Get an instant quote on the first upload.

File requirements

We accept DXF and STEP files. Export from any CAD program; R12 or 2000 ASCII DXF is the most reliable DXF flavor, and STEP files must be flat single-body plates. Files renamed from other formats (DWG, PDF, images) cannot be read.

Units

Set your drawing units before exporting. If the file does not declare units, the quoter asks you to pick mm or inch before it parses, so nothing is guessed on your behalf.

Closed shapes only

Every outline and every cutout must be a closed loop. Open contours cannot be priced as cuts: they may be missing cutouts, so the quoter flags them instead of guessing. Join endpoints in your CAD program before exporting. A common case is a hole exported as an almost-complete arc; the quoter names the diameter and location, and you can confirm closing it to a full hole right on the upload card. Stray open shapes inside a closed outline (leftover dimension lines, sketch marks) do not have to block you either: the quoter shows them in red and lets you confirm quoting without them. They are excluded from cutting, stay visible in every preview, and we double check the file before it is cut. The outer outline itself must always be closed.

One part per file

Each DXF must contain exactly one part: one outer outline with its cutouts inside it. Export multiple parts as separate files and upload them together; you can configure them as a batch in the quoter.

Flat patterns, not drawings

Export the part geometry itself, not a drawing sheet. Title blocks, borders, dimension annotations, and side views confuse what should be cut. The quoter strips common annotation geometry (center marks, dimension framing) automatically, but a clean flat pattern always quotes fastest.

STEP models work the same way: we cut flat plates. If your model carries 3D detail that flat sheet cannot reproduce (tapered walls, formed louvers, sculpted faces on an otherwise flat part), the quoter offers to quote the flat 2D outline of one face instead. Nothing is changed without you: you confirm first, every simplified or left out feature is listed on the card, and the preview shows exactly what will be cut. A plain plate with a few standoffs or bosses gets the same offer: the card draws the flat plate with the standoffs dashed in red, holes that pass through the plate are kept, and nothing is cut until you confirm that drawing. Bent brackets, stepped stock, and engraved patterns stay in the manual quote lane.

Stepped, pocketed and turned parts

Flat sheet is what quotes instantly: one thickness from edge to edge. When a STEP model has two or more thicknesses over a meaningful share of the part (a step, a rebate, a machined pad), the quoter measures them and says so on the card, with each thickness, its share of the part and where it sits. Parts like that are quoted by hand and may be CNC machined: request a manual quote and we price it with our machining partner. If you only need the flat outline, remove the step in your CAD program and re-export.

A DXF can show the same thing in 2D: a cutout drawn with a second outline a few millimetres inside it, nothing joining the two. That usually means a recess, counterbore or stepped pocket, and the drawing alone does not say how deep. Cut as drawn, the hole would come out the size of the larger outline, so the quoter highlights both outlines in red and the part is quoted by hand. If the hole should go straight through at one size, delete the outline you do not want and re-export.

Chamfered or rounded edges

Some CAD exports of a part with a chamfered or rounded outer edge include a second outline a few millimetres inside the real one (the top view of the edge break). Quoted as a cutout, that line would price the part as a thin ring, so the quoter highlights it in red and asks you to confirm the edge treatment. Cleanest export: outline only, without the edge break line.

A rounded or chamfered edge around a cutout often comes through the same way: the hole drawn twice, a few millimetres apart, joined by short lines where the rounding changes direction. The quoter recognizes this, shows the extra lines in red and asks you to confirm. We then cut each hole at its inner outline, where it goes straight through, and the part at its outside edge. Edges come out square; the rounding itself is not machined.

Supported entities

Lines, arcs, circles, polylines, and spline curves are supported, including rational splines. Splines are converted into precise cutting paths automatically; rare variants (fit point only splines) still need converting to polylines or arcs in your CAD program. Dimension annotations are stripped harmlessly. Text is different: we cut outlines only and do not engrave, so a file whose text is a prominent part of the design (a sign, a nameplate) is held for manual review instead of quoting a part without its lettering. If the text must appear on the part, convert it to outlines in CAD (most programs call this explode or convert text to curves); small annotation labels are simply ignored with a note on the card. Blocks are not supported: explode them into plain geometry before exporting.

Size limits

Maximum part size is 47" × 95" (1193.8 mm × 2413 mm): a full 48" × 96" sheet minus a 1" margin we reserve for fixturing. Parts larger than that cannot be cut from a single sheet and need to be split into multiple parts. Available thicknesses depend on the material you pick; see the list below.

Feature guidelines

• Smallest hole: 1/16" (1.6 mm) diameter. All holes are routed as circles with a bit, not drilled, so any diameter at or above that cuts cleanly. A hole or slot narrower than the bit cannot be cut: the quoter names each one and offers to quote the part without them (they stay dashed on the preview and are never cut or charged), or you enlarge them in CAD and re-upload.
• Internal corners: a router bit is round, so inside corners always have a radius, minimum 1/16" (1.6 mm). If your file draws sharp 90° internal corners, the shop applies a default radius of 0.090" (2.3 mm). Draw the radius you want if it matters to your fit.
• Pockets: minimum width 1/8" (3.2 mm). Maximum depth scales with material thickness; the quoter enforces the exact cap for the thickness you pick.

Operations by material

Through-cut is available on every material at every stocked thickness. The other operations depend on material and thickness; the quoter shows and enforces exactly what’s available for the variant you pick. The broad rules:

• Thin material is through-cut only. Below 0.177" (4.5 mm), and on 3 mm aluminum composite panel, no secondary operations are available.
• Tapping: M4, M5, M6, M8, 1/4-20, 5/16"-18, and 3/8"-16 threads, on polycarbonate, ABS, HDPE, and UHMW at sufficient thickness. Not available on acrylic or aluminum composite panel.
• Countersink: metric M3 through M8 at 90°, imperial 3/16" through 3/8" at 82°, starting at 0.236" (6 mm) thickness on plastics.
• Counterbore: M5, M6, M8, 1/4", and 5/16", on material 3/8" (9 mm class) and thicker.
• Chamfer: bit sizes from 1/16" up to 1/4", gated by thickness, on selected plastics.
• Edge rounding (edge radius): the shop cuts it, but it is not selectable in the online quoter yet. Ask us through a manual quote if your part needs rounded edges.
• Metals (laser cut): holes, cutouts and tapped holes. Tapping uses the same thread list, on 1/8" and thicker. A hole should be at least half as wide as the metal is thick to cut cleanly, so the quoter greys out the thicknesses your smallest hole can’t take. Countersinks, counterbores and bends on metal are quoted by a person.

Materials and thicknesses

More detail on each material is on the materials page. Anything outside this catalogue can go through a manual quote request.

What we don’t offer

• Engraving and V-carving.
• T-slot cutting.
• Certified materials: we do not supply UL94 flame-rated, food-grade, or FSC documentation.