Nevatronix Laser cuts copper — the metal of busbars, shields, and heat spreaders — up to 2 mm on a 3 kW fiber source. Copper is the hardest common metal to laser cut, full stop: it is the most reflective and the most thermally conductive material a shop is routinely asked to process. That it cuts at all is a property of the fiber laser, and it cuts precisely at the thin gauges copper is actually specified in.
Specifications
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Alloys | C110 ETP, C101 / C102 OFHC |
| Thickness range | 0.5 – 2 mm |
| Cut tolerance | ±0.05 mm (±0.002 in) |
| Repeatability | ±0.025 mm |
| Edge quality | ISO 9013 range 2 |
| Max sheet size | 1500 × 3000 mm (60 × 120 in) |
| Assist gas | Nitrogen |
How copper behaves under a fiber laser
Copper pushes two properties to their extreme. It is the most reflective common metal, bouncing the majority of an incoming beam away rather than absorbing it, and it has the highest thermal conductivity, carrying heat out of the cut zone faster than the beam can build it. Both work against a laser. A CO2 source at 10.6 microns essentially cannot cut copper; the shorter 1.06-micron fiber wavelength couples into it far more efficiently, which is the entire reason a fiber laser can process copper where older machines could not — the same wavelength physics we lay out in fiber vs CO2 laser cutting.
Because copper can reflect the beam directly back toward the laser source, the cutting head carries back-reflection protection. That is what makes copper a production material on a modern fiber cell rather than something a shop declines. We cut it with nitrogen for a clean edge and cap it at 2 mm — the honest ceiling where reflectivity and conductivity still allow a good cut. Above that, waterjet, stamping, or machining is the better process, and we will say so.
Two practical notes round out a copper part. Copper work-hardens and is supplied in tempers from soft annealed to half-hard; annealed stock lies flatter for nesting and handles gently, while a harder temper holds its shape better in a finished conductor — tell us the temper the part needs. And because bare copper tarnishes and oxidizes in service, many finished parts are tin- or nickel-plated for solderability and corrosion resistance, a plating step we manage as part of the program rather than leaving to chance.
Applications by industry
Copper is cut for conductivity, electrical and thermal. In electronics and data center hardware it is busbars, power distribution links, grounding straps, EMI and RF shielding, and heat spreaders that move thermal load off components. In financial technology it is bonding jumpers and shielding inside kiosks and cash-handling equipment. In smart automation it is contacts and connection hardware. What these share is a demand for tight, repeatable holes and profiles that register against mating hardware — which is exactly what a laser holds better than a punch or a saw.
Design tips for copper laser-cut parts
- Design at or under 2 mm. Keep copper parts within the fiber envelope; size conductors by cross-section rather than reaching for thick stock.
- Tolerance the connection points. Call out the bolt-pattern and terminal holes that matter; we hold ±0.05 mm where it counts and document it.
- Choose the alloy for the job. C110 ETP for general conductivity; oxygen-free C101/C102 where the application demands it.
- Protect the surface. Copper oxidizes and marks easily; specify any protective film, cleaning, or plating so the finished conductor arrives right.
When another process fits better
- Thick copper. Above 2 mm, waterjet or machining outperforms a reflective laser cut.
- Weight- or cost-driven conductors. Where the conductor can be sized up, aluminum is lighter and cheaper.
- Decorative copper-alloy parts. For a gold tone and better machinability, brass is often the intended metal.
- Structural parts. Copper is soft and expensive for load-bearing work — steel is the right call.
Quoting a copper part
Send a DXF or STEP with the alloy, thickness, and quantity to our quote page, and flag the critical connection dimensions. We confirm the cut sits within the 2 mm copper envelope and quote from a single prototype to a production run out of our ISO 9001:2015 shop in Las Vegas.