Page 30 - MetalForming-Jan-2018-issue

Fabrication: News & Technology
On-the-Fly Laser Drilling of Linear and Cylindrical Patterns
As airflow routes back toward the oper- ator, personal protective equipment is recommended, with chip shields available to protect the operator from the exiting debris. Exair stocks extension pipes from 12 to 72 in. long to provide necessary reach for cleanout of longer tube and pipe. Exair Corp.: www.exair.com
BLM Group USA Commits to Workshop for Warriors
Prima Power Laserdyne, Champlin, MN, has introduced SmartPerf, a tool for programming and laser drilling of simple to complex hole patterns in linear and cylindrical paths in 2D and 3D parts. SmartPerf ensures high-quality holes, in terms of metallurgy and geometry, according to company officials, with the benefit of a rapid
SmartPerf is a proven process for percussion drilling small-diameter (0.2 to 0.6-mm) holes in turbine-engine combustors. All Prima Power Laserdyne Nd:YAG and fiber-laser systems can drill these holes at steep angles and in difficult-to-machine materials. Thousands of holes can be produced quickly over a 3D surface in a single setup. SmartPerf also is used for producing hole patterns involving
both trepanning in addition to on-the-fly drilling.
Complex patterns involving non-uniform hole spacing and varying hole size reportedly
are easily produced. Common applications involve drilling a pattern around a pre- existing machined feature (photo) and creating custom spray patterns based on an array of non-uniformly spaced, sized and shaped holes.
Quality is enhanced due to reduced heat applied to the workpiece. This is especially important when laser drilling thermal-barrier and other coated high-temperature alloys. Prima PowerLaserdyne: www.primapowerlaserdyne.com
Left to right: BLM Group USA President and COO Dr. Jeffrey Ahrstrom and CFO Jami Stislicki present Hernán Luis y Prado, founder and COO of Workshops for Warriors with a $25,000 check at FABTECH 2017 to kick off BLM’s spon- sorship of the program.
Soft-Grip Air Gun for Cleaning Inside Diameters
A new soft-grip back-
blow air gun from Exair
Corp., Cincinnati, OH, deliv-
ers a blast of air to effec-
tively blow debris and liq-
uids from pipe or hose
IDs, channels, bores,
holes, internal threads
and other internal part
features. The ergonomic
design of the air gun keeps
the operator's hand in a
comfortable position to help prevent operator fatigue.
BLM Group USA, Novi, MI, provider of tube and sheetmetal processing solutions, announced its corporate involvement with Workshop for Warriors, a nonprofit school that trains, certifies and helps place vet- erans, wounded warriors and transitioning service members into advanced-manu- facturing careers such as welding, CAD/CAM programming and machining. BLM has committed to sponsoring a student who is currently enrolled in the Machining for Warriors program, with the intent to hire that individual as a field service technician upon course completion.
cycle time for on-the-fly laser drilling. High productivity is accomplished by eliminating the need for acceleration and deceleration at each hole loca- tion as is common in standard percussion laser drilling.
An array of holes on the model-1006SS back-blow air nozzle provides a forceful, back-facing 360-deg. airflow to clear out coolant, chips and light oils from machining processes. This nozzle prevents the blowing of chips farther into a part, tube or pipe, and eliminates any safety hazard created by blowing debris out of the far end of a pipe or tube. Other features include low air consumption and noise levels. The nozzle is manufactured with a small profile and will fit inside openings as small as 7⁄8-in. dia., and is effective on IDs to 4 in. It is constructed of type-316 stainless steel to provide durability and corrosion resistance.
“It’s an honor for our company to be involved with Workshops for Warriors,” says BLM President and COO Jeffrey Ahrstrom. “The sacrifices and abilities of our veteran population is nothing short of remarkable. The training is rigorous and comprehensive, and graduates are
28 MetalForming/January 2018
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