Home / Services
Carbon Fiber Sheet and Plate Cutting
Flat parts routed from woven, UD and forged carbon plate. Send a DXF and we match it with shops that cut carbon every day. Reply within 24 business hours.
What good shops do differently
Most carbon fiber parts start as a flat plate. A CNC router with a diamond-coated cutter follows the outline and the holes from your DXF, the shop sands or seals the edges and the part is done. It sounds simple, and on a good machine it is. The difference between a clean part and a frayed one is in the cutter, the feed and what sits under the plate.
Woven plate is the forgiving case. The face ply holds the edge together. Unidirectional faces, thick laminate and holes near an edge need more care: compression cutters that push the top and bottom fibres inward, a sacrificial backing board and slower feeds on the exit.
How the job runs
Nest
Parts are laid out on a standard sheet to waste as little plate as possible.
Hold down
The plate sits on a vacuum table or is screwed to a sacrificial board so it cannot lift or vibrate.
Drill and route
Holes first, then inside cutouts, then the outer profile, with tabs or vacuum holding the part to the end.
Finish
Tabs are removed, edges sanded or sealed, and the cosmetic side checked for scratches.
Typical capability
Planning values from shops that do this work. They are typical, not promised. The shop that quotes you confirms what it can hold on your part.
| Plate thickness | 0.3 to 10 mm typical on routers. Thicker plate is often waterjet cut and finish-routed. |
| Sheet size | Common stock up to 1000 x 1000 mm. Larger sheets exist but cost more to buy and ship. |
| Profile tolerance | ±0.1 mm typical, ±0.05 mm with good fixturing. |
| Smallest inside radius | Half the cutter diameter. R0.5 mm with a 1 mm tool, R1.5 mm is cheaper. |
| Edge finish | As routed, sanded, chamfered or sealed with resin. Say which on the drawing. |
| Surface | Gloss, matte or peel ply as supplied by the plate maker. Machining does not change it. |
Put this on your drawing
A complete RFQ gets a firm quote the first time instead of a list of questions.
- DXF at 1:1 in millimetres, closed outlines, no duplicate lines
- Plate type, thickness and face finish (for example 3K twill, 2 mm, gloss one side)
- Which side is cosmetic, if any
- Tolerances only where they matter, plus hole sizes for fasteners
- Edge finish and whether edges must be sealed
- Quantity per order and per year
Mistakes that raise the price
- Sharp inside cornersA router cannot cut a sharp inside corner. Draw the radius you accept, otherwise the shop picks one.
- Holes too close to edgesA 3 mm hole 2 mm from the edge leaves a sliver that cracks. Keep the centre at least two diameters in.
- Thickness tolerance on the partThickness comes from the plate. Calling ±0.05 mm on a 2 mm plate means sorting sheets, not machining.
Send your part
We match it with up to 3 shops that do this work every day. Free for buyers. For full details, use the full RFQ form.
Read first
Questions about carbon fiber sheet cutting
Also see tube machining and drilling and trimming.
Can carbon fiber sheet be laser cut?
Not well. The laser burns the resin, leaves a heat-affected edge and gives off toxic fumes. Routing or waterjet cutting are the standard methods for parts that carry load.
What is the minimum order?
Many router shops cut one piece for a prototype. The price per part drops quickly from about 10 pieces, because setup and programming are paid once.
Can I get the plate in a specific weave or finish?
Yes. Say the weave (3K twill or plain), the finish (gloss, matte, peel ply) and the thickness. Shops stock the common ones and order the rest.