Subcontracting
Subcontract production, from cutting to finishing
COOLASER, a laser workshop in Italy, in Gaeta (LT), offers subcontract production of custom parts and small batches, with complete processing from cutting to finishing: laser cutting, bending, welding, blasting, finishing and marking in the same workshop. For companies, craftspeople, professionals and resellers, throughout Italy and abroad with shipping; quotes through the custom request.
What subcontract production is and when it is needed
Subcontract production is the manufacture of parts or products on behalf of a company, a craftsperson or a professional, to their drawing and specifications. It is needed when a process is not done in-house, when a part requires several stages across cutting, bending, welding and finishing, or when a short run does not justify dedicated moulds and tooling.
Custom subcontract production
COOLASER's custom subcontract production starts from the customer's drawing, from a sample or from measurements and a description. Components, brackets, panels, housings, plates and finished items are produced, in metal or in non-metallic materials. The material can be supplied by COOLASER, or the customer ships it to the workshop.
Small batches, one-time or repeat
Small batches are runs of identical parts, or parts with variable data, too few to justify a mould. The laser works straight from the file, without moulds or cutting dies: the first part and the last come from the same drawing. Batches can be one-time or repeat, and each part can carry different data, such as serial numbers or QR codes. Before the batch, a sample part is normally produced for the customer to approve; if the part is new, the starting point is a prototype through CAD design and prototyping.
Complete processing from cutting to finishing
Complete processing from cutting to finishing brings all the stages of a part together in a single workshop, with a single point of contact.
Laser cutting
Metal sheets are cut with metal laser cutting; wood, acrylic (Plexiglas), leather and other non-metallic materials with COâ‚‚ laser cutting.
Bending
The cut sheet is bent at the workshop into brackets, housings and profiles, with sheet metal bending.
Laser welding
The parts are joined with laser welding, including on thin sheet metal.
Blasting and finishing
The part is completed with deburring, bead blasting with glass beads, sanding, mirror polishing, vibratory tumbling or ultrasonic cleaning: the metal finishing services.
Marking
Logos, text, serial and batch numbers, QR codes and DataMatrix codes are marked with four laser sources: COâ‚‚, diode, fibre (including MOPA) and UV. Codes have a dedicated page: serial numbers, QR and DataMatrix.
Materials
Subcontract production works with metals and non-metallic materials:
- Metals: mainly 304 and 316 stainless steel and aluminium, then brass and titanium.
- Wood: solid wood, plywood, MDF.
- Plastics: Plexiglas (PMMA) and other acrylic sheet; other plastics are assessed case by case.
- Other materials: leather, cardboard, fabric and felt, cork.
Sizes and limits
The table summarises quantities, process limits, lead times and delivery for subcontract production.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Quantity | from a one-off piece to a small batch, one-time or repeat runs |
| Cutting and marking area | metal cutting up to 610 × 610 mm (longer parts, up to 610 mm wide, are cut in sections); cutting and engraving of wood, acrylic and other non-metals up to 915 × 458 mm; marking on metals and plastics up to 220 × 220 mm (200 × 200 mm with the UV laser) |
| Metal cutting thicknesses | burr-free edge up to 5 mm for 304 and 316 stainless steel and for titanium, 4 mm for aluminium and 3 mm for brass; greater thicknesses, up to 10 mm for stainless steel, 7 mm for aluminium and 4 mm for brass, to be assessed on the part |
| Non-metal cutting thicknesses | as a guide, solid wood and plywood up to 20 mm, acrylic up to 25 mm; other materials are tested on the material itself |
| Bending | up to 1220 mm in length and 1.5 mm in thickness, on stainless steel and aluminium, with bends up to 135° |
| Blasting | cabinet with internal dimensions of 94.5 × 60.5 × 60.5 cm, in which the part must fit with room around it for working and be handled by hand |
| Material | supplied by COOLASER or by the customer |
| Lead time | standard, urgent or by a set date |
| Delivery | shipping throughout Italy and abroad or, on request, collection from the workshop |
How it works
Subcontract production is ordered in four steps.
- Request. Files, measurements or a description, quantities and the processes wanted are sent through the custom request.
- Quote and sample. The workshop assesses the production cycle and prepares the quote; before the batch, a sample part is normally produced for approval. The sample run, usually 1 to 3 parts, involves a small fee that is deducted from the production that follows, except for any shipping costs incurred.
- Production. Cutting, bending, welding, finishing and marking take place in the same workshop: the parts are made in Italy, in the COOLASER workshop.
- Delivery. Shipping throughout Italy and abroad or, on request, collection from the workshop.
What to prepare
The quote for subcontract production starts from the drawing or the measurements of the part:
- Drawings or 3D models (DXF, DWG, STEP, STL, OBJ, 3MF), or PDFs and images with dimensions.
- Material, thickness, quantity, and the finishing and marking wanted.
- Up to 10 files, 20 MB each and 30 MB in total, also collected in a ZIP.
- Without a drawing, measurements and a description are enough, or a sample from which the design service produces the CAD drawing.
Frequently asked questions
What does subcontract production mean?
Subcontract production is the manufacture of parts on behalf of a company or a professional, to their drawing and specifications. COOLASER follows the part from cutting to finishing, in the same workshop.
Can small batches of just a few parts be ordered?
Yes: one-off pieces, prototypes and small batches are produced, in one-time or repeat runs. The laser needs no moulds, which is why it also suits batches of just a few parts.
Can a part be cut, bent and welded by the same workshop?
Yes, at the COOLASER workshop the part is cut, bent, welded, blasted, finished and marked without going to other suppliers. There is a single point of contact for every stage.
Can each part in the same batch have a different code?
Yes: laser marking applies different variable data to each part, such as serial numbers, batch numbers, QR codes and DataMatrix codes. Marking completes the production cycle, in the same workshop.
Is a technical drawing needed to request a quote?
No, measurements and a description of the part are enough, or a sample. With a DXF, DWG or STEP file the quote starts directly from the drawing.
Subcontracting
For companies, craftspeople, professionals and resellers, throughout Italy and abroad with shipping; quotes through the custom request.