Page 27 - MetalForming June 2012

ECCO finds that the accuracy and the small cut width of the fiber-laser beam is so fine that it’s been able to be more creative in how it designs its products, including the use of tabs. And, being able to round the corners of the tabs means that installers have less chance of cutting themselves.
Convinced it Made the Correct Choice
ECCO installed its laser-cutting machine in August, 2011. The machine has a 120- by 60-in. worktable and a 6-in. z axis, and its unique architec- ture allows full accessibility to the work- ing area from three sides. Further, its optical setup allows cutting all materi- als and thicknesses with one lens, so that production changes can be made without interruptions for lens changes.
“We also like the basic drive system of the machine,” adds Mackay. “And, Prima Power has a service technician in the Alberta area, which no other sup- plier has. The machine has been oper- ating well, with cutting speed from 1200 to 1500 in./min. And while we’re not primarily a precision manufactur- er, the small cut width of the beam is so fine that we’ve been able to be more creative in how we design our products, including the use of tabs and the abil- ity to add inside features.
“As we have continued to research
The Platino’s pallet changer enables ECCO to swap out sheets in 20 or 30 sec., “significantly quicker than with other systems,” says Mackay, noting that the quick changeover maximizes beam-on time and reduces idle time.
lasers, we’re sure that we made the right choice for our company,” contin- ues Mackay. “We make so many dif- ferent products here, from large part lots of 3000 to as little as 20 at a time. Before the laser, many of our products had to run through circle shears and drill presses. Setting up multiple machines creates numerous ineffi- ciencies. Now, laser cutting allows us to eliminate as many as three or four operations depending on the part.”
Additional hidden costs also have been eliminated, due to streamlining its assembly processes. “When using
band saws to cut our parts,” Mackay says, “we’d experience inconsisten- cies between blank stacks. As a result, we had to make minor yet time-con- suming changes to our assembly setups. The fiber laser has eliminated these inconsistencies, optimizing productivity.”
Other benefits noted by Mackay: improved material utilization, faster assembly and superior part quality. “The ability to add value-added fea- tures, such as rounding the corners on tabs, means that installers have less chance of cutting themselves,” he says.
Automation
ECCO equipped its Platino machine with an automatic pallet changer, fea- turing automatic speed adjustment based on sheet weight, and drawers for efficient scrap collection. Mackay notes particular appreciation for the setup’s efficient pallet swap time.
“Since we are a production manu- facturer, we run through several sheets per production run,” he says. “We’re able to swap out sheets in 20 or 30 sec., significantly quicker than other sys- tems which, we learned, take 50 sec. to a full minute to swap out sheets. That’s a big deal. We’re eliminating a consid- erable amount of idle time, so that the machine spends more time cutting.”
MF
Article provided by Prima Power North America, Arlington Heights, IL: 847/952-6550, www.prima-na.com.
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/June 2012 25