On a technical enquiry, one very practical question usually comes first: can you make this part at this size, in this thickness, in this geometry? This page sets out the key dimensions and limits of our sheet metal work at a glance.
That said, machine figures alone do not decide manufacturability. Material, geometry, contours, bend radii, tolerances and the operations that follow can all affect what is actually possible.
We therefore treat the figures below as a guide – not as a substitute for reviewing your drawing.
In our segregated shop, stainlesstec works stainless steel and aluminium sheet with no contact with other types of steel.
Material
Sheet size
Thickness
Surfaces available
Stainless steel
up to 2,000 × 4,000 mm
0.5–20 mm
filmed, ground to grit 400, wet ground to grit 320
Aluminium
up to 2,000 × 4,000 mm
1–12 mm
mill finish, anodised, filmed, ground
Other metals and special stainless grades can be worked on a project basis – there, the sizes available and the suitable processes depend more heavily on the particular material and design, so each case is assessed individually.
Our main manufacturing limits
Process
Capability
Laser cutting
up to 1,500 × 3,000 mm, up to 20 mm thick
Laser punching
up to 1,500 × 3,000 mm, up to 8 mm
Thread forming
M3 to M8
CNC bending
up to 3,000 mm wide, up to 15 mm thick
Levelling
up to 1,500 mm wide, up to 12 mm thick
Roll bending
up to 2,000 mm wide, up to 6 mm thick
Section bending
flat, angle, T, U and I sections and tube; R min. 150–500 mm depending on section
3D laser welding
CNC-controlled, 8 axes
Longitudinal seam welding
up to 2,500 mm long
Grinding
to grit 400
Part finishing
up to 3,000 mm long
Industrial grinding
up to 1,500 mm wide
These figures are based on stainlesstec’s currently published capability data.
Laser cutting – up to 1,500 × 3,000 mm and 20 mm thick
A TruLaser 3030 is among the machines available for precise cutting. stainlesstec states sheet sizes up to 1,500 × 3,000 mm and thicknesses up to 20 mm for laser cutting – in stainless steel the machine can cut contours precisely up to 20 mm.
What can actually be cut, though, depends on more than the thickness: very narrow webs, tight internal contours, hole diameters, high demands on cut faces, or an unusual ratio between contour size and thickness can all be decisive. We therefore review demanding geometries from the original data.
Laser punching – up to 1,500 × 3,000 mm and 8 mm thick
The TruMatic 7000 combines laser work and punching in one machine. Besides contours and hole patterns, it can put features straight into the sheet – threads, extruded holes, embossing, louvres or swages, for instance.
Steel, stainless steel and aluminium are currently worked up to 8 mm thick in sizes up to 1,500 × 3,000 mm. Threads can be formed from M3 to M8, and the published machine data give hole patterns from 0.8 mm.
On small runs in particular, that can yield a part which, straight after cutting, already carries several later operations.
stainlesstec can currently CNC-bend sheet up to 3,000 mm wide and 15 mm thick. Those figures describe the outer machine envelope only.
Whether a given part can actually be bent that way also depends on flange length, tool access, bend radius, material grade and the order of several bends. On complex parts, then, manufacturability cannot be inferred from thickness and overall size alone.
Here one drawing says more than ten table entries.
Punching, laser cutting, forming and welding can all put stress into a part. A levelling machine is therefore available for parts up to 1,500 mm wide and 12 mm thick.
Levelling is not a repair after the event: it can be planned deliberately into the process. On heavily perforated, large-area or heavily welded parts in particular, it can be decisive in reaching the flatness required at the end.
Roll and section bending
For cylindrical and curved sheet metal structures, stainlesstec can currently roll bend up to 2,000 mm wide and 6 mm thick. A CNC-controlled Arkus12 section bender is also available for bending stainless steel and aluminium sections precisely.
Applications range from vessel shells and rings to bent sections and bespoke special geometries. Here too it is the combination of cross-section, radius, material and part length that decides what is actually feasible.
Several welding processes are available for different kinds of structure:
TIG and MIG welding with back purging · CNC-controlled 3D laser welding with eight axes · mechanised longitudinal seam welding up to 2,500 mm
A general “maximum part size” would say little here. In welding it is geometry, accessibility, material, wall thickness, joint type, clamping and the requirements on distortion and surface that decide which process can be used. The weldability of complex structures is therefore always judged on the actual part.
stainlesstec produces grinding patterns by hand or by machine to grit 400. Part finishing is currently stated up to 3,000 mm long, industrial grinding up to 1,500 mm wide.
For high-grade visible or functional surfaces, what actually applies should be defined as early as possible alongside the geometry:
Grit · grinding direction · visible face · roughness value · protective film · post-treatment
Here too, the size of the part is only part of the specification.
A part 3,000 mm long may be straightforward to make. Another with the same overall dimensions may not. The difference can lie in a single inboard bend, a very small radius, a weld that is hard to reach, or an unusually tight flatness tolerance. We therefore distinguish between:
Machine limit
What the machine can take in principle.
Part limit
What can reliably be made with the actual geometry and quality requirement.
For us the second limit is the more important one.
Several processes shift the limits
This matters most on complete assemblies. A part may sit comfortably within every laser and bending limit. After welding, though, it may have to be levelled or ground – and those have limits of their own.
stainlesstec therefore does not plan more complex parts machine by machine. We look at the whole chain:
That makes it possible to see, before production starts, where the limit that really matters lies.
Borderline cases are worth asking about
Where a design sits close to a published machine figure, it should not be ruled out too quickly. It may be possible to:
divide the part differently
change the production sequence
use an alternative process
adjust a small design detail
Our production planning team can assess options like these together with the shop floor.
We would rather say “yes” or “no” after reviewing the part than from a table alone.
What we need for a sound review
Most helpful are STEP or DXF data together with a technical drawing, the material and thickness, the quantity, the critical tolerances, the surface requirements and any welding or test requirements.
With those we can establish not just whether the part fits a machine, but whether the whole production sequence can sensibly be carried out.
Is your part at the limit? Then we would rather look at the design than the number.
Send us the CAD data and the technical requirements. Our production planning team will assess which processes are suitable, where the technical limits lie and whether an adapted manufacturing strategy can produce an economical answer.
Let’s talk about your project.
Send us your drawing or CAD data by email – together with material, batch size and your requirements. We will come back to you with a sound assessment.
