February 2013
A careful and comprehensive analysis must examine not only the cutting equipment itself, but also the impact the new equipment will have on other existing fabrication processes.
Hydraulic press operators must keep their costs down while meeting shorter lead times and the demand for higher precision parts. New press technology has already outdated some presses that were purchased as recently as ten to fifteen years ago. Is new machinery the only answer? Here’s why the answer is no.
Punching automation was once considered simply a tool for large production runs. But now even small job shops are automating to free operators to perform other tasks or prepare machines for their next job. Here’s a look at how punching automation now fits to meet any shop’s needs.
Facing demand that its battery of punch presses and laser cutting systems could not meet effectively, Hearth & Home Technologies installed a JETCAM system that easily configured into its operations and met the challenge by eliminating waste across the board.
A careful and comprehensive analysis must examine not only the cutting equipment itself, but also the impact the new equipment will have on other existing fabrication processes.
As the highest powered solid-state 2D laser cutting machine on the market, the TruLaser 5040 fiber system from TRUMPF cuts not only mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum cost-effectively, but also non-ferrous metals such as copper and brass, up to 0.4 in thick.
The fully automated L5 fiber laser cutting system from Salvagnini slashes costs per part by more than 50 percent, energy consumption by more than 70 percent, and running costs by two-thirds, with virtually zero maintenance.
The LASERDYNE 430 from Prima Power Laserdyne performs precision cutting, welding and drilling of 3D components that are ideal for the demanding medical device and precision instrumentation industries.
The 3015 NX-F fiber laser from MC Machinery/Mitsubishi uses a fiber laser oscillator, a Z-axis linear drive and head preset auto-focus processing to combine high speed cutting with the precision of a 64-bit NC with a 15 in touch screen NC-panel and more.
The Electra FL fiber laser cutting system from LVD Strippit provides fast, accurate thin sheet processing of traditional sheet metal materials such as mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum, with the added versatility to efficiently process metals such as copper and brass.
The1 kW JenLas® fiber cw 1000 fiber laser from Jenoptik ensures fast processing, consistently high productivity, more energy efficiency and more cost effectiveness compared to CO2 lasers, especially in metal cutting and welding.
Compared to CO2 laser systems, the HyIntensity® Fiber Laser HFL030 from Hypertherm significantly simplifies table design requirements and integration, lowers operating costs and drastically reduces total cost of ownership.
The Series 30i/31i-L MODEL B high-speed laser control from FANUC FA has the capacity to deliver seamless choreography between axes motion and power modulation, even in cases of extremely high speeds when processing thin gage materials.
The META system/1 kW CO2 laser from Coherent can readily cut stainless steel thicknesses up to 3 mm, aluminum up to 2 mm, and mild steel up to 6 mm, with unmatched flexibility to process a wide range of plastics, wood, fabrics, leather, paper and thin films.
The BySprint Pro 3015 high-speed laser cutting system from Bystronic has a higher wattage option that provides faster feed rates and quicker pierce times across the full material range and a lower cost per part.
The OPTIPLEX 4 kW fiber laser system from Mazak Optonics uses a Type 10 resonator for improved operating efficiency when processing the thinnest steel up to 1 in mild steel and retaining optimal cutting conditions during extended unattended operation.
This large gantry from ESAB with a high-stiffness beam design features dual precision linear rails and precision rack and pinion drives that are ideal for waterjet cutting large plates with multiple process tools in harsh environments.
Punching automation was once considered simply a tool for large production runs. But now even small job shops are automating to free operators to perform other tasks or prepare machines for their next job. Here’s a look at how punching automation now fits to meet any shop’s needs.
As competitive machining continues to grow more complex in the orthopedic instrument market, Dixon Surgical discovered how SolidCAM software could radically increased their productivity by halving cycle times and making cutters last five times longer in their turn-mill operations.
As technologies merge and metal fabrication applications grow more complex, CNC is now becoming a powerful alternative solution to PLCs for builders and users of metal forming and “non-traditional” machine tools, such as EDM, abrasive waterjet and others.
The manufacturing sector has come far in its use of analytic data, but not far enough. Ben Kerschberg of the BK Advisory Group explains why manufacturers who do not embrace a complete vision of using this tool will soon find themselves at a significant competitive disadvantage.
The Vertex 550-5XB vertical machining center from Mitsui Seiki USA incorporates a proven spindle configuration that is ideally suited to cut hard titanium and stainless steel grades designed for aerospace and power generation turbine blades.
The VM3224 linear way vertical machining center from Milltronics is equipped with an 8200 CNC Control and comes factory-ready for 1,000 psi through spindle coolant and 4th axis interface.
The Vertical Center Smart 430A vertical machining center from Mazak provides reliable, high productivity performance at an affordable price point.
The F5-5XR vertical machining center from Makino provides five-face machining and full five-axis processing for complex, die/mold, aerospace and medical parts.
Triumph Aerostructures is installing two of these 5-axis Precision Mill-and-Trim vertical gantry mills from MAG for machining large composite or non-ferrous parts on existing X-axis rails as part of its Hawthorne plant modernization.
The UMC-750 machining center from Haas is an economical 5-axis solution to reduce setups and increase accuracy on multi-sided and complex parts.
The new FANUC D21 RoboDrill vertical machining center from Methods Machine Tools uses the latest in control efficiency and can be configured for 3- to 5-axis applications with fully integrated automation and pallet changes.
Does your shop face a lack of skilled welders? The innovative live-arc RealWeld Trainer from Praxair and EWI is ideal for training, retraining and skills evaluation because it digitally records motions and objectively scores live welding techniques.
Many welders are still not aware that it is now possible to combine and capture all the information associated with their welding operation into one simple interface – their power source. This is the most advanced way to approach data acquisition and production monitoring in the welding industry.
Hydraulic press operators must keep their costs down while meeting shorter lead times and the demand for higher precision parts. New press technology has already outdated some presses that were purchased as recently as ten to fifteen years ago. Is new machinery the only answer? Here’s why the answer is no.
Forklift-free systems compliment lean manufacturing by replenishing material as it is used, rather than keeping excess material on the shop floor. And they can require less than half of the equipment and labor necessary to move those materials. Is it time to consider a switch?
The unsafe workplace costs a lot of money. The financial magnitude of expenses incurred in operating an unsafe workplace must be understood. This examination of the true costs associated with poor safety uncovers how far they extend beyond simply counting the cost of safety glasses or wages paid to the safety department.
The 4XLift heavy-duty four-post vertical lift from Wildeck can effortlessly transfer material up to 30,000 lb between multiple levels in your facility.
These solid carbide end mills from ATI Stellram use a patented pull out protection system from Haimer and are designed specifically to meet the demands of heavy-duty cutting in aerospace and energy applications.
Big holes don’t mean big bottlenecks anymore, even though some shops still don’t believe a hole can be milled right through solid steel. But R&R Machine proves it by producing big holes faster than twist drilling and with much better tolerances than flame or plasma cutting by using Ingersoll Cutting Tools.
When a die for a production part needs maintenance, finding the least-cost fix in the shortest time is critical. Here are some ways that tooling engineers can achieve time savings of over 80 percent and avoid costly die rework by using next generation root cause software to simulate the iteration process.
QC20-W wireless ballbar technology from Renishaw does fast checks with minimal interruption and adds a new dimension of volumetric accuracy testing that is ideal for use in small machining envelopes on medical machine tools.
