HVAC & Sheet Metal

Cut Ductwork & Sheet Metal Faster Than Plasma

HVAC contractors and sheet metal shops across Canada use Rise Tek fiber laser cutters to produce duct blanks, fittings, transitions, and access panels with laser-clean edges — no deburring, no secondary finishing, straight to assembly.

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0.5–6mmTypical Duct Gauges

10×Faster Than Plasma

3 MaterialsGalv, Stainless, Alum

No BurrReady for Assembly

Industry Challenges

What HVAC Fabricators Need from Cutting Equipment

HVAC and sheet metal shops run high-mix, high-pressure schedules. Every hour of delay on duct blanks and fittings ripples through mechanical and construction timelines.

Speed on Thin Gauge

Most HVAC ductwork is 0.5–2mm galvanized or stainless. Fiber laser cutting on these gauges is 8–12× faster than plasma — meaning a day's cutting job becomes a morning's work.

Clean Edges, No Deburring

Plasma leaves slag and heat-affected zones on galvanized that must be cleaned before seaming or flanging. Fiber laser edges are clean and square — parts go directly to the brake or seamer.

Complex Fitting Geometry

Transitions, offsets, elbows, and custom fittings require precise notching and profiling that manual layout and snips can't reliably produce at scale. Fiber laser handles these programmatically.

Multi-Material Projects

Commercial HVAC projects often spec galvanized ductwork, stainless kitchen exhaust, and aluminum supply plenums — all on one job. One fiber laser handles all three without tooling changes.

Project-to-Project Flexibility

HVAC contracts change constantly — sizes, layouts, and materials shift between jobs. DXF files from CAD load directly into the laser control so your cutter is always current with your drawings.

In-House vs. Outsourcing

Many HVAC shops still outsource flat pattern cutting to plasma houses. Bringing a fiber laser in-house eliminates subcontractor lead times and markup — savings that compound on every project.

Primary Recommendation

HF Expert Series Fiber Laser

The ideal HVAC laser — handles galvanized, stainless, and aluminum at high speed with clean edges. The 3015 bed fits full 4×8 sheet and the 4020 fits oversized commercial blanks. Fast focus adjustment switches between materials instantly.

1.5kW – 6kW3015 / 4020 Bed0.5–12mm Steel

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High Volume HVAC Shops

HF-S Smart Series Laser

For shops running large duct blank volumes, the HF-S Smart adds automatic nozzle changing and intelligent cutting parameter selection — reducing operator intervention and increasing lights-out cutting capability overnight.

3kW – 12kW3015 / 4020 BedAuto Nozzle Change

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Bending & Forming

CNC Press Brake

After laser cutting, CNC press brakes fold duct flanges, cleats, angles, and access door frames to exact dimensions with programmable backgauge. Pair with a fiber laser for a complete in-house ductwork line.

40T – 320T1600–4100mm BedCNC Backgauge

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Precision stamped sheet metal parts cut by fiber laser

HVAC Fabrication Shop

The Case for Fiber Laser

Why HVAC Shops Switch from Plasma to Fiber Laser

Shops that make the switch typically recover their investment within 18–24 months through labour savings alone — before counting the gains from faster project turnaround.

Eliminate deburring labour entirelyFiber laser edges on galvanized and stainless are ready for seaming or flanging immediately — no grinding, no snipping. Save 20–30 minutes per sheet in finishing time.
Cut complex fittings from DXF filesImport flat patterns directly from AutoCAD or duct design software. Reduce layout time from 20 minutes per fitting to under 2 minutes.
No zinc fume issues vs. plasmaFiber laser on galvanized generates significantly less fume than plasma, with a smaller heat-affected zone. Simplified fume extraction versus plasma's heavy smoke generation.
Nest multiple parts per sheetAutomatic nesting software maximizes your sheet utilization — often hitting 85–90% material yield vs. 65–70% on manual plasma layouts.

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Can fiber lasers cut galvanized steel safely?

Yes. Fiber lasers cut galvanized sheet regularly in HVAC applications. The heat-affected zone is much smaller than plasma, reducing zinc burn-off. A standard downdraft table with fume extraction handles the vapour — the same extraction used for any cutting operation on coated steel. Rise Tek will specify the right fume extraction setup for your shop volume.

What thickness of ductwork material can the laser cut?

A 1.5kW HF Series handles galvanized up to 3mm (10 gauge) and stainless up to 2mm cleanly at high speed. A 3kW unit handles stainless up to 4mm and galvanized up to 6mm. Most commercial HVAC ductwork (26–18 gauge) runs best with a 1.5–3kW source — more power is overkill on thin sheet and wastes operating cost.

Can I import my ductwork drawings directly into the laser?

Yes. Han's Laser control systems accept DXF and DWG files directly. If your HVAC design software (Revit, AutoCAD MEP, Trimble Fabsuite) exports flat patterns as DXF, they load directly into the nesting software. Rise Tek includes software training during commissioning so your operators are proficient with the workflow from day one.

Is a 3015 bed big enough for commercial duct blanks?

A 3015 bed (3,000 × 1,500mm, roughly 10′ × 5′) handles standard 4×8 and 4×10 sheets. For extra-large commercial ductwork blanks, the 4020 bed (4,000 × 2,000mm) accommodates 5×7 sheet. Rise Tek will review your largest typical blank size and recommend the appropriate bed configuration during your consultation.