Page 22 - MetalForming February 2015

2014
2014
FABTECH 2014, held in Atlanta last November, set records for attendance and exhibitor space, and served as a showcase for hundreds of new-product introductions. Here’s our edition of a top-10, trying to sample a little bit of everything; we’ll have plenty more in coming issues.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
So Much to See,
So Much to See,
So Little Time to See it
So Little Time to See it
FABTECH 2014 brought a wealth of innovation and technology solu- tions to Atlanta. Held from November 11 to 13, the show, the largest annual metalforming, fabricat- ing, welding and finishing event in North America, set records for numbers of attendees, exhibitors and floorspace (for a non-Chicago FABTECH).
More than 30,800 attendees from over 70 countries attended FABTECH 2014. During the three-day expo, atten- dees visited with the more than 1400 exhibitors to see live equipment demonstrations and compare prod- ucts side-by-side to find cost-saving solutions. The following new-product announcements represent just a smat- tering of the exhibits, which covered more than 550,000 sq. ft.; look for more technology introductions from FABTECH 2014 in future issues of MetalForming and Fabricating Prod- uct News.
Punch/Fiber-Laser Combination Machine Equipped to Reduce Secondary Ops
Amada showcased several machines at its massive FABTECH booth, including the new LC 2515 C1 AJ, a combination machine boasting a 2-kW fiber laser and a 49-sta- tion multipurpose turret (MPT). Fabricators will benefit from the laser’s process-range expansion feature that enhances its ability to cut reflective materials.
The laser head moves in the Y-axis via a direct-drive servomechanism, and is iso- lated from punching vibration to help maintain beam integrity and cut quality. Reli- ability is further enhanced by a gap near the laser axis, engineered to allow cutting gas and slag to escape without impacting processing. A cartridge-type lens provides
20 MetalForming/February 2015
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