Laser Cutting Services
Flat metal parts and panels cut from your file through specialist subcontractors, checked when they arrive, and supplied as cut or fabricated in our North Vancouver shop.
TrussMetal is a metal fabrication shop in North Vancouver that works across Metro Vancouver. This page is for contractors, designers, millwork and cabinet shops, makers and equipment owners who need cut metal parts, on their own or as part of something we build.
We don’t run a laser in our shop. Laser cutting is arranged through specialist subcontractors; the supplier, material, thickness, tolerances and schedule are confirmed for each order. Our part of the job is separate from the cutting: we review your file for cutting, order the cut, check the parts when they arrive, and then supply them or carry on with the fabrication. Welding, assembly and fitting are done in our shop; bending is also subcontracted.
What You Can Order
Cut parts only
Flat parts cut to your file and supplied as cut, for your own shop, carpenter or installer.
Cut and formed
Parts cut flat, then bent to your drawing by a bending subcontractor: brackets, angles, covers and trays.
Cut and fabricated
Cut parts welded and assembled in our shop into brackets, frames, bases and fixtures, then finished.
Pattern panels
Decorative and screen panels cut from a pattern, then framed and finished. See decorative screens for the indoor collection.
Typical parts are brackets, gussets and base plates, mounting plates and covers, panels and infills, spacers and tabs, and replacement parts that nobody sells. Single parts are fine; the price per part falls with quantity because the setup is shared.
Files and Drawings
We don’t publish thickness limits, tolerances or lead times; they depend on the material, the thickness and the supplier, and are confirmed for each order. Very small holes and narrow slots compared with the thickness are the usual problem, and we flag them when we review the file. For heavier plate where edge finish matters less, CNC plasma cutting, also subcontracted, can be the better route; we’ll say which with the quote. For thick plate, or where heat at the cut edge is a concern, see waterjet cutting.
How an Order Runs
- You send the file or drawing. With material, thickness, quantity, finish and what happens to the parts next.
- We review the file for cutting. Closed outlines, scale, holes and features that won’t cut cleanly, and anything that conflicts with bending or welding later. This is a manufacturing check, not an engineering review or approval of your design.
- You approve the quote. It covers the cutting, our handling and checks, and any forming, fabrication and finish you’ve asked for. Supplier, tolerances and date are confirmed with it.
- We order the cut. The parts are cut by the subcontractor chosen for the order.
- We check the parts when they arrive. Against the approved cut file and the dimensions you marked, before they are supplied or go into fabrication.
- Collection, delivery or fabrication. Collect from our North Vancouver shop, have them delivered where agreed in the quote, or have us carry on with the work.
Finishing and Fabrication
Cut edges can be left as cut or deburred, as agreed. Powder coating and galvanizing are carried out by specialist applicators and coordinated by us; see metal finishes. If the parts are going into a welded assembly, it’s usually simpler to have one shop responsible for the cut, the forming and the welding than to buy cut parts in one place and weld them in another. Forming is covered on metal bending, and welded work on welding services.
Who Does What
Responsibilities that affect the quote
TrussMetal: reviewing the file for cutting, ordering the cut, checking the parts on arrival, and any fabrication, welding, assembly and finishing coordination you order.
Specialist subcontractors: the laser cutting and, where ordered, the forming. The supplier is chosen for each order and isn’t named publicly.
You, or your engineer or designer: the design, the dimensions and approval of the cut file. Structural parts are made to the drawings of the project’s engineer or designer.
Related Work
Plates, brackets and small parts made to size are on custom brackets. Cut-outs and plates for electrical and control enclosures are on enclosure and panel modifications. Every service we offer is listed on metal fabrication services.
Questions
Do you have your own laser?
No. Laser cutting is arranged through specialist subcontractors; the supplier, material, thickness, tolerances and schedule are confirmed for each order.
Can I order cut parts without fabrication?
Yes. We supply them as cut, or deburred if agreed.
What thickness can you cut?
It depends on the material and the part, and is confirmed for each order. Send the file and we’ll say whether it suits laser cutting, plasma cutting or another route.
Can you cut from a sketch?
Yes. A cut file is prepared for the order and sent to you to approve before cutting.
Do you check my design?
We review the file for cutting and fabrication. That isn’t an engineering review; structural parts follow your engineer’s or designer’s drawings.
How long does it take?
The date depends on the supplier’s schedule and anything that follows the cut. We confirm it with the quote.
Do you deliver?
Parts can be collected from our North Vancouver shop or delivered where agreed in the quote.
Request a Quote
Send the file and what the parts are for.
What to include in your message
- The DXF, DWG or PDF drawing, or a sketch or photo of the old part
- Material and thickness, if you know them
- Quantity of each part
- Cut only, or bent, welded or finished as well, and the finish
- Collection or delivery, and when you need them
The form starts blank: in “What do you need?”, select Other Custom Metalwork.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (778) 805-5333, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5:00.