutting can often be done better with lasers as opposed to plasma cutting as laser cutting is more precise and more energy efficient.  Lasers are also extremely safe when installed properly, comparable or better than other cutting methods.

On the other hand, there are several factors that might indicate laser cutting isn't the right choice.  Depending on the type of laser and cuts needed, the energy consumption may well be much higher than some other cutting method, causing increased costs.  Some materials are also not appropriate for laser cutting.  Plastic work material can be problematic as plastic emits gasses when heated and that can require particular ventilation systems that might not otherwise be required.  Copper, brass, and aluminum can't usually be cut by laser cutters as the reflectivity can be too high.  Production rate can also be variable, depending on material type, thickness, and type of laser used.  Also, with incorrect settings, lasers can cause work material to burn, though this can usually be avoided with proper use.  

While not the best choice for every project, laser cutting has many benefits on its side, allowing for quick, effective, efficient material cutting.  Laser cutting is a great choice for everything from large, standard, simple production runs to one-off complex operations. Contact a company, like J&E Metal Fabricators Inc, for more help.