Content tagged with "lasers"
Results: 23
Article
June 26, 2009
Getting close to remote laser welding
Figure 1
A remote laser welding cell doesn't take up too much room on a shop floor and holds the promise of being more productive than traditional spot welding setups. Photo courtesy of Rofin-Sinar Inc.
In an RLW system (see Figure 1 ), the laser beam is focused over the workpiece... Read more...
Article
October 14, 2008
Welding with diode lasers
While lasers have been used in welding for many years, this is still an active area of technological development. In particular, improvements in traditional welding lasers, together with the introduction of entirely new types of lasers, have expanded the capabilities of this technique and... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
Article
October 23, 2007
Designing for laser cutting
A revolution is under way in the tube fabrication industry. The revolution is being driven by the need for manufacturers to fabricate tubular products faster, more accurately, at lower cost, and with shorter lead-times than before. The enemies in this fight are a shortage of skilled labor,... 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
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
Live or die making tools
In a state of transition, the Niemela family business still bears its former tool and die name—NTE for Northern Tool & Engineering—and Laser North, the name of its new, repositioned company. Leo Niemela's business style is a product of his upbringing. Niemela recalled his... 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
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
July 11, 2006
Laser cutting 3-D preformed parts
In as little as 20 minutes, some of today's offline multiaxis CAD/ CAM software for laser cutters can automatically design and generate NC code for a sheet metal workholding fixture, create NC code for 3-D parts, perform cutting simulations with part interference checks, and allow... Read more...
Article
November 8, 2005
Growing gains with lasers
Growing pains with lasers
Significant investment in laser processing equipment helps Laser Precision process both shim-thick stainless steel to 1-inch-thick plate and remain competitive by keeping labor needs low.
It took one phrase to change Jeff Adams' direction in... Read more...
Article
October 11, 2005
'Star Wars,' move over: Presenting ... the Job Shop Trilogy
Laser welding is the basis of hybrid laser-arc welding. First flat-sheet bed cutting expanded job shop capabilities. Then multiaxis processing came along. Today, even as the dark side squeezes hard on job shop profits, new opportunities for differentiation continue to arise. Enter... 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...
Article
October 11, 2005
Fitness equipment manufacturer pumps up
Given the spirited competition in the fitness industry these days, Los Angeles-based Paramount Fitness Corp. can't afford to get the slightest bit out of shape. A leader in the design and manufacture of commercial strength training products turned to laser technology to help keep it in... Read more...
Article
September 13, 2005
Keys to success in laser welding
A technician explains the features of an Nd:YAG laser. Involving production personnel early in the process is an important way to ensure the success of a laser project.
Engineers and project managers sometimes reduce the success of a manufacturing process to a few... Read more...
Article
July 12, 2005
Applying lasers to appliances
Wisco Industries, Oregon, Wis., uses its 3,500-W CO 2 laser to cut up to 1-in.-thick mild steel and up to 12-in.-thick stainless steel as part of its manufacturing operations.
During a slow economic recovery, many manufacturers ask themselves if it's worth it to... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2005
To buy or not to buy?
Dirk Debruyne was in a tough spot. He had to make a decision, and he knew it would not be an easy one. He needed a laser cutting machine, but not just any machine would do. Debruyne is the technical director of commerce for Metalen Verhoestraete, a 100-year-old service center in... Read more...
Article
February 27, 2003
Article
May 18, 2002
Unattended operation of CO2laser process systems
During the 1980s the term lights-out as it applied to CO 2 laser processing equipment had a different meaning than it does today. In those days a lights-out environment meant completing the sheets that were left on the cutting table by the previous shift. Sheets that were already loaded... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2002
Article
February 14, 2002
The importance of lasing gas purity
Industrial laser powers have increased dramatically over the past few years. This has made maintaining a high-purity atmosphere within the laser resonator more important than ever. Certain gaseous impurities can cause significant damage to the resonator. How pure is pure enough, and how... Read more...
Article
May 15, 2001
Safety Fundamentals for Today's Industrial Lasers
In today's industrial workplace, lasers are used for cutting and welding metals, bar code scanning, inventory tracking, parts identification, measurement, as well as rapid prototyping. Simply put, the uses are many, and the applications seem limitless.
In a recent report... Read more...
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