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Articles tagged with "laser cutting"
Results: 81
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Older plasma and laser cutters having performance fits?: Retrofit!If you are considering retrofitting existing equipment to not just expand your plate cutting capacity, several factors need to be considered. These factors focus on a higher wattage resonator or an higher amperage plasma system, but also on the need to review the entire machine architecture.
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Fabrication in transition: One-time metal supply house becomes a waterjet shop that now offers laser cutting, bending, and assemblyArcadia, Albany, N.Y., transitions from a metal supplier to a waterjet cutting shop to a laser cutting shop to a metal bender. Future plans call for the shop to evolve into a full-scale contract manufacturer.
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Laser cutting for the first time: M&L Industries finally made the investment, but only after sizing up its metal cutting needsM&L Industries found a laser cutting machine for the right price and at the right size. After a year of laser cutting and bringing in new business, it looks like the right choice.
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On the level: An introduction to part leveling: Parts leveling eliminates the distortion effects of upstream processesBecause of thermal distortion, a laser- or plasma-cut part may not perfectly flat. Here, parts leveling helps ensure parts maintain and exceed their flatness requirements.
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Finishing off oxide layer problems: After years of looking, General Sheet Metal Works found an efficient way to remove oxide from laser-cut steel partsArray
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Fast-forward fabricating: Automation helps Estes Design and Manufacturing turn around jobs quicklyA new laser cutter, a new panel bender, and two older punching and shearing combination machines, connected to a new automatedstorage-and-retieval system have helped an Indianapolis job shop stay on top of emergnecy orders that normally come its way.
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Pallet changer, tower, or shelving system with that laser?: Options for storing, transferring materialsWhen fabricators decide to automate material handling in their laser cutting operations, they have several choices to make. The decision on whether to automate—and what kind of system makes the most sense—will depend on the shop's capabilities, its production capacity, and available floor space. The options cover the full spectrum, from basic systems that simply unload one pallet and bring in another to large racking systems that maintain a full inventory of raw material and cut parts and can transfer those parts to other machines in the shop.
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Punching holes in aerospace manufacturing theories: Unison Industries added a punch/laser combination and added a new capabilities with itArray
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A breath of fresh air: ArrayArray
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Venting on the subject of clean shop air: If your company plasma or laser cuts, take a long, hard look at its ventilation practicesA shop owner should want the best ventilating technology for its thermal cutting operations. It keeps employees safe and protects the company from potential liability situations. With that in mind, the feature poses five questions that every shop should ask itself about its ventilating efforts as it regards thermal cutting operations.
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Making it in Mexico: TECMA 2007 opens the door to a wide open marketMexico is the land of fabricating opportunity, and those that believe that could be found at TECMA 2007, March 6-9, in Mexico City.
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Using job shop habits for a custom project: Michigan welder, machinist finds specialty jig-building a viable business optionAlthough custom welding fixtures may be just one of Ed Sauvola's current jobs, it has become one of the main business opportunities he is pursuing while deciding which track is best for his one-man shop.
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Think you have a challenging bend? Bring it on: Fabricator thrives on difficult forming applicationsTake a look at Bauer Welding & Metal Fabricators Inc., a company that thrives on difficult bending applications. It stays away from the hypercompetitive portion of the bending industry—4D to 5D bends in medium-wall-thickness tubing, applications that don't require a mandrel—and gravitates toward tight-radius or variable-radius bends in several planes, parts that require several processes such as bending and flaring, and components that needed flattening and welding.
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Big shoulders, long strides: Four-generation family shop starts anewFamily-owned Hansen Steel Services started six years ago with a 600-ft. long empty building and a combined 144 years of experience and built it into a thriving job shop that shoulders large plate fabrications.
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Nothing standard about this fab shop: The old approach isn't of interest to the new kid on the block, Seconn Fabrication--The FABRICATOR's 2008 Industry Award winnerRob Marelli left a family-owned metal fabricating company four years ago with the intention of doing things his way. Joined by a loyal group of managers and employees, he's found success at Seconn Fabrication. In the short time the company has been open, it has earned revenues of $9 million. And the company has done this by doing things other metal fabricating competitors aren't.
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Work flow goes virtualMid-West Metal Products, Muncie, Ind., has perfected work flow through ERP and the company's virtual manufacturing plan.
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Cycling through a business transition: Lori and Traci Tapani break out of the mold in fabrication managementLori and Traci Tapani, co-presidents of Wyoming Machine, aren't your typical metal fabrication managers. Together, they've managed to diversify their family business into a thriving, stable enterprise.
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Ultrafabrication, ultraexpansion: Ultra Machine & Fabrication grows at lightning speed bending, welding armor plateUltra Machine & Fabrication, through significant capital outlays, has built an infrastructure ready to complete in the heavy plate market.
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Japanese metal fabrication: Manufacturing on a bedrock of data: Japanese metal fabricators automate and collaborate to compete and thriveOverseas, metal fabricators have many of the same issues as those stateside, including lack of skilled labor and outsourcing to low-labor-cost countries. In Japan, fabricators tackle those issues by taking automation to new levels.
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Raising the bar, one sink at a time: Commercial food service appliance manufacturer shrinks lead-times from weeks to daysArray
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Waste not, want more: General MetalWorks' lean manufacturing practices have helped it earn The FABRICATOR's 2010 Industry AwardIn recent years General Metal Works, Mequon, Wis., has leaned heavily on practices that eliminate waste in its shop floor operations and kept its work force engaged. The efforts have paid off in that no layoffs have occurred during the recent economic downturn, and the company is still on track to finish with $10 million in sales revenue in 2009. The company also has been named the winner of The FABRICATOR's Industry Award 2010.
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Will tube and pipe industry have energy to continue expanding?: Despite some trouble spots, prospects overall are goodThe current expansion in the tube and pipe industry isn't new, but it bears a close look nonetheless. Understanding the factors that are causing it and how manufacturers are reacting to it provide some guidance to the future of this trend.
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EuroBLECH 2008: A celebration of metal fabricating and forming: A visit to Hannover, Germany, for the world's largest sheet metal manufacturing exhibition reveals a European taste for automation and efficiencyEuroBLECH is a celebration more than anything. Most of the booths have plenty of tables and, usually, a bar for customers, distributors, business partners, and friends to swing by, chat, have a drink, and talk about life both in and out of the industry. In fact, unlike shows in North America, a visitor will find materials suppliers—the folks that make the metal sheet, plate, and tube—among the exhibitors. Everyone comes together for this global event.
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Getting lean, job shop style: Ace Metal Crafts’ brand of lean puts employees in the driver’s seatAce Metal Crafts has promoted its own brand of lean that, more than anything, gives employees ownership over the process.
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Beginning the lean manufacturing journey: LAI International takes the first steps, reaps rewards right awayLAI International, Scottsdale, Ariz., is a precision manufacturers thatsupplies specialized parts to many of the most-demanding OEMs inthe world. Even with that success, the company realized there wasstill room to improve. As a result, it embarked on a lean journey andis seeing immediate results.
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On the cusp of recovery: FABTECH prepares attendees for upturnIn 2009, show attendees cut through the fluff and focused on what matters: preparing for the recovery.
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Drawing on new experiences: Whirlpool Corporation's new line is a flexible approach to refrigerator door fabricationIn the past metal forming in the appliance industry meant giant presses with expensive tooling. Lead-times were forever, and change didn't come easy. Whirlpool Corp. in Fort Smith, Ark., is taking a new approach to metal forming, and flexible technologies are the key.
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Driven to integrate: Automotive component stamper branches out, adapts to industry changesChanges come often in the steel industry--a business that sticks around long enough might eventually bear little resemblance to the version established at its inception. This is the case for Parkview Metal Products, Lake Zurich, Ill. The company opened in 1950 as a tool and die shop in Chicago, later moving and shifting its focus to automotive, electronic, and grill components. The company believes its culture is changing for the better and plans to continue developing its 5S initiatives, increasing its on-time delivery, and reducing its scrap rate.
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Tube fabricator, machine tool builder automates to accelerate: Hole punching, material handling, cutting operations run stealthilyStealth Manufacturing Inc., Savage, Minn., is a tube fabricator, and machine tool builder that automated its tube punching, laser cutting, and material handling to improve the efficiency of manufacturing its gas heater tubes and other tubular products.
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Designing for laser cutting: Fortify your frontline by designing tubular parts to maximize laser’s capabilitiesDesigning for the laser cutting process optimizes what tube fabricators can achieve.
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Machine shop sees the (laser) light: MG Products Inc. learns laser cutting tube complements its CNC machining businessMG Products Inc., Elkhart, Ind., successfully made the transition from a machine shop to a full-scale tube fabricator thanks to the investment in a laser tube cutter.
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To think 'in tube': Tube shop’s success hinges on design for manufacturabilityA tube laser spurs a shop to think about design and metal fabricationin a new way.
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Automation helps ovenmaker cook up profits: Wood Stone Corp., Bellingham, Wash., learns valuable lessons as a resultWhat kind of a difference did an automated fabricating system make for Wood Stone Corp., Bellingham, Wash.? Before the system, the company actually had more people in the shop, and they were working 10 hour days for about 4-6 months to make fewer products than are produced today.
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Simplicity 'n' press brakes: A simple leap of faith helps a lawn tractor manufacturer make a huge leap in bending efficiencySimplicity Manufacturing Inc. of Port Washington, Wis., needed new press brakes because it was about to increase its laser cutting capacity. The outdoor power equipment manufacturer turned to a vendor of Turkish-built press brakes for help and found the answer for which they were looking.
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Manufacturing evolution in the job shop: Contract manufacturer figures out how to accomplish more with lessGardner Manufacturing, Horicon, Wis., needed automation and flexibility to keep up with more challenging customer demands. The contract manufacturer found its answer with two laser cutting devices with automated material handling and three new press brakes capable of precision bending.
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Bending outside the box: Good part design considers fabrication from the get-goFor the best, most cost-effective parts, designers should consider fabrication from the get-go. This article shows examples of what those parts look like.
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A trek in product design change and laser cutting: How a manufacturer takes its bicycles from concept to customerTREK Bicycles uses new CAM software to laser-cut high-performance bicycle frame tubing.
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Can your manufacturing software do this?: Questions you should be asking about your softwareManufacturing software has come a long way in just the last five years. Independent software developers point out some of the advancements in manufacturing software in the hopes that some fabricators realize they may be missing out on some real production-optimization tools.
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Laser cutting with less labor and less hassle: Machine automation and software help IMS keep the laser running and customers coming backCan a four-man job shop keep up with the demands of its manufacturing customers? IMS, Shakopee, Minn., will make you think about that and give you reason to question other practices going on in your job shop.
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Nesting software: A tool for lean manufacturingNesting software can help make your operation leaner. Software advancements have automated many processes. This article discusses the latest software features to consider when selecting the right program for your operation. Among these is the ability to nest a partial sheet or plate and then save the digital remnant or skeleton for later use.
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Evaluating a CAM system: A complete list of everything to consider before you purchase or upgradeThe feature looks at what fabricators should be looking for in a CAM system, and how they can improve the efficiency of their machine tools, their work force, and their material utilization.
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One nesting software for all: Maurer Manufacturing now uses one software package for its plasma and laser cutting machinesMaurer Manufacturing, Spencer, Iowa, purchased a new plasma cutting table in late 2006 and decided it wanted one nesting program to run both the new plasma table and its slightly older Cincinnati laser cutting machine. After a slight stumble, the company found the solution it needed with MTC Software's ProNest program.
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Software evolves to take a humanlike approach: The best nest considers the big pictureNesting software has evolved to the point where it can "see" shape contours and can determine how they best fit together.
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Science NonfictionMetal cutting lasers continue to evolve at an amazing rate, largely based on the demands of OEMs and job shops, while profit margins shrink because of increased competition and lower pay rates. To help fabricators meet the demands placed on them, laser manufacturers are creating new laser features that help fabricators differentiate themselves, speed up productivity, and get more out of their laser machines.
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Making solid delivery and storage choices for assist gases in CO2 laser cuttingHow you store and deliver assist gases to your laser cutting system is of critical importance to the effectiveness of your whole fabricating operation.
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Will a robotic laser system cut it?: Find out what it can do before you decideAlthough robotic laser cutting systems have advanced over the years, you should know exactly what one can do before you decide if it's right for you. To find out whether you should choose robotics to laser-cut your parts, you first must consider several factors, starting with what is in a system.
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Laser cutting and welding with one tool: Is one head better than two?Today's laser sources have the power and beam quality needed to cut and join metal in an expeditious and repetitious manner. The market demands that type of flexible production, so those characteristics are basic requirements in modern laser devices. The market demands also have promoted the idea of multifunctional processing. That has led to the development of a combination head capable of laser cutting and welding 3-D metal work pieces.
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Optimizing CO2 laser use: Part IMany factors can affect laser processing efficiency. This article, Part I of a two-part series, stresses laser system maintenance and discusses factors that can affect beam quality and efficiency—namely, impurities introduced by laser gases and gas supply systems and how to prevent them. It also has a supply system requirements list.
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Optimizing CO2 laser use: Part IIAs explained in Part I of this two-part series, many factors can affect laser processing efficiency. This article explains basic laser beam delivery requirements; discusses laser gases and supply methods; and lists common problems caused by using incorrect pressure, flow, and laser speed.
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A breath of fresh air: ArrayArray
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Expanding upward and outward: A sheet storage tower helps Watson Engineering's laser operations grow upWatson Engineering didn't have to add any laser operators during its most recent expansion effort. The reason was technology advancements associated with material handling and modern laser cutting devices.
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3 steps to better laser maintenance: Pay attention to the environment, the equipment, and the ever-necessary consumablesLaser 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.
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High-powered lasers take a bite out of plate: How wattage, mode, and assist gas work togetherCO2 lasers are available in wattages that can cut plate more than 1 in. thick. The wattage, however, isn't the only factor that affects total speed and power. The assist gas chosen and the mode of the laser also influence final results.
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Achieving precision and diversification with laser and waterjet technologiesBoth laser and waterjet cutting systems produce precision parts, and in many applications, either is appropriate. This article, which discusses the benefits and limitations of both technologies, can help you decide which is best-suited for your operation. In some cases, utilizing both can increase manufacturing flexibility and your business capabilities.
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Cutting lead-times with lasers: Midwest Precision uses lasers to cut sheet, tube, and now plateAn expanding metal fabrication shop invests in lasers to help it produce precision parts and manage tight lead times.
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Flexible automation of laser cutting, material handling: Software helps to scrap bad material handling habitsWhat's the point in purchasing an expensive laser cutting machine if you are going to waste money-making opportunities by unloading parts manually? Good nesting software, proper maintenance, and the latest unloading technology can help to make automated laser cutting and unloading a reality.
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Air cutting revisited: More research reveals more can be done using shop air in laser cuttingFabricators are increasingly using compressed air in laser cutting, instead of relying on laser assist gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. Recent findings reveal that shop air can be used on more material types and thicknesses, including parts on which the edge quality is visible.
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3 ways to get the most from your laser operation: Machine choice, automation, and preventive maintenance |
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Achieving efficiency with occasional high-pressure, high-flow nitrogen use: The economics of choosing the right mode for your laserSeveral modes of nitrogen assist gas supply exist, but with choice comes the potential of saddling your business with overhead costs that make it difficult to compete. The best approach is to map out a growth strategy, using each option's performance and value, that coincides with monthly nitrogen usage.
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Successful automation isn't automatic: Fabricators need to communicate and ask the right questionsAs with so many other ventures in life, successfully implementing a laser automation system rests on one key practice: communication.
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Getting into the thick of high-powered lasers: Increased resonator wattage opens the door to plenty of opportunitiesThe new high-powered lasers allow fab shops to serve a broader range of custom needs.
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Hyperactive fabrication: Hype Manufacturing uses the latest metal cutting technology to make its way in the world of racingHype Manufacturing invested in a horizontal machining center, two lathes, two vertical machining centers, a universal milling machine, tube bending equipment, a press brake, a laser cutting system, and a waterjet to support its racing effort.
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Laser safety in the industrial workplace: Knowing the dangers and taking adequate precautionsLasers are capable of cutting thin-gauge metal and plate at incredible speeds and with outstanding results. But a laser also is capable of great damage to operators if the proper safety steps are not followed. To keep everyone safe and the laser cutting machine operating, a fabricating operation should have a safety program in place.
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Shop perfects laser cutting brass, titaniumMeeting a challenge sometimes requires out-of-the box thinking. One contract manufacturer employed a thorough knowledge of laser cutting, determination, ingenuity, and tenacity to successfully laser cut difficult-to-process materials.
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The dirt on laser lenses: Keeping the lenses clean is key to keeping equipment runningThis roundup of laser lens providers gives tips on extending the life of lenses used in laser cutting.
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Lasers catch limelight at ALAW: Conference’s fabricator track puts the big picture center stageHow can laser technology make metal fabrication more efficient? The efficiency comes not only from advances within the laser itself, but also in new ways to integrate those lasers for optimal part flow on the shop floor. Several presenters at ALAW 2008 hammered this point home.
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Making sense of metal cutting technologies: Oxyfuel, plasma, laser, waterjet-all have their place in today's shopThis article was developed from the Comparative Cutting Panel conducted at the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association's Metal Matters conference in Orlando, Fla., March 2008.
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Laser optics: Special delivery: Lens coatings, adaptive optics make laser cutting more efficientNot only can today's laser optics handle more power, they also enhance beam quality, reduce maintenance, increase power delivered to the cutting head, and improve mode stability.
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When does a punch/laser make sense?: 3 Questions a fabricator needs to askHawkeye Industries Inc., Tupelo, Miss., was getting more and more orders for parts that required both punching and laser cutting. To meet the growing demand, the company purchased a combination punch/laser machine. Some shops are more suited than others to this technolgy--combination machines can increase profits for some companies, and costs for others. Shop owners should keep five key things in mind when evaluating and purchasing a combination punch/laser machine.
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Are you getting enough fiber in your metal fabricating diet?: Examining the growing market for fiber lasersWith sales forecasts predicting that fiber laser sales will increase by 16 percent, to $323 million, in 2008--$112 million of that in metal processing industries--this year is being called the year of the fiber laser. A closer look at the technology shows why this might be true.
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Laser and waterjet: friends or foes?: Capabilities make these technologies complements, not competitorsKnowing the capabilities and drawbacks of laser and waterjet machines is the key in determining which is best for a particular application.
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New dimension, familiar direction: H.W. Metals invests in a laser cutter for jobs where plasma doesn’t cut itH.W. Metals offers punching, shearing, arc welding, machining, oxyfuel cutting, and standard and high-definition plasma cutting. The company found that there was more and more work it couldn't do for its customers because some jobs required laser-cut parts. The company decided to purchase a laser to expand capabilities in its current markets by offering an alternative to plasma cutting. In October, the company installed a Prima Maximo laser cutting system, which will allow the company to provide more capabilities to existing customers.
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Purging the plenum for better laser cutting: How dry compressed air can increase laser intensityTypically, compressed air or nitrogen circulates in the plenum to ensure that water, dirt, dust, smoke, haze, and solid particulate matter are absent so that the mirrors in a laser resonator do not become cloudy. In recent years, membrane air dryer systems that provide drying and removal of particulate matter have been developed for flushing the beam path.
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The hidden costs of laser cutting gases: Eliminating inefficient gas delivery can boost the bottom lineGases for laser operations can be a significant factor in keeping costs down.
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Entendiendo las tecnologias de corte de metal: Oxicombustible, plasma, laser, chorro de agua-todos tienen su lugar |
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Saying 'yes' when others can't: Job shop uses flexibility, not capacity, to gauge automation’s successIMEC, a small job shop in southwest Missouri, invests in automationnot necessarily to increase capacity, but to increase flexibility.
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Láser y chorro de agua: ¿amigos o enemigos?: Sus capacidades hacen que estas tecnologías se complementen y no que compitan entre sí |
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The importance of focal positions in laser cutting: Understanding the rules of laser beam focusing is crucial to delivering high-quality laser-cut partsIf the proper laser beam focal position and projection shapes are maintained within the material to be processed, the balance of the requirements necessary to producing a consistent, high-quality laser-cut are kept to a minimum. That's why it's important for laser cutting equipment operators to know the rules of laser beam focusing.
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A breath of fresh air Laser cutting technique offers a new alternative: Laser cutting technique offers a new alternativeOne of the recent developments in laser cutting is the use of compressed air as a laser cutting assist gas. The process is not brand-new, but the benefits of the process are making it a growing trend.
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Blended laser-assist gases: Recipe for successful materials processingNow processing a greater variety of materials with their lasers, fabricators are exploring new assist gas blends of up to four gases. What's the best way to blend and deliver these gases? For some, on-site blending systems can help optimize cost savings and improve quality.
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Upgrading your laser cutting equipment: From resonator replacement to full system replacementUpgrading the laser resonator or undertaking full laser cutting renovation represents an alternative to the expensive proposition of purchasing a new laser cutting machine.
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