Page 29 - MetalForming April 2015

weld the two pieces together. Laser- cutting the notches, compared to machining, proves to be considerably faster, more accurate and more repeat- able in terms of weld fitup.”
Spatter-Free Piercing
Among the unique features of the laser-cutting machine noted by Johnny Czerwinski is oil-mist piercing—a tech- nique Amada refers to as spatter-free pierce (SFP). This technique finds use, say Amada representatives, when pierc- ing and cutting small features within a part. The oil mist helps to prevent the molten metal from the pierce from sticking to the work surface around the pierced hole. This proves useful because the machine’s height sensor may detect the mound of spatter should it grow too large and cause an unexpected—and unneeded—increase in nozzle standoff. This, in some cases, can lead to poor cut quality.
“We’ve pierced holes as small as 1/8 in. in 3⁄16-in. sheet,” Czerwinski says. “The SFP feature works perfectly.”
For cutting thicker plate, the FOM2 machine offers water-assisted cutting. Here, a water mist cools the workpiece surface enough to allow Magnum Steel and other users to nest parts more closely together. And, since heat buildup is minimized, there’s less need to program the cutting head to jump around the nest to help balance heat input to the sheet.
A Healthy Arsenal
“In the end, with our laser-cutting machine, as well as the new turret press and press brakes, we’re a much more versatile shop than we have been,” con- cludes Sawyers. “Now when I go out to talk to customers and prospects, I know I have more in my arsenal than the next guy.”
“I see us continuing to grow the sheetmetal side of the business,” adds Jim Czerwinski. “This likely means pur- chasing additional equipment within the next year. We never dreamed that the laser would fill up with work so quickly. Next time we’ll probably go with a fiber.” MF
Die Design, Flattening, & Nesting Software for SolidWorks
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