Page 34 - MetalForming July 2011

New Products
Stand Mounts Ease Conveyor-Belt Changes
Dorner Mfg., Hartland, WI, introduces cantilever stand mounts to allow fabricators to
easily open their convey-
ors for fast belt changes.
Cantilever stands support
the conveyor from only one side,
which opens the other side up for easy access. This feature proves ideal when conveyors are placed it tight locations or for applications that require frequent belt changes.
Standard conveyor stands often must be
removed to facilitate a belt change; cantilever
stands allow the belt to slide off without remov-
ing stands, and by only one technician. The unique
side-support design of the cantilever stand mount
also provides easy access for employee interac-
tion and more efficient cleaning, by eliminating
obstructions to the conveyor. The cantilever stand mounts are engineered to work with Dorner’s 2200 and 3200 Series conveyors from 2 to 24 in. wide.
Dorner Mfg.: 800/397-8664; www.dornerconveyors.com
Fiber-Laser System Boosts Cutting Speed, Slashes Operating Costs
Cincinnati Inc., Cincinnati, OH, has expanded its laser- cutting product line with the introduction of the CL-900 series fiber-laser cutting systems. The systems com-
bine the low operating cost of fiber lasers with the company’s high-per- formance 12,000-in./min. linear-motor axis drives to create a productive, economical laser-cutting system for
Ask the Expert
Hydraulic Presses
Ryan Pendleton, regional manager, Beckwood
Press Co.
Q:What are the benefits associated with hydraulic-press-ram slide bushings?
A:Slide bushings are designed to be low-maintenance, non-wearing components. These should result in no wear of the bushing sur-
face provided that the ram is periodically lubricated. The most significant advantage, however, is the massive amount of guidance provided. Even for minimal designs consisting of 20-in.-tall bushings, each bushing pro- vides more than 375 sq. in. of guiding surface area. This minimizes later- al forces, resulting in consistent bed-to-ram alignment and repeatability.
sheetmetal processing.
CL-900 series machines reportedly cut
mild steel two- to three-times faster than conventional machines, while reduc- ing operating costs by as much as 40 per- cent. Their solid-state fiber laser mini- mizes maintenance costs, compared to conventional CO2 lasers, by eliminating the need for laser gas, internal optics, glassware, blowers and vacuum pumps. Also, fiber lasers deliver the beam via a flexible glass fiber—no need for external mirrors, bellows and beam purge gas.
Fabricators can spec CL-900 series systems with bed sizes of 5 by 10 or 6 by 12 ft. They carry a PC-based HMI con- trol that comes standard with Cincinnati’s programming and nesting software, to optimize machine performance. As an option, add a web cam to monitor the cut- ting process online.
Cincinnati Inc.: 513/367-7100; www.e-ci.com
Line of Transporter Magnets Expanded to 689-lb. Capacity
Industrial Magnetics, Inc., Boyne City, MI, has expanded its line of cylinder-actu- ated material-handling magnets, for use in place of vacuum cups or grippers when lifting and moving stamped and hydroformed parts, tubes and assemblies. Capacity ranges from 5 to 689 lb. The
ERP Software
David Klotz, senior account manager, Plex Systems, Inc.
Q:What is meant by an ERP system’s total cost of ownership (TCO)?
A:Metalformers are wise to consider TCO when acquiring a new ERP system. TCO includes the direct costs of software licenses,
hardware purchases, IT consulting, maintenance fees and other charges. Indirect costs include any downtime due to software launch and training. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) ERP systems help compa- nies avoid direct costs such as for the license and maintenance. The SaaS model does, however, include a monthly subscription fee.
www.plex.com
32 MetalForming/July 2011
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