High-precision sheet metal laser cutting with no tooling costs

Laser cutting turns a metal sheet into the part on the drawing. A highly concentrated beam of light melts the metal and follows the outer contour, the internal holes and every detail of the design in a single operation, without contact and without dedicated tooling.

At Catà Germans we cut with a TRUMPF fibre laser and a CO₂ laser, and we have worked with laser cutting technology since 2000.

The service is not just running the machine: our engineering office reviews the drawing before anything is made and prepares production from CAD/CAM.

• Review of the drawing and a check that the part can be made as designed
• Calculation of flat patterns when the part has to be bent
• Preparation and programming of the cut, optimising material use
• Inspection of the part, packing and dispatch
• The option to add bending, machining, tapping, welding, marking or finishing

If we see an alternative that makes the part cheaper or better, we suggest it before manufacturing starts.

From a drawing or a CAD file we can cut a wide range of flat parts:

• Custom flat parts for metal assemblies
• Frames, brackets, flanges and plates
• Panels, covers and housings with defined holes and cut-outs
• Blanks that are later bent, welded or machined
• Replacements and spare parts for existing components
• Prototypes to validate a design before committing to a production run

Yes, that is the usual way we work. We accept PDF, DXF, DWG, STEP/STP, STL, IGS/IGES and also PNG or JPG images, and if you do not have a final drawing yet you can send us a dimensioned sketch.

Our engineering office reviews it and, if the part includes bends, calculates the flat patterns so the finished dimensions match the drawing.

Send your drawing and request a quote

No. Laser cutting works straight from the file, so there is no tooling or die cost and no wait while it is made. That is what makes it suitable for a one-off part as well as for a production run.

It is a flexible process that suits manufacturing to drawing:

• A design change is a file change, not a new tool
• The same part can be repeated across runs and recurring orders
• Contour, holes and internal details are cut in a single operation
• The part comes out ready for bending, welding or assembly
• Nesting the parts on the sheet helps make the most of the material

We work in metal: carbon steel (polished, DE, S235, ST52/S355, Corten and strip), galvanised steel, stainless steel, aluminium, brass and copper.

The table on this page lists every grade we hold and the thicknesses we usually work in each one.

From 0.5 mm to 25 mm, depending on the material: each grade has its own range, which you can check in the materials table on this page. The thickest in the list is hot-rolled stainless steel.

If you need a thickness that is not listed, ask us before ruling it out.

We also laser cut tube and profile

Yes. We work in stainless 304, 316, 310 and 430, in several finishes: polished, brushed, ground, hot rolled, chequer plate and 2B.

The finish is part of the order, so state it in your quote request and we will allow for it.

Yes. In aluminium we work 1050, 5754 and chequer plate, and we also cut brass and copper. The thicknesses available in each grade are in the materials table.

We keep our own stock of raw material in the most common grades and thicknesses, which lets us respond faster and handle recurring orders.

If your project needs a particular material or finish, tell us in your request and we will confirm availability.

Yes. Because no tooling has to be made, a one-off part or a prototype is perfectly viable. It is a common way to validate a design before committing to a production run.

Yes. We work on one-off parts, prototypes, small, medium and large runs, and recurring manufacturing. Our own warehouse helps us handle repeat orders more quickly.

If you expect to repeat the order, say so: it helps us plan material and production.

Yes. The laser follows the programmed contour, so a complicated geometry does not make the tooling more expensive: curves, angles, cut-outs and internal holes are all cut in the same pass.

For very small holes or very fine detail, what is achievable depends on the thickness and the material; our engineering office checks it and confirms it with the quote.

Yes. We make replacements and spares from a drawing, a dimensioned sketch or the sample part. If you have no technical documentation, tell us what the part does and where it fits.

As a guide, we work to tolerances of approximately 0.1 to 0.2 mm. These are indicative values: the actual tolerance can vary with the material, the thickness, the geometry and the size of the part.

If the drawing has critical dimensions, mark them in your request and we will confirm what is achievable along with the quote.

Laser cutting gives a clean, repeatable edge, ready for the next step. Depending on the material and the thickness, a slight edge or burr can remain.

Where the part calls for it, we deal with that in-house through finishing processes such as vibratory deburring or polishing. Tell us what finish the part needs and we will look at it.

Vibratory deburring of parts

Yes. We prepare the cut with the next process in mind: if the part has to be bent, the engineering office calculates the flat pattern before cutting so the finished dimensions match the drawing.

How we work with CNC bending

Yes. Before dispatch each part is inspected and packed according to the geometry, volume and finish of the assembly.

Yes. Cutting, forming, machining, welding and finishing all happen in the same plant, and the finishes carried out by specialist workshops, such as painting or galvanising, are coordinated by us.

You place a single order and receive the part ready to fit, palletised and protected, delivered by our own fleet.

Transport and delivery with our own fleet

We accept PDF, DXF, DWG, STEP/STP, STL, IGS/IGES and also PNG or JPG images. If you do not have a final drawing yet, send us a dimensioned sketch and we will review it all the same.

We handle one-off parts and prototypes as well as small, medium and large batches and repeat production. You can specify this in the quote request.

We send the technical response as soon as possible once we have the drawing and the part details.

You can include them in the order. These finishes are carried out with specialist workshops we work with regularly, but we handle the coordination and the transport: you place a single order and receive the finished part.

Yes — that is the normal way we work. A part can go through laser cutting, bending, welding and finishing inside the same plant, under a single order and a single point of contact.