Cutting plastic sheets

Plastic sheets can be cut in a variety of ways, depending on the type of plastic, the thickness of the sheet, the precision required and the amount of work involved.

Here are some common methods used to cut plastic sheets:

Laser cutting: Laser cutting is a precise, clean method of cutting plastic sheets. A laser beam is directed at the plastic, melting or vaporizing it depending on the type of plastic. This method is ideal for precise cuts, complex shapes and fine contours.

CNC cutting : Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines use milling cutters or rotating blades to cut precise shapes from plastic sheets. This method is ideal for cutting custom shapes and prototypes.

Circular saw: Circular saws with special plastic blades can be used to cut plastic sheets in straight lines. This method is effective for simpler cuts and serial cutting tasks.

Jigsaw: A jigsaw with a suitable blade can be used to cut more complex shapes in plastic sheets. It allows more flexibility than a circular saw for curves and angles.

Rotary cutter: A rotary cutter, often used in crafts and manual work, can be used to cut thinner plastic sheets along predefined lines.

Shears: Hand-operated or mechanical shears can be used to cut relatively thin sheets of plastic. This method is simple and suitable for straight cuts.

Puncher: For simple, repetitive shapes, a puncher can be used to cut plastic by pressing a punch through the plate.

Heating and bending: For thinner plastic sheets, it's sometimes possible to cut them by heating and bending them using a template. This works best with thermoplastic plastics.

Whatever method you choose, it's important to take into account the specific properties of the plastic you're cutting, as some plastics can give off toxic fumes when cut by methods such as laser or milling. So make sure you work in a well-ventilated environment and take appropriate safety precautions. If you're not sure about the best method for cutting a particular type of plastic, it may be worth consulting professionals or experts in the field.

Cutting plastic sheets can be quite costly, due to the use of expensive machinery and materials that are not cheap. And it can be a good idea to keep material losses to a minimum when you need to cut regularly or cut a large number of sheets.

If you need to cut a large number of sheets, it can be useful to use cutting optimization software to save material and limit the amount of unusable off-cuts. Nesting and cutting optimization software such as OPCutting, which is quick and easy to learn and specializes in rectangular format cutting, can help you optimize your plastic sheet cutting (see this link for setting up OPCutting for plastic cutting).

Discover OPCutting, the easy way to optimize your plastic sheet cutting.

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Sheet metal cutting software

OPCutting, the software for sheet metal cutting

Optimize cuts in sheet metal or any other rectangular material.

With OPCutting, you can perform various cut optimization calculations: sheet metal cuts, bar cuts, panel cuts, fabric cuts, etc.

You can choose the cutting direction of the parts: horizontal, vertical or indifferent (the software will automatically determine the optimal part placement).

You can also set the cutting thickness (blade, laser, waterjet or plasma thickness) and create cutting lists featuring several sheet sizes and types.

The results include :

A diagram showing the cutting plan plate by plate. You can select either the diagram showing the placement of parts in the plates or the cutting lines.

The cutting list, listing all the parts to be cut from the various sheet metal plates.

Drawings of each part (with its dimensions) from the cutting plan.

Cutting optimization summary giving : Linear length of cuts, surface area used, percentage of off-cuts per plate and total, as well as the dimensions of each plate.

All elements produced after the cutting calculation can be printed out for use in the workshop (see Printing a cutting diagram section in user guide for details), or for use when drawing up quotations or invoices. The cutting list can also bes exported in text or Excel format, along with all cutting plan data for re-use in quotation/invoicing applications.

OPCutting has an integrated database for managing formats, material types and component designations for structures requiring cutting optimization.

So don't hesitate to download the free trial version.

More information on sheet metal cutting

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Sheet metal cutting

Sheet metal cutting refers to the process of cutting thin metal sheets, called sheet metal, to create specific parts of various shapes and sizes. This process is commonly used in various industries such as sheet metal, automotive parts manufacturing, aerospace, construction, etc.

There are several sheet metal cutting methods, each adapted to specific needs:

Laser cutting: Using a laser beam to cut sheet metal with great precision. This method is fast, clean and can be used to cut a variety of shapes.

Waterjet cutting: Using a high-pressure water jet combined with abrasives to cut sheet metal. This method is suitable for a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics and composites.

Plasma cutting: Using a plasma jet to cut sheet metal. This method is mainly used for conductive metals such as steel, aluminum and stainless steel.

Punch cutting: Using a press with punches and dies to punch and cut parts from sheet metal.

Shear cutting: using shears to cut sheet metal into smaller pieces.

Each cutting method has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, speed, precision and suitable material. The choice of method will depend on the type of material, sheet thickness, degree of precision required and production volumes.

Sheet metal cutting is an essential step in the manufacture of metal parts, and plays a crucial role in many industries where precision and quality are paramount.

If you have a large number of rectangular sheet metal parts to cut, it can be useful to use cutting optimization software to limit placement errors and unnecessary material waste. Software such as OPCutting is ideal for this purpose.

(see this link to OPCutting settings for sheet metal cutting).

Discover OPCutting for optimized sheet metal cutting

Download the free trial version

More information on OPCutting

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Example of layout with OPCutting

OPCutting is nesting and cutting optimization software.

This software enables you to calculate the number of panels required to obtain a given number of rectangular-shaped parts.

It generates cutting diagrams by laying out the parts inside the panels, i.e. by optimizing the placement of these parts inside the panels so as to limit unusable off-cuts and the number of panels required. These diagrams show, panel by panel, the position of the parts (or cutting lines if desired) to optimize cutting. 

You can download the free trial version by clicking on the button below:

Download the free trial version

Let's imagine you've got a piece of furniture made of melamine or panels with special patterns to create. For our example, you'll give your piece of furniture the following dimensions: 1300 x 1100 x 750 mm. This piece of furniture will be partly made of okoumé plywood panels and partly of white melamine panels. Here's how to make the layout with OPCutting software.

After launching the software, click on the blank page button or select the "File/New" menu.

This takes you to the "Cutting optimization type selection" window, where you can choose between simple and complex cutting optimization (see Selection of cutting optimization type section in user guide for details). For this example, you need to be in "complex cutting optimization" mode. Once you've selected this option, click on the "OK" button.

This takes you to the "Panel selection" window, where you can enter panel dimensions, materials and pattern directions (see Selection of panels used section in user guide for details). For this example, give them the following dimensions and materials:

Designation		Material		Length		Width		Thickness		Grain direction
Panel 1		Okoumé plywood		3500 mm		1800 mm		15 mm		Horizontal
Panel 2		White melamine		2500 mm		1250 mm		19 mm		Unspecified

Once these panel formats have been entered, click on the "Finish" button.

This takes you to the "Part selection" window, where you can enter part numbers, part names, dimensions, etc., as well as quantities (see Creation of the parts to be cut section in user guide for details). For this example, let's give the following values:

Designation		Material		Length		Width		Thickness		Grain direction
Part 1		Okoumé plywood		1300 mm		750 mm		15 mm		Horizontal	4
Part 2		Okoumé plywood		1100 mm		120 mm		15 mm		Horizontal	3
Part 3		White melamine		700 mm		300 mm		19 mm		Unspecified	9

Once you've entered these part formats, click on the "Finish" button.

This takes you to the "Cutting thickness and Cutting thickness" window, where you can enter a value to be added to the dimensions of each part for refreshing, as well as the width of the saw blade (see Determination of the band for edges and cutting thickness section in user guide for details). For this example, let's give the following values:

Band for edge: 10 mm

Cutting thickness: 3 mm

Once this information has been entered, click on the "OK" button.

Once all the necessary layout information has been entered, the software displays the result in the main window. You can print out the result, or switch to another view to see only the cutting lines, or to view the individual parts or the cut sheet (the print button allows you to print out the contents of the selected view).

In conclusion, the use of OPCutting cutting optimization software offers an efficient and accurate layout solution, enabling optimum material management and a significant reduction in waste. Thanks to its advanced functionalities and its ability to take various parameters into account, OPCutting simplifies the process of designing a layout for cutting, while guaranteeing optimum results in terms of yield and costs. By integrating this application into manufacturing processes, companies can improve productivity, reduce waste and increase their competitiveness in the marketplace.

Other Internet links on OPCutting or on layout:

Software details

Detailed description and purchase

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