Page 12 - MetalForming January 2014

Tech Update
Cost-
Effective Solid- State-Laser Cutting
Hydrapower International Inc., Marco Island, FL, has developed a laser-cutting machine it says is “affordable for shops with low-volume applications in sheetmetal and thin materials.” Offered as an alternative to more expensive and higher-power CO2 and fiber lasers, the firm’s 600-W yag laser reportedly delivers 50-percent higher cutting speeds than previous models. The machine’s structural components are made in Aus- tralia in a strategic alliance with Dade Heavy Industries; linear-motion components are American brands.
Machine sizes: 5 by 10 and 5 by 13 ft. A tube-cutting attachment is optional.
Hydrapower: 239/642-5379; www.hydrapower-intl.com
Double-Sheet
Detector and
Smart Sensor
Prime Controls Inc., Dayton, OH, a manufacturer of sensors and controls for machine makers and end users, intro- duces the Pulser II (control model DS210) double-sheet detector, equipped with electromagnetic smart sensors (probe model PE36M). The Pulser II has a com- pact NEMA 4X control housing, which con- veniently pairs with a newly designed smart probe able to remember as many as eight calibration values. This saves time while eliminating the need to recal- ibrate after line changes.
The Pulser II is uniquely suited for pick- and-place applications, and also can be mounted on the end of a robotic arm for transfer of sheetmetal and metal parts. It detects double sheets that might be stuck together, preventing them from entering a press and potentially dam-