Mid-Atlantic Rubber Inc

Laser & Tube Cutting Services

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Laser & Tube Cutting Services

Our Equipment

MAR’s laser cutting department runs two dedicated systems designed to cover both flat and tubular work:

Flat Sheet Laser

  • Power: 12,000 kW fiber laser
  • Table Size: 5’ x 10’ cutting bed
  • Materials: Mild steel, stainless, aluminum, brass, copper
  • Thickness: Up to 1” mild steel, 0.75” stainless, 0.5” aluminum
  • Best For: Flat profiles, panels, brackets, plates, detailed cutouts, nested production runs

Tube Laser

  • Capacity: Tubing up to 20’ long
  • Diameter: Up to 9” across
  • Profiles: Round, square, rectangular, C-channel, L-angle
  • Features: Holes, slots, notches, copes, miters, and complex cutouts directly on tube
  • Best For: Structural frames, roll cages, handrails, furniture, industrial racks, architectural work

Having both flat and tube laser capability means we can produce complete fabrication packages. Need laser-cut mounting plates welded to tube-cut frame members? It all happens here.

Laser & Tube Cutting Services

Why Choose Laser Cutting?

Laser cutting excels when you need speed, edge quality, and precision on metal sheet and tube. Here’s why it’s the right choice for many fabrication projects:

Speed

Fiber lasers cut thin to mid-range metals significantly faster than plasma, water jet, or mechanical cutting. That translates directly to shorter lead times and lower per-part costs on production runs.

Precision

Laser cutting holds tolerances of ±0.005” or better on flat sheet, with minimal kerf width. Fine details, tight inside corners, and small features are all handled cleanly.

Edge Quality

The laser produces a smooth, oxide-free edge on most materials. Many parts come off the table ready for welding, bending, or finishing with no secondary deburring required.

Minimal Waste

Tight nesting software arranges parts efficiently on the sheet, maximizing material usage and reducing scrap. This is especially valuable on expensive alloys and stainless.

Tube Versatility

Our tube laser cuts features directly into structural tubing that would otherwise require multiple manual operations: drilling, notching, coping, and mitering. One machine replaces several.

No Tooling

Like water jet, laser cutting requires no dies or molds. Parts are programmed from your CAD file and cut directly. Design changes are a file update, not a retooling project.
Laser & Tube Cutting Services

Laser Cutting vs. Water Jet: When to Use Which

MAR offers both laser and water jet cutting in-house, so we can recommend the best process for your specific project. Here’s a quick guide:

Choose Laser When

You’re cutting sheet metal (mild steel, stainless, aluminum) up to about 1” thick and need fast turnaround, clean edges, and efficient production nesting. Laser is also the only option for cutting features into structural tubing.

Choose Water Jet When

You’re cutting thicker materials (up to 8”), non-metals like rubber, foam, or composites, or heat-sensitive metals where a zero heat-affected zone is critical.

Use Both When

Your project includes a mix of components. For example, laser-cut steel brackets paired with water jet-cut gaskets and seals. We produce both in the same facility and ship them together.
Not sure which process fits your job? Send us the drawing and we’ll recommend the best approach. There’s no charge for that conversation.
Laser & Tube Cutting Services

Common Applications

Our laser and tube cutting services produce parts and assemblies used across a wide range of applications:

Flat Sheet Applications

  • Mounting plates & brackets
  • Enclosure panels & covers
  • Shim plates & spacers
  • Decorative screens & signage
  • Flanges & base plates
  • Electrical panel blanks
  • Heat shields & baffles

Tube Cutting Applications

  • Structural frames & cages
  • Handrails & guardrails
  • Roll cages & protective structures
  • Furniture frames & fixtures
  • Industrial racks & supports
  • Architectural tube features
  • Exhaust & ductwork components
Laser & Tube Cutting Services

Materials We Cut

Our fiber laser handles a range of metals commonly used in fabrication and manufacturing:

Mild Steel / Carbon Steel

Up to 1” thick. The workhorse for structural, industrial, and general fabrication work.

Stainless Steel (304, 316, etc.)

Up to 0.75” thick. Clean cuts with minimal heat discoloration for food-grade, medical, and architectural applications.

Aluminum (6061, 5052, etc.)

Up to 0.5” thick. Lightweight components for aerospace, transportation, and electronics enclosures.

Brass & Copper

Thinner gauges for electrical components, decorative work, and specialty hardware.

Galvanized Steel

For HVAC, construction, and outdoor applications requiring corrosion resistance.

For thicker materials or non-metals, our water jet picks up where the laser leaves off. Between the two systems, we cover virtually any material a fabrication project might require.

Laser & Tube Cutting Services

Industries We Serve

Our laser and tube cutting services support manufacturers and fabricators across industries where precision metal work is essential:

  • Military & Defense
  • Aerospace & Aviation
  • Industrial Manufacturing & Automation
  • Architecture & Construction
  • Automotive & Motorsports
  • HVAC & Mechanical Systems
  • Furniture & Fixture Manufacturing
  • Energy & Power Generation
  • Marine & Shipbuilding
  • Signage & Display

Case Study

Laser-Cut Frames and Tube Assemblies for an Industrial Equipment Builder

Client Name

Ironclad Systems, LLC

Industry

Industrial Equipment Manufacturing

Location

Stafford, VA

Laser & Tube Cutting Services

The Challenge

Ironclad Systems designs and builds custom material handling equipment for warehouse and logistics operations. Their product line includes conveyor support structures, sorting station frames, and protective equipment enclosures, all built primarily from steel tubing and sheet metal. Each unit is configured to the customer’s floor layout, which means very few designs repeat exactly.

Ironclad’s fabrication process was manual and time-intensive. Their shop crew was hand-cutting tube stock with band saws, then manually drilling, notching, and coping each piece before welding. Flat sheet components were outsourced to a plasma cutting service with a five-day turnaround. The manual tube work was the biggest bottleneck. Coping round and square tube joints by hand consumed hours of skilled labor per frame and still produced inconsistent fit-up at the weld joints. On a typical conveyor support frame, their welders spent nearly as much time grinding and adjusting poorly fitting joints as they did welding.

Ironclad’s owner knew they were leaving money on the table. Every hour spent grinding was an hour not building. He needed a cutting partner who could deliver ready-to-weld tube components with precise joint geometry, and ideally handle the flat sheet work too.

Laser & Tube Cutting Services

The MAR Solution

Ironclad brought MAR a set of their most common frame designs and asked what we could do. After reviewing the drawings, our team proposed a two-part program using both our tube laser and flat sheet laser:

Tube laser cutting

All structural tube members were laser cut to finished length with copes, miters, notches, and mounting holes programmed directly into the cut file. When the tubes arrived at Ironclad’s shop, they were ready to tack and weld with no manual fitting required.

Flat sheet laser cutting

Base plates, mounting brackets, gussets, and panel blanks were nested and laser cut from mild steel sheet. Clean edges. Precise bolt hole patterns. No deburring needed on most parts.

Design file flexibility

Since every Ironclad unit is custom-configured, we set up a streamlined process where their design team exports DXF files from SolidWorks and sends them directly to our programming team. New designs get quoted and scheduled within 24 hours.

Kitted deliveries

Each frame order shipped as a complete kit: all tube components and flat parts labeled, sorted, and packaged by assembly. Ironclad’s welders could pull a kit, lay it out, and start building immediately.

We cut and shipped the first set of kits within one week of receiving the files. Ironclad’s lead welder reported that the first frame went together in less than half the time of a manually prepared frame.

Laser & Tube Cutting Services

The Results

Over the first six months of working with MAR, Ironclad tracked measurable gains across their production operation:

55% Faster

frame assembly time vs. manual prep

Grinding Eliminated

on laser-cut tube joints

30% More Frames

shipped per month with same crew

The production gains were significant, but Ironclad’s owner pointed to an unexpected benefit: the precision of the laser-cut joints produced stronger, more consistent welds. Their weld quality improved because the fit-up was better, which reduced rework and gave them more confidence in the structural integrity of every unit they shipped.

Ironclad has since expanded their work with MAR to include laser-cut stainless steel components for food-grade conveyor systems, a new product line they were able to pursue partly because they now had a cutting partner who could handle the material.

“Our welders used to spend half their day grinding tube joints that didn’t fit. Now they pull a kit from MAR and start welding. The joints fit perfectly, the welds are cleaner, and we’re building 30% more frames with the same team. That’s the kind of improvement that changes your business.”

Tom Garland,

Owner, Ironclad Systems, LLC

our process

Our Process: From Design File to Cut Parts

Getting laser-cut parts from MAR is fast and straightforward:

Send Your Files

Share DXF, DWG, STEP, or SolidWorks files along with material specs, quantities, and any tolerance or finish requirements. For tube work, include tube profile, wall thickness, and joint geometry details.

Quoting & Programming

We review your files, recommend the best cutting approach (laser, tube laser, or water jet), and provide a detailed quote. Most quotes are returned within 24 hours.

Cutting

Parts are nested for maximum material efficiency and cut on the appropriate machine. Tube components are cut with all holes, slots, copes, and miters programmed in.

Inspection & Delivery

Every part is inspected before packaging. Kitted, labeled, and sorted deliveries are available for multi-component orders.

Ready to Solve Your Gasket Challenge?

Send us your drawing or specs and get a no-obligation quote.

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