Maitland Welding & Machining consolidated their heavy-plate cutting operation onto a single machine, freeing up floor space while cutting their thickest regular material — 1¾ inch (44mm) mild steel — with clean, dross-free edges that required no secondary grinding.
The Challenge
Maitland Welding & Machining was running three separate plasma cutting tables to keep up with their structural steel and thick-plate production volume. Plasma gave them the tonnage capability they needed — but it came with real costs on every job: a wide kerf that wasted material, a tapered cut edge, and dross that had to be manually ground or wire-brushed off before parts could move to welding or assembly.
They needed a single machine that could match the thickness range they were already cutting — from 5/16 inch sheet up to 1¾ inch structural plate — without giving up any of the capacity that three plasma tables had provided. Floor space was also a factor: three separate cutting stations occupied a meaningful footprint that could otherwise be used for production or material staging.
The Solution
In June 2022, Rise Tek Machinery delivered and installed a 22kW fiber laser — at the time the highest-powered fiber laser cutting machine in Canada. The machine's IPG 22kW laser source and 3m × 1.5m working area were sized specifically to match Maitland's full material range on a single table, with CypCut control software handling full auto-nesting to keep material utilization high across mixed job runs.
The installation required real facility preparation: dedicated three-phase electrical service sized for the laser source, a high-capacity chiller circuit, and a structural floor assessment for the machine's footprint. Rise Tek coordinated the entire process — electrical hookup, laser source commissioning, cutting head calibration, and operator training — over a two-day on-site installation program.
| Laser Source | IPG 22kW |
| Maximum Mild Steel | 1¾ inch (44mm) |
| Working Area | 3m × 1.5m |
| Control | CypCut with full auto-nesting |
| Delivery Date | June 21, 2022 |
Results
From the first production shift, the 22kW laser's cutting performance on thick mild steel stood out even to Maitland's experienced team. On 5/16 inch (8mm) mild steel, the laser ran at speeds comparable to what their plasma tables had produced on much thinner, 3/16 inch material. On 1¾ inch (44mm) plate — the thickest material in their regular production mix — the laser delivered clean, dross-free edges that required no secondary grinding before welding.
Consolidating three plasma tables into one machine also freed up floor space that had been split across three separate cutting stations, without giving up any of the thickness range Maitland relied on for their structural steel work.
We replaced three plasma tables with one machine and gained floor space, cut quality, and throughput at the same time. The Rise Tek team handled the whole installation — we didn't have to manage anything.
What Comes With Every Rise Tek Machine
The Maitland installation reflects Rise Tek's standard delivery package for every machine, at any power level:
- Professional delivery and installation coordination
- Full operator and maintenance training, on-site at your facility
- Manufacturer warranty on all components
- Free after-sale service for the first year of operation
- Remote diagnostic support and Canadian parts inventory
Frequently Asked
Is a 22kW fiber laser the right power level for every shop? No — 22kW is a high-power configuration suited to shops with consistent heavy-plate volume, like structural steel fabricators. Most Canadian job shops are well served by 6kW to 12kW machines, which cover thin-to-medium plate at a lower capital cost. See our guide on what power fiber laser you need to find the right fit for your material mix.
How does this compare to plasma cutting on thick plate generally? For a broader breakdown beyond this one case, see our guide on fiber laser vs plasma cutting.