What is a laser-cut blank?
Related Terms
Metal Blank
A metal blank is a flat piece of metal cut to a specific size or shape, ready to be formed, stamped, machined, or processed further. It's the starting material before a part is finished.
Laser Cutting
Laser cutting uses a focused, high-powered laser beam to cut metal with extreme precision. Fiber lasers are the current standard for cutting steel, aluminum, and stainless with tight tolerances and clean edges.
Nest Blank
A nest blank is a blank cut from a sheet using an optimized nesting layout, where multiple part shapes are arranged to minimize scrap. Common in laser and plasma cutting shops.
Disc Blank
A disc blank is a circular metal blank cut from sheet or plate. Disc blanks are used for wheels, flanges, signs, jewelry, and laser-engraved custom pieces.
Plate vs Sheet
Plate is metal thicker than 3/16 inch (4.76mm); sheet is thinner. Plate is used for structural and heavy fabrication work; sheet is used for stamping, forming, and laser cutting.