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Turnaround intent
We nest and cut in-house. Tell us your deadline when you send the drawing — we will say what is realistic.
Contract laser cutting · Cape Town
Clean plate and sheet, cut to your drawing
We cut for our own jobs and for other workshops that need clean plate and sheet without buying a laser. Family-run shop in Blackheath — Baison EC3 3 kW on a 3000 × 1500 mm bed.
3 kWFiber · Raycus
3000 × 1500Working bed (mm)
MS to 16 mmOxygen · heavy plate
SS to 8 mmAir / N₂
Al to 5 mmAir / N₂
Materials & thickness
Workshop cutting guide for our Baison EC3. Edge quality depends on material grade, nest layout and assist gas — send a drawing and we will confirm before we cut.
Bed / working area: 3000 × 1500 mm
| Material | Assist | Thickness range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild steel | Air | 0.5–3 mm | Faster sheet work |
| Mild steel Heavy | Oxygen | 0.5–16 mm | Heavy plate for this class |
| Stainless | Air / N₂ | 0.5–8 mm | Clean edge intent |
| Aluminium | Air / N₂ | 0.5–5 mm | Confirm alloy on quote |
Machine class (public Baison EC3): positioning typically around ±0.05 mm/m, repeatability around ±0.03 mm. That is machine capability — not a guaranteed part tolerance on every job. Tight fits get checked when we quote.
Also in the cell: industrial chiller, extractor, ceramic-covered collection trays, 50 kVA voltage regulator, and a dedicated screw compressor / dryer / filter for air cutting.
Why send work here
Same team that builds extraction plant — we know how plate is used after the cut.
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Cut quality
Clean edges for brackets, panels and plate that still has to bend or weld. Thick mild steel is a real strength of this setup.
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Family workshop
Cape Town family business in Blackheath / Saxenburg Park 2. You talk to the people who run the machine.
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We use it too
Parts for our own dust and fume systems come off the same bed — so we care about nests that actually fit and assemble.
In the workshop
Sparks, nests and the bed in Blackheath — short clips first, then a longer look at a full cut sequence.
Our Baison EC3 at work — sparks, nest and cut edges.
A longer look at the cut
Same machine, more of the nest and sequence — so you can see how a job actually moves on the bed.
Longer workshop clip — full nest in Blackheath.
Ideal jobs
One-offs, prototypes and production nests for fabricators short on laser capacity.
Brackets & platesMounting plates, flanges, base plates, guillotine alternatives.
Panels & enclosuresFlat patterns for cabinets, covers and machine guards.
PrototypesFirst-off parts while you prove a design.
Production nestsRepeat batches when your own laser is booked out.
Extraction fabricationDuct, hopper and frame flats — the work we know well.
Mixed sheet packsMild steel, stainless and aluminium on the same bed size.
How to order
Simple loop: send the drawing, we nest and quote, we cut, you collect or we deliver in the Western Cape.
- Send DXF / DWGPDF as a picture helps. Include material, thickness and quantity.
- We nest & quoteWe check the bed, gas and edge — then reply with a clear yes/no and price for that job.
- We cutParts come off our Blackheath laser, same team as our fabrication shop.
- Collect / deliverPickup at Saxenburg Park 2, or Western Cape delivery by arrangement.
Useful to include: any bend lines, welding after the cut, grain direction, and whether you supply sheet or we buy material.
Laser quote form
Fields marked * are required. Submissions go to cnc@cjdust.com (Cc: cecil@ and admin@).
Frequently asked questions
What laser do you run?
A Baison EC3 3 kW fiber laser (Raycus source) with a 3000 × 1500 mm bed in our Blackheath workshop, Saxenburg Park 2. Control is Bochu FSCUT4000E with a Boci BLT421 cutting head — both 6 kW-ready hardware on this install.
What thicknesses can you cut?
As a guide: mild steel 0.5–3 mm with air and 0.5–16 mm with oxygen; stainless 0.5–8 mm; aluminium 0.5–5 mm. Exact edge quality depends on grade, nest and gas — send the drawing and we will confirm.
Do you take contract / jobbing laser work?
Yes. We cut for our own fabrication and extraction jobs, and we take cutting work for other manufacturers and fabricators around the Western Cape.
What files do you need?
DXF or DWG is best, plus material, thickness, quantity and whether anything gets bent or welded after. Use the form above or email cnc@, cecil@ and admin@.
How accurate is the machine?
Public Baison EC3 class figures are typically around ±0.05 mm/m positioning and ±0.03 mm repeatability. That is machine capability class — not a guaranteed tolerance on every finished part. Tight fits are confirmed on the quote.
Where do I collect?
Our workshop at C/O Zinfandel & Buketraube Cres, Saxenburg Park 2, Blackheath, Cape Town, 7580 — or Western Cape delivery by arrangement. Call 087 809 4515.
Ready to cut?
Send a drawing. We will tell you if we can cut it, roughly how soon, and what that job costs — no fluff.