http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_TechCell.cfm The Laser Cutting tech cell is packed with specific links to help you find product information, suppliers, technical articles, case studies, seminars and conferences, as well as books, software, and videos on metal fabricating-related topics. en-us http://www.thefabricator.com/RSS/images/thefabricator_rss.gif http://www.thefabricator.com Copyright 2007 FMA Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. official publication date Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:13:32 AM CDT Vicki Bell Laurie Harshbarger http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1686 The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. —Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp. To say Mr. Gates lived his conviction successfully would be a vast understatement. To say following his path would be enough to create a worldwide business empire with annual sales of $44.28 billion would be a vast overstatement. Yet, to say you can find many simple ways to help maximize your com... James Rogowski Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1574 Oxygen and nitrogen, two standard assist gases used in laser cutting, create two different reactions at the laser head. Oxygen produces an exothermic reaction, and the laser burns the metal. Nitrogen fosters a melting process, and the laser heats the metal without a chemical reaction, with the nitrogen gas pushing the molten puddle through the kerf. During air cutting, the combination of the laser energy being forced through a tight focal point and the presence of compressed air creates a ... Erin Chasse and Mickey Lawson Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1572 Automated parts removal helps to eliminate the non-value-added aspects of laser cutting, but a closer look at nesting is necessary to get the most efficiency out of the automated operation. In the world of sheet metal fabrication, intelligent fabricating with a laser cutting machine can lead to increased productivity and flexibility and reduced setup and tooling costs—as well as faster design and prototype turnaround. The laser's versatility, whether you run on... Liz Kautzmann Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1562 Midwest Precision (MPI), Tulsa, Okla., has held onto its goal of remaining flexible since opening in 1973. Known as Miller Manufacturing back then, the only equipment in the garage were a drill press and a small hand former. In the beginning the company focused on military electronics. But then company founder Ron Miller expanded his customer base and turned his small garage operation into a business with 60 employees working three shifts. Miller's son, Brian, now is in char... Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1561 Figure 1 Laser cutting devices that have two additional parallel kinematic drive axes on the laser head can cut more than 1,000 holes per minute. High-speed laser cutting always has been a prime concern for fabricators since the 1978 introduction of the first laser system, which had a fixed laser beam delivery system on a turret punch frame and used a sheet dragger to accommodate the cutting action. Of course, at that time punching a hole in a fraction of a second was m... Thomas Burdel and Pieter Schwarzenbach Wed, 14 Feb 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1541 Laser cutting has become widely used in manufacturing over the past 30 years. During its evolution, laser cutting has been used for just-in-time (JIT) production with minimized parts stocking, as well as sheet metal processing. High-speed laser cutting is the modern-day result of increased laser power and high acceleration motion technology, which have improved cutting speeds, some as high as 60 feet per minute. High-speed cutting requires a dynamic, stable machine and a moder... Thomas Burdel and Pieter Schwarzenbach Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1516 Today's laser and waterjet cutting technologies offer flexibility for precision applications in a range of materials. The choice to use either technology is in part determined by the material to be processed, because both technologies are capable of delivering precision cuts. Materials that are difficult to process with a laser, such as aluminum, brass, and copper, are processed easily and economically with a waterjet. While laser technology offers the distinct advantage of high proces... Frank J. Arteaga, Contributing Writer Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1510 The "more is better” mentality has been ingrained into the American culture for many years now. Sometimes this is not a good thing. However, as it relates to laser cutting, the "more is better” mentality has proven to be a success. Since 1958, when Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes first applied for their patent in which they outlined the working principles of lasers, the penchant to do more and more with laser technology has not waned. Faster processing, high... Jason Hillenbrand Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:00:00 AM CST http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1474 Laser machine users know it, but often ignore it. Laser manufacturers swear by it, but often don’t push it. It’s maintenance, and it should be the watchword of anyone who owns and operates a laser. With lead-times decreasing, margins thinning, and raw material prices always proving to be unpredictable, proper machine maintenance can save a shop plenty of headaches at crunch time. Instead of aspirin, these three tips can help laser operators avoid pounding head pains and ke... Jeff Hahn, Bernie Olguin, and Dru Schwartz Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT http://www.thefabricator.com/LaserCutting/LaserCutting_Article.cfm?ID=1450 The LVPLUS laser cutting machine not only is designed to be 50 percent faster than older models, but also features automatic lens focus and height adjustment. It's elementary for Watson. If Watson Engineering wanted to keep up with its customers in the heavy-duty equipment industry, it needed to expand its fabricating operations, quickly and efficiently. CNC machining, laser cutting, tube fabricating, vehicle prototyping services, and welding had been part of the company's serv... Dan Davis, Executive Editor Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:00:00 AM CDT