Page 24 - MetalForming January/February 2022

FABRICATION
Today’s fabricating technology promises the ability to produce high-quality components job after job, in a variety of applications. And, in each issue, MetalForming is committed to informing you on how fabrication equipment delivers.
This month, we’ll explore the growth of VanRon Steel Services, which evolved from supplying cut- to-length tube sections to full- service fabrication via laser cutting and other fabrication processes.
Also, learn how certified training helped Knapheide Manufacturing improve its resistance welding operations, and how this training can help yours, too.
Contents
22 News&Technology
24 Light-GaugeLaserTube Cutting
28 Resistance Welding Training Helps the Best Gets Better
News & Technology
Compact Fiber Laser Ideal
for Bringing Cutting Inhouse
Cincinnati Inc. (CI) has
unveiled the CLi, a high-
quality cost-effective fiber
laser with a compact foot-
print. The lowercase “I” in
CLi stands for “introducto-
ry,” meaning it’s an ideal starting laser that has all the functions necessary for shops that want to make parts rather than outsource, according to CI officials.
The CLi offers simple operability thanks to its HMI control and dual-screen Win- dows-based interface. The 5 by 5-ft. table is packed into a 10 by 11-ft. footprint, meaning that it can fit just about anywhere on a shop floor.
“If cost-effectiveness is the goal, the recommendation used to be that you should pick up a used CO2 laser,” says Troy Wilson, CNC table products product manager for CI. “But with the CLi, you can get a new fiber laser for the price of a used CO2, with higher capabilities and reliability. The CLi lets OEMs that don’t need a lot of sheet metal to control their own destinies. They get their own 5 by 5-ft. laser table that builds parts when needed without waiting weeks or months for outsourced parts.” Cincinnati Inc.: e-ci.com
Retrofit CNC Systems to Safeguard Against Cyberattacks
Fanuc America has introduced an upgrade for legacy CNC machines running on operating systems older than Windows 10: The Panel i Replacement program retrofits
Fanuc CNCs with a powerful industrial PC available with touch or non-touch LCD display, solid-state drives and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise.
Fanuc CNCs running on obsolete operating systems, such as Windows 7, XP or older, no longer are supported by Microsoft and therefore not receiving their critical updates. If machines connect to an online network, this can leave sensitive manufacturing equipment open to major cybersecurity breaches. Retrofitting industrial PCs on these machines allows businesses to safely and securely connect their CNCs to their network and take advantage of Industrial Internet of Things data.
“To stay competitive, you need real-time operational information from your CNC machines to make data-driven decisions,” says Jon Heddleson, general manager of factory automation for Fanuc America. “But, a lot of legacy CNC equipment is still in use today. To fill this critical cybersecurity need, this program allows Fanuc CNC users to unlock IIoT advantages by connecting their machines to the business network in a safe and secure way.”
Connecting CNC equipment allows operations to safety and securely run machines remotely as well as collect important production data critical for business decisions. In addition to offering cybersecurity protection, the Fanuc Panel i Replacement Program provides two screen size options, a faster CPU, more memory and larger storage. Fanuc America Corp.: www.fanucamerica.com
22 MetalForming/January-February 2022
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