Faster Cuts: Our New 10kW Laser Is Online

Every sheet metal order starts at the laser, and that laser just got a lot faster. Fabworks brought a second fiber laser online: a 10 kW TRUMPF TruLaser 5030, running alongside our original 4 kW TRUMPF TruLaser 1030. Same part sizes, same tolerances, same upload-to-quote workflow, just more cutting capacity behind it.

Why a Second Laser

One flatbed laser can only cut so many jobs at once. As order volume grows, a second machine means less time waiting in queue between upload and the part hitting the cutting bed, especially during busy weeks. The 10 kW TruLaser 5030 does not replace the 1030, it runs next to it, and jobs get routed to whichever machine gets the part cut and shipped fastest.

TruLaser 1030 vs. TruLaser 5030

Part size, minimum order quantity, and tolerance did not change between the two machines. Material thickness capability is the same for now too, though that is an area we expect to expand as we bring the new laser up to full production.

Laser Time Is Part of the Price

Cut time is one of the factors that goes into a quote, alongside material and setup, not just the part's size or footprint. Thicker material takes longer to cut, so it also costs more in machine time. Extra laser power cuts that time down, and the speed advantage of a more powerful laser is typically largest on thicker material, since thin material is usually limited by piercing and acceleration rather than by how much power is behind the beam. As more jobs run on the 10 kW laser, thicker parts are where that time savings, and the price benefit that comes with it, should show up the most.

What This Means for Your Order

• Faster turnaround on flat parts. On thicknesses both machines can cut, the 5030 runs roughly 2.5x faster than the 1030, which adds up across a shop cutting hundreds of jobs a week.
• Lower cost on thicker parts. Since cut time factors into price and the 10 kW laser's speed advantage grows with thickness, thicker parts should see the biggest price benefit as more of them run on the new machine.
• More overall shop capacity. Two lasers instead of one means less bottlenecking upstream of deburring, bending, and hole operations, so your order is less likely to sit in a queue.
• Nothing changes in your file. No kerf compensation, no new tolerance to design around, no different upload process. The routing between machines happens automatically after you place your order.

One Shop, More Capacity

The lasers are one stop in a shop that also handles deburring, bending, tapping, hardware insertion, and countersinking, all under one roof in Ventura, California. Adding a second flatbed laser is about keeping that whole pipeline moving faster as more orders come through it, not changing what you can design or how you order.

Curious what the rest of the shop looks like? Check out our factory tour, or upload a STEP file for an instant quote and see the new laser at work on your next part.