Content tagged with "laser-beam-cutting"
Results: 37
Spanish
November 12, 2009
Láser y chorro de agua: ¿amigos o enemigos?
Figura 1
Las partes de muestra en tres espesores y dos materiales demuestran las diferencias entre el corte con un láser (izquierda) y con un chorro de agua (derecha). Los espesores de las partes, de arriba a abajo, son 0.125 pulg., 0.5 pulg., y 0.75 pulg. Los materiales son acero... Read more...
Spanish
July 21, 2009
Entendiendo las tecnologías de corte de metal
Nota del editor: este artículo fue desarrollado a partir de un Panel de Corte Comparativo llevado a cabo en la conferencia Metal Matters de la Fabricators & Manufacturers Association en Orlando, Fla., marzo 2008.
Es la pregunta escuchada en el mundo de la fabricación en metal.... Read more...
Article
January 27, 2009
Laser and waterjet: friends or foes?
Fabrication has long been a cornerstone of U.S. manufacturing. It plays a central role, providing components and subassemblies to other manufacturing sectors, such as aerospace, appliance, and automotive. Significant advancements in metalworking equipment, materials, and applications have... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
Article
July 15, 2008
Making sense of metal cutting technologies
It's the question heard 'round the metal fabricating world: What metal cutting technology makes the most sense?
Unfortunately, the answer to the question cannot be covered in one simple statement. The answer depends on the metal being cut, the metal thickness, how the customer defines a... Read more...
Article
June 17, 2008
One nesting software for all
Nests such as this are now possible for Maurer Manufacturing with ProNest software from MTC Software. The trailer fabricator uses the program to nest parts for both its Alltra plasma cutting table and Cincinnati laser cutting machine. "All for one, and one nesting software for all." That's... Read more...
Article
June 17, 2008
The dirt on laser lenses
Photo courtesy of NTC America, Novi, Mich./PRC Laser, Landing, N.J.
Who would think that a $400 laser lens could mean a great difference in the performance of a $1 million laser cutting machine? Unfortunately, not enough fabricators do. People who supply laser lenses to these metal... Read more...
Article
May 13, 2008
Evaluating a CAM system
Figure 1 Free-form nesting allows a fabricator to fit as many parts as possible on one sheet. Imagine this: You have a race car with the leanest, lightest chassis available and the world's fastest engine powering the vehicle, but instead of proper tires you have wheels from a shopping... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2008
Machine shop sees the (laser) light
Figure 1 Laser-cut tube parts are given a close inspection after coming off the BLM- Adige LT712D laser tube cutting machine at MG Products Inc. Mark George, president of Elkhart, Ind.-based MG Products Inc., chuckled when asked whether his company is more of a machine shop or a tube... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Laser safety in the industrial workplace
Figure 1
Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) lasers are commonly used in laser welding applications. These types of lasers typically are operated inside Class I enclosures, which ensures that a user cannot gain access to the laser during normal operation. (Photos are... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Getting into the thick of high-powered lasers
Figure 1 High-powered resonators have made laser cutting a suitable technology choice for processing thick plate. Laser cutting originated for processing of sheet materials, but new, high-powered lasers, capable of processing heavier-gauge and plate materials, are moving lasers into the... Read more...
Article
December 11, 2007
Hyperactive fabrication
Clay Andrews wanted to jump right into competitive racing, so his company, Hype Manufacturing, bought the latest machine tools, including five-axis machining centers, tube bending equipment, a waterjet cutting system, and a 4,400-W laser cutting machine. Clay Andrews is a speed enthusiast.... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2007
Article
October 9, 2007
Successful automation isn't automatic
Figure 1 The location of structural supports and electrical supplies influence the placement of a laser cutting cell and material handling automation in a plant. As with so many other ventures in life, successfully implementing a laser automation system rests on one key practice:... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Fabrication in transition
Arcadia's five-axis waterjet cutting machine allowed the company to provide a service that other nearby metal supply houses didn't offer. As a result, the company developed a reputation as a fabricator of large, 3-D stainless steel and aluminum parts. Which comes first—the purchase... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Tube fabricator, machine tool builder automates to accelerate
Stealth Manufacturing Inc. fabricated its own tube unloader for its cutoff line. Instead of relying on special Allen wrenches to adjust the unloader each time a different-sized tube is switched out, the operator just turns the hand cranks for quicker changeovers. Editor's Note: This feature... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2007
Laser cutting with less labor and less hassle
In February 2007 a four-man precision metal fabricating shop—with the help of two temporary employees—laser-cut more than 500 jobs comprising 73,863 metal pieces and weighing more than 315,000 pounds. That's good news for Chris Hollenback, president of Integrated Manufacturing... Read more...
Spanish
April 10, 2007
Manufacturando más eficientemente en México
La manufactura de clase mundial requiere maquinaria más que eficiente, flexible y productiva, según Industrias John Deere (IJD), una filial de John Deere en México. También se requiere confiabilidad y servicio.
En los noventas, IJD quería modernizar la manera en que manufacturaba... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2007
Turning a machine shop into a fabrication shop
Like most contract manufacturers, Target Laser & Machining Inc. started out as an idea that became a concept that evolved into a plan that eventually developed into a business. It was Gary Reiter's idea, machining was the concept, and subcontracting a large amount of work for a local... Read more...
Article
February 14, 2007
Breaking speed barriers in laser cutting
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... Read more...
Article
February 13, 2007
Big shoulders, long strides
Jeff Hansen, Dave Hansen, Cathy Hansen, and Mike Hansen (left to right) are equal partners in Hansen Steel Services. About 25 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Hansen Steel Services employees wear T-shirts imprinted with the company's Viking logo—a... Read more...
Article
January 17, 2007
A new dimension in lasers
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... Read more...
Article
December 12, 2006
Can your manufacturing software do this?
Software has changed the nature of fabricating. Most fabricating shops hammer out the manufacturing details of a job on their own computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software packages immediately upon receipt of the customer's engineering drawings. Some of the more aggressive fabricating shops... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2006
Joining GMAW and GTAW
The American Welding Society has defined "hybrid welding" as the combination of two distinct welding energy sources within a single welding process.
Figure 1
A new hybrid welding approach combines a plasma arc and a GMAW arc into one process. These elements detail the process: (1)... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2006
Fabricator finds tubular niche
Although Illinois is known primarily for its fertile fields and agricultural output, it's home to many manufacturing companies too. John Deere incorporated Deere & Co. in Moline. DaimlerChysler manufactures automobiles in Belvidere. Caterpiller's worldwide headquarters is in Peoria. Where... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Older plasma and laser cutters having performance fits?
One of the most common and least expensive retrofits on a laser system is the cutting head. Upgrades expand plate cutting capabilities To stay competitive in today's marketplace, fabricators are constantly evaluating many variables in the areas of current and potential customer base,... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Combining 2-D and 3-D laser applications
Right now at least 4,000 laser job shops in the U.S. are competing in a "virtual" service market that continues to be characterized by downward pricing pressure. Practically speaking, virtual service means that parts can be ordered, manufactured, and shipped anywhere in the continental... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
3 steps to better laser maintenance
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... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Lasers loom larger in tube, pipe cutting
In today's manufacturing environment, 2-D lasers are the standard for cutting flat sheets and plate. Nearly everyone is familiar with laser technology's capabilities and speed for 2-D part processing. What may not be as well-known, however, is laser's 3-D capacity for mainstream... Read more...
Article
October 10, 2006
Manufacturing evolution in the job shop
Because of their press brakes' dynamic crowning and springback compensation technology, Gardner Manufacturing operators can bend long parts without worrying about the material bowing or twisting. Bronze Age, Iron Age, Industrial Age—each period in civilization's history has led... Read more...
Article
September 12, 2006
Expanding upward and outward
The LVP LUS 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,... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2006
A breath of fresh air
Ten years ago laser cutting offered a distinctive advantage to those who invested in the technology. For the most part, successful laser cutting required gas, optics, and patience. The decade has brought many changes to laser cutting, including higher power levels and faster drive... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Euros zoned in on competing
Ilinox's Express Bender panel bending machine, which features automated load and unload of sheet metal blanks, is fed by its large Night Train storage system. A strong independent streak exists in the American psyche. It helped forge an industrialized nation out of the wilderness and... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Selecting equipment for maximum productivity
One of the simplest ways to increase productivity in a metal fabrication shop is to purchase a new machine, usually the largest machine you can afford. But where do you go from there? Does every subsequent purchase have to be bigger and better? Sometimes, but not always. With a little... Read more...
Article
December 13, 2005
Looking to higher power for laser speed?
In the past decade, the laser technology market for industrial material processing has grown by double digits. With improved beam sources and expanded scope and optimization of system concepts, lasers have become efficient, reliable manufacturing tools in a variety of sectors.... Read more...
Article
November 8, 2005
Knockout punch
Punched and tapped parts are stacked on a pallet to be delivered to the press brake area for bending. A finished part (after bending) is shown on the left side of the stacking table for illustration purposes. This is an application destined to stay in the U.S. It's a large,... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
Tube, profile cutting with lightning speed
Even though laser cutting tubes and profiles is basically a 3-D task, some can be cut with a 2-D machine equipped with an additional rotary axis. With rectangular tubes and other profiles, however, laser cutting is substantially more complex: The X, Y, and rotary axes move... Read more...
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