Understanding the benefits of holding tight tolerance and ISO standards

What are the benefits of holding tight tolerance when cutting parts? 

Manufacturing, especially over the past 60 years, has improved immensely when it comes to standardization and improved product quality. The ability to increase their levels of efficiency and provide higher levels of manufactured parts results in greater customer satisfaction and increased revenue. As technology moves forward, so does the need for even greater quality, efficiency, customer satisfaction and revenue. This all goes hand in hand and while many products and precision parts are made with good quality of tolerance control, others are made to much higher quality standards.  When precision laser cutting services review a new project, one of the first details they look for is the tolerance required for the designated part. Does it fall within their standard process or does the laser cut tolerances demand an increased level of accuracy?  For the end user who is requesting this higher level, the benefits not only affect the parts function, but can also add enormous value and business opportunities to the laser service provider. Benefits of holding a tight tolerance are: 

• Increased functionality of the precision part. Critical industries like medical device, aerospace, defense, energy, semiconductor, and others demand that parts manufactured will perform to their design, with no flaws. Lives can be dependent on systems operating without failure. 
• Repeatability of form and assembly. Precision parts identical in their form will function as designed and allow for replacement and repair when services are required or scheduled.  
• Mated parts reliability. During assembly of precision parts, is critical to ensure all the individual pieces will fit flawlessly and function.  
• Reduction of failure rates. Tighter laser cut tolerances give the manufacturer greater control in their process and reduces the rate of non-conforming parts and saving overall production time. 
• Increased business opportunities. Laser service providers capable of processing with tight tolerances increase their value to potential customers. Those manufacturers who invest in the certification like ISO, (International Organization of Standards), benefit by having a trained staff and adhering to standards that more and more industries require to do business with. 

Having the ability to hold a tight tolerance on a laser cut hole, for example, may be the critical geometry needed for a part or component to function properly. Industries benefit by demanding service providers adhere to these requirements to push technology forward, but also to keep public health and safety as a top priority. By using a higher laser cutting tolerance you can have confidence in parts manufactured with high reliability and increased function to keep the supply stream flowing and with new business opportunities on the horizon. 

What is the ISO standard for laser cutting tolerance? 

ISO 9013 is the standard that laser cutting tolerance falls under. Before we go into greater details of what this means, let’s familiarize ourselves with what ISO standards are. ISO is the acronym for the International Organization for Standardization. This organization has developed industry standards for manufacturing that include quality, efficiency, materials, repeatability, and processes. These sets of standards ensure that a product is made through a certified controlled process during manufacturing along with high quality levels. These standards are confirmed yearly through onsite audits, by a certified ISO representative. The benefits of becoming ISO certified are: 

• Increased customer satisfaction. 
• Improved quality and efficiency in manufacturing 
• Reduced costs. 
• Traceability. 
• Improved communication practices. 
• The work environment improved through motivation. 
• Increased business opportunities through certification. 

Regarding ISO 9013, these are guidelines pertaining to the classification of thermal cutting of materials in which the standards for laser cutting tolerance will fall under. ISO 9013 applied to materials laser cut from thicknesses of .5mm to 40mm and is listed under classification of Class 1 and Class2 and include methods such as flame cuts, plasma cuts, laser cuts and now include waterjet cuts. Since many lasers cut tolerances that are tighter than what is determined for this range of thickness of materials, manufacturers still operate under ISO guidelines to standardize their manufacturing process as described. Within ISO 9013, the following factors are part of the tolerance equation: 

• Form: The cut surface should be reasonably smooth and free from excessive irregularities. 
• Orientation: The angle between the cut surface and the original material surface should be within specified limits. 
• Location: The cut should be positioned accurately with respect to the intended shape. 
• Run-out: The deviation of the cut edge from a straight line should be minimal. 

Standard laser cutting tolerances under ISO guidelines vary greatly and are influenced by factors such as the material and thickness of and additionally regulated to the form, orientation and location of the laser cut features. A laser cut hole tolerance for example processed under ISO 9013, will have been produced with a degree of conformance and quality that certified laser manufactures follow. Consider manufacturing your next project with a certified ISO service provider.