Page 44 - MetalForming February 2013

The numbers: 15,000 and 26,000. That’s how many peo- taken right and left.
ple, respectively, attended FABTECH 2012 in Las Vegas
on its first day (Monday, November 12) and overall. By all accounts the metalforming and fabricating show was a tremendous success, as exhibitors took numerous equipment orders right from the show floor. And, optimism for 2013 abounds, as show organizers already have booked more than 500,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space for the 2013 FABTECH show in Chicago.
As I was (and wrote here) last year post-show, I’m still rev- eling in the party that was FABTECH. If you were there, you know what I mean. The record number of first-day attendees, and in fact all of the 2012 show attendees, were, from all accounts, not tire kickers. Equipment orders were being
From the METALFORM side of the show, servo presses remained the center of attention. And we also spoke with exhibitors about the rising demand for custom hydraulic presses; new lubricant technology, including “green” stamp- ing lubes; and software enhancements promising to deliver improved management of design and manufacturing func- tions, from the management suite to the production floor.
What follows are just a few highlights from FABTECH 2012; we presented other product introductions made at the show in our October 2012 FABTECH show issue. And, we’ll feature additional new-product introductions in coming issues of MetalForming, and in our quarterly sister publica- tion Fabricating Product News.
An Easy Switch from Laser-Cutting Flat Sheets to Tube or Pipe
Amada has expanded on its FOM2 laser-cutting system by adding an innovative rotary index, “delivering the power and speed to efficiently cut mid to thick materials,” say company officials. The rotary index is located on one of three interchangeable shuttle pallets, making it easy for metalformers to switch from flat sheet cut-
ting to tube or pipe cutting.
Amada’s FOM2RI-3015 can process round, square, rectan-
gle, C-channel and angle iron, taking on materials as heavy as 441 lb. Included is Amada’s Dr. Abe Tube process software that houses programs for cutting many common shapes and con- figurations, making it easy to fabricate tubular structures that fit together for welding.
The rotary index is an integrated unit, allowing the cutting head to be positioned near the controllable pneumatic chuck and minimizing the dead zone. Bowed pipe or tubing can be cut without vibration while maintaining accuracy from end to end.
www.amada.com
42 MetalForming/February 2013
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Draws Thousands to Vegas
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR