Page 22 - MetalForming July 2011

According to Vac-Con plant man- ager Bob Graden, the Platino has been a wise investment. “We decided on the machine because of its relatively small footprint that allowed it to fit within the production space of our building,” explains Graden. “As we researched the laser market, we also discovered that Platino and the TowerServer formed a very economical production system.” The machine boasts a work envelope of 120in.(xaxis)by60in.(yaxis)by6in. (z axis).
Prima’s 10-shelf TowerServer allows easy loading/unloading of blanks and processed sheets. Its elevator facili- tates loading and unloading of pallets on and off the tower, and features sin- gle-sheet separating, control systems and sheet reference.
Production More than Triples
“This system has proven to be one of the better investments that we have ever made,” says Graden. “It has allowed us to gain about a 30 to 35 percent increase in output, in part since we can run it unmanned throughout our second shift.
“Before we bought the Platino,” con- tinues Graden, “we were producing about 80 sheets/week off the two plas- ma-cutting centers. Now we cut 200 to 300 sheets/week. The Platino’s effi- ciency has allowed us to take one of the plasma cutting centers offline. Overall, since 2007 we’ve improved our manu- facturing efficiency by 15 to 20 per- cent, in large part due to the new laser- cutting system. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of all of the sheet and plate in our shop is processed by the laser.”
The laser system also has improved quality and thus reduced secondary finishing operations. Says Graden: “The parts coming off of the plasma-cutting machines require a secondary sand- ing operation that the laser-cut parts do not.”
Vac-Con’s Platino 2D laser-cutting system, from Prima North America, is equipped with a 10-shelf automated material-han- dling system (left). Approximately 50 to 60 percent of all of the sheet and plate in the shop is processed by the laser. The laser system has improved quality and reduced sec- ondary finishing operations performed in the plant.
20 MetalForming/July 2011
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Inventory Management
The TowerServer not only has helped produce more parts for Vac- Con, but has allowed the company to better manage its sheet-steel invento- ry. “Every day our engineers look at parts in a different light because we have capabilities throughout our laser- cutting operations that allow us to not only improve part quality but in some cases combine parts that we used to cut separately and then weld together into a complex assembly,” explains Graden. “We now can cut larger parts on our laser center, form them on our press brakes and greatly reduce welding time, while also improving appearance and quality.”
The Platino’s laser-cutting head offers users a choice of a 10-in. focal length, in addition to the standard 5- and 7.5-in. lenses. The 10-in. lens enhances application flexibility by increasing the depth of focus and enlarging the spot diameter for high and uniform cut quality on thick stain-
less (to 5⁄8 in.), aluminum (1⁄2 in.) and mild steel (1 in.).
According to Graden, since instal- lation, the laser system has proven itself time and again. “When we first brought the system online, we had two opera- tors operating the machine 16 to 20 hr./day,” he says. “As we gained a better understanding of the machine and became more adept at nesting our parts, we found that we could actually move one of the operators to another function within the fabrication area. Because we can run lights-out, it’s grat- ifying to come to the shop in the morn- ing and find parts sitting there ready to move to other processes.” MF