Alternative Parts Inc. is the manufacturer and distributor of replacement parts for Amada Machinery and laser parts of leading brands like Amada Parts,Trumpf, Mazak, Bystronic, Prima Power, LVD Strippit, Mitsubishi, Cincinnati and Fanuc.
When looking to buy a CO2 laser machine, it is important to consider a number of primary attributes. One of the primary attributes that bifurcate the type of laser tube which machine uses is its laser source. There are major two options including water-cooled glass tubes and air-cooled metal tubes. Let’s look at the differences between glass and metal laser tubes.
Metal Laser Tubes
Metal laser tubes use radio frequency to fire a fast pulsing laser with quick repeatability. Most of the metal tubes use air cooling system excluding higher wattages. They perform the engraving process with ultra-fine detail as they have a smaller laser spot size. They have a longer life span of 10-12 years, given they have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts, before the need for the refurbishing of gas arises. Its turnaround time in some cases can be quite long.
Glass Laser Tubes
Glass laser tubes come at a lower cost. They produce laser with the direct current. It produces good-quality beams which work well for laser cutting. However, here are some of its drawbacks.
There are some safety issues as it operates with a water-cooling system. The DC power supply excite the CO2 gas in a glass laser tube. It needs high voltages for the operations. And combining such levels of voltage with a water-cooling system, it might create some safety hazards.
Glass tubes need water-cooled temperatures as it is a poor thermal conductor. Hence, in order to remove the heat from the system, it is important to keep water circulating. If there is no water-cooling system in place, a glass laser tube would overheat and become inoperable. It might increase your production cost. It also introduces other points which can come as your maintenance cost.
The DC process limits the rate at which the laser tube can work. While the laser engraving process is running in progress, it doesn’t fire in one continuous burst. Rather, it “pulses” while moving and working across the material. When DC-excited laser tubes work on the piece, they tend to pulsate less. It significantly reduces engraving speeds and lowers quality.
Plus, there will be concerns over the lifetime of DC-excited glass tubes if they don’t have premium parts like bystronic parts or prima spare parts. Glass is naturally a fragile element. After a period of time, DC-excitation process can bombard a tube’s optics and electrodes with ions. It increases the chance of deterioration over time. Most of them come with a 6-month warranty. At the time of system failures, you will have to purchase a brand-new laser tube, which will increase your costs and waste.
Here’s the one-on-one comparison between two:
Cost: DC laser tubes are cheaper than metal tubes. This cost difference is a result of lower technology and manufacturing cost.
Cutting Performance: To be realistic, both laser tubes are appropriate at their place. However, because the RF lasers work on a pulse base, these materials show a slightly rough edge. With that difference, the quality of the final results is hardly noticeable to most of the users.
Performance: Metal laser tubes generate a smaller spot size out of the output window of the laser. For high precision engraving, this smaller spot size would make a difference. There are various applications where this advantage would be clearly visible.
Longevity: RF lasers last 4-5 times longer compared to DC lasers. Its longevity can help offset the initial higher cost of the RF laser. Due to its capacity of refilling, the process can be more expensive than the replacement cost of a new DC laser.
Comparing the overall results, both of these tubes are perfect at their own place. Understand their use cases, their making, their parts like bystronic parts, and choose which is more perfect for your business model.
Laser cutting is a process which uses a computer-administered process. It cuts the material with a computing process which generates a beam. The interface integration cuts the material along with the directions. Any of the material which comes in between the route will vaporize, burned, melted, to produce high-quality surface finish material. These machines are efficient as they reduce the production cost and provides with the quality material.
Here are the major 5 types of Laser Cutting Machines available in the market:
Rotary Laser Cutting: It is mainly good to perform cutting activities of steel tubes and pipes. Drilling, sawing, milling, etc. were the major conventional ways to process pipes in the past. Nowadays, you can process the cutting of pipes using updated rotary laser cutting machine at substantially reduced production cost. It helps to process ellipse tube, round tube, rectangular tube, and D-type tube materials. Manufacturers extend Rotary machines to process high speed, accurate, and precise laser work. These machines usually have premium Mazak parts and Fanuc parts.
5 Axis Laser Cutting: It is helpful to those who want to perform three-dimensional profile cutting and cutting of two-dimensional metal sheets. It yields highly effective and inexpensive outputs as compared to the conventional means. It helps you reach areas which would be difficult to cut using other conventional methods.
Robotic Laser Cutting: It is a modern-day 3D laser cutting innovation. It extends outstanding flexibility and provides great power control. You can monitor this process and access it from anywhere. It involves high precision with a specialized cutting head which has advanced autofocus sensors. The cutting system manufacturers provide robotic laser cutting machines which give effective outputs with a multi-axis mechanical arm.
Small Format Laser Cutting: It is majorly useful for metals and nonmetals. It has adjustable z-axis to cut through thick materials with high accuracy. You can adjust the height to maintain the focal length for high-quality material. With fewer maintenance requirements when compared to the conventional methods, it produces perfectly finished outputs.
Large Format Laser Cutting: Large Format Laser Cutting Systems provides 2D large format profile laser cutter. They are mainly good to yield a high level of efficiency required for Automotive, Aerospace, Sheet Metal Fabrication, Ship Building, and other materials. They provide accurate and efficient results.
Types of Laser Cutters:
CO2 Lasers:
The CO2 laser is best for industrial cutting of various materials such as wood, glass, acrylic, leather, wax, plastics, wood, and other fabrics. It uses a carbon dioxide gas mixture stimulated by electricity. The most popular CO2 lasers are those which uses the radio frequency excited tube.
CO2 lasers are gas-based made with parts like Mazak parts and Fanuc parts. Nd and Nd-YAG lasers are crystal lasers. They are important for cutting materials, and ceramics since they are more powerful. Pumped by diodes, they contain expensive parts like Mazak parts or Fanuc parts which replace minimum 8000 to maximum 15000 hours of use.
Fiber lasers
They generate a laser beam with the so-called seed laser and amplify it is glass fibers. With a wavelength of 1.064 micrometers, fiber lasers can produce small focal diameter. As a result, its intensity is up to 100 times higher than that of CO2 lasers. They are suitable for metal marking by way of annealing, metal engraving, and high-contrast plastic markings.
MOPA laser is a special type of fiber laser. Its pulse durations are adjustable. That’s why it is one of the most flexible lasers suitable for many applications.
Nd-YAG
These crystal lasers belong to the solid-state lasers. Pumped with diodes they are crystal laser machines. The names of Nd and Nd-YAG laser is after doping element neodymium and the carrier crystal. Unlike fiber lasers, these include expensive pump diodes, which are wearing parts. The crystal ones also have a shorter service life than a fiber laser.
If you work in the metal fabrication industry, you must be knowing that Press brakes are an important part of any equipment. Thin sheets of metal and sheet metals made to particular specifications using CD/CAM are widely in use in the construction and manufacturing industries. Press brakes help bend these sheets of metal in a number of different ways.
If you are just starting in the industry, here’s all you will need to know:
Types of Press Brakes
Mainly there are three different forms of Press Brakes. Hydraulic, mechanical, and pneumatic. In the market, a hydraulic press is a superior quality press brake providing best quality results. Because of the difference in trigger mechanisms. There are different types of parts in Amada press brake including precitec parts. Each part refers to a different use. In the mechanical brakes, it uses a spring-loaded trigger. Pneumatic brakes use an air trigger. When you press the trigger in these brakes, the machine will start working.
With the hydraulic press brake, you can stop it at any point even after its stroke. In this case, the operator will have a greater degree of control over what they are doing. Thus, it helps in achieving more precise results. You can also operate Hydraulic presses at a slower pace. It gives the operator time to fine-tune the piece to their liking.
Bends and Dies
You can change the parts of the press brake. You can take them out and replace it with precitec nozzles or any other required part. Just as you changing the function and capabilities of a drill by changing the type of drill bit, changing the bends and dies in the press brake will change what it is supposed to be doing.
Precision Control
In order to run the press brake efficiently, a skilled operator is a must-have. When it comes to CAD and CAM, they have their made place in manufacturing and construction. But even when you implement them in your system, you will need a skilled operator to monitor the work and make sure that there is no defect in the final outcome.
Maintenance
If you as a fabricator are considering to buy your own press brake, it is important to understand the steps of maintenance. The good thing is, the maintenance is not that complicated compared to other machinery. Make sure to follow the manuals and keep checking the machinery on a regular interval, you might not get many issues.
Regularly clean the press brake. Make sure to remove any oil and dust which might have made their place. Doing it on a weekly basis is a great thing. All the oil filters will need changing on a yearly basis at least.
Make Sure to Take Precautions
Before performing any operations using press brake, it is necessary to support the ram of the machine. You can place the ram on two equal size wooden blocks. You can also lower the ram by the tooling.
Review it Mechanically
It is important to review piston bolts, chain sprockets, precitec nozzles, and guides of the press brake. Make sure to check the connection between the pistons and ram on a regular base. Also, to calibrate or realign the back gauge and stops.
Lubrication at a minimum number of points in modern press brake is also important. Keep moving components such as back gauge, guiding systems, and ball screws clean. Don’t forget to grease them to extend the press brake’s function and life.
Here are the components which require weekly lubrication:
Press brakes are a simple piece of machinery. In order to maintain it and leverage the functionality over a long period, follow the right steps to maintain it. Even the highest quality press brakes like Amada press brake need maintenance on a regular basis. It is a common equipment for a variety of reasons. It soon will be working with materials like graphene and other synthetic metamaterials. Make sure you make it an excellent investment for your metal projects.
What do you do when you need a promotional logo for an event in under two weeks. You must be paying high rush rates and hefty shipping charges to a promo company. But how about firing up your own laser and make 100 pieces quickly? Isn’t the second option more convenient? Now, you must be thinking about costing.
Back in the day, most small to medium-sized businesses outsourced laser engraving. With the largely spread development in technology in the market, it removed the economic barrier for the in-house capabilities of laser engraving and cutting.
Laser cutting and engraving is making a buzz in the market for many reasons. With the increasing volume of outsourcing, there comes a point when the monthly spend on custom laser services is not cost-effective.
Sometimes it can stretch your production schedule and can lead to delays. If you are a manufacturer then installing laser equipment having Amada replacement parts or Trumpf spare parts in your own factory can be a cost-friendly option. You won’t be having any delivery time pressure. Plus, whenever you have to satisfy unpredictable customer demands, you can minimize the cost by taking control of laser cutting and having those resources on-premise.
When there is a development in the technology, there are many features available in large-scale cutting and engraving machines you can find on smaller desktop models. Today’s laser cutters provide speed, productivity, and efficiency for improved output and reduced scrap rates. Due to constant improvement in design and manufacturing process, there are systems which became more durable and requires less maintenance than the older models.
Major Benefits of having an in-house laser cutter:
While there might be some manufacturers concerned about the availability of in-house expertise to develop a particular laser job configurations and engineering. Bringing an in-house laser system allows manufacturers to brand their own promotional products. They can craft their own clothing, laptops, mobile phones, and so on. They can also design their own internal/external signage and other products as employee recognition products. Engraving custom graphics on MP3 players, iPods, iPads, and cell phones is an incredibly popular application which helps deter theft.
Hence, the next time when you are facing such deadlines to customize your products, having your in-house laser cutting systems having Amada replacement parts or Trumpf spare parts could help you deliver results on time.
Some of the useful tips to help you before you place your first order:
Material: Make sure that the materials you use involve steel tubes. Also, if your materials contain high reflective metals, aluminum, red copper, etc. then choose a laser cutter which is suitable for processing of such metals.
Size: It is key to the fiber laser cutting selection. Be careful while taking a measurement on them and decide the size of the work table.
Thickness: To achieve cutting effect with efficiency, it is important to consider the thickness of materials with the wattage of fiber laser cutting machine. Plus, it will help you choose the most effective solution.
The Finance Factor
While some manufacturers pay cash for a laser, the majority of them would use the finance method. Other than the bank sources you have OEM with their own financing plans. Also, make sure you are not compromising on quality while investing in the laser cutter to save money. Higher quality parts like Amada replacement parts will not only increase the lifecycle of the cutter but will also need lesser maintenance.
But in order to get full services, you need to get a successful delivery and installation. Decide what type of foundation you will require. After that, it is important for a laser cutting machine to be in the right place with a facility away from harsh environmental areas. Also, make sure that you choose an efficient flow of laser-cut banks to downstream manufacturing process.
Utilizing heavy machinery demands its proper usage to avoid pitfalls. Whether a novice or an experienced engineer, it is important to learn how you can avoid common mistakes while operating heavy machinery like Laser engraving. It may harm its sensitive parts as not all the parts come with a great resistance power except for Mitsubishi spare parts and Fanuc spare parts.
When issues occur, you might end up just guessing what went wrong while using it. So, to help you we have come up with common mistakes you might be making.
Using laser on a fabric which cannot withstand with it will end up burning. Research and understand which fabrics can combat high power settings during the process. Denim, leather, canvas can resist high power settings. When you use delicate fabrics, set your settings at high speed and gradually lower the power to 5%-10%. And to avoid wasting any material, test a small piece, in the beginning, to see if the fabric can withstand. Adjust the power until you get the results.
While attempting direct-to-garment engraving, lower the DPI (dots per inch). Engraving at a lower DPI will ensure the laser vaporizes the top layer and doesn’t burn entirely through the fabric. General engravings work best at 150 to 300 DPI.
2)Using the Wrong Acrylic
There are two types of acrylic used in laser engraving.
Liquid acrylic is best when producing cast acrylic sheets and objects. You pour it into the molds to set into various shapes and sizes. It is the perfect type of acrylic for engraving as it turns frosty white color while engraving. It won’t give your projects flame-polished edges on cutting it with the laser.
Another type of acrylic used for engraving is Extruded acrylic. A machine turns extruded acrylic in sheet format. And because of the high-volume manufacturing technique, it is less expensive. It cuts clean with smooth outputs and produces a flame-polished edge. And when used for engraving, it provides you with clear engraving. So, if you want a frosted white finish, do your engraving project with liquid acrylic.
3) Inconsistent Glass Engraving
While you are using laser engraving on glass, sometimes it does not get through it properly. As a result, it fractures the surface. Eventually, it will produce the fractured glass surface with a frosted appearance. Rough and chipped.
To avoid that and produce a smooth frosted finish, here are some tips to help you:
4) Not Getting Same Results while Wood Engraving
We see maximum engraving happening on the wood. It is one of the most laser-friendly materials available out there. As woods have different types, they might react differently to laser engraving. For example, if you make a large square from a piece of cherry, it would have a uniform appearance. If the same piece was made out of oak, it might vary in height with a non-uniform appearance.
5) Lack of Efficiency in the Engraver
When it comes to maintenance, it is important to clean the machine on a regular base. You get the manuals along with your machine. It is also important to inspect the optics on a weekly base when needed. Notice when your optics look smudgy. Because that’s when you have to clean them.
Conclusion
These are the most common mistakes you could be making. If you are a manufacturer, designer, or a layman, avoid these mistakes and increase the efficiency of your laser machine.
Your system generates scrap material every day after the manufacturing or consumption process. And for years, you might’ve been following this procedure to scrap metal: calling a scrap company, deciding the price, sending the filled containers, and then getting paid for your metal. For you, this might be the best way to handle the scrap metal.
But, only some manufacturers know selling scrap metal the right way could be another source of profit for them.
Everyone selects a particular scrap company for various reasons including lower prices, better services, or just transparency. But most of the scrap companies would buy very low and sell high. Hence, as a seller, it is important to understand the value of your scrap material and how to get the right value for it.
So, we’ve gathered the steps to help you make the most out of your scrap metal.
In the fabrication industry, selling scrap metal isn’t a one-time event. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you don’t end up working with a company that tempts you with an above-market price, and after that gradually lowers your per-ton rate to a below-market price.
You need to make sure that you tie the pricing to a defined commodity-market index. This way, you can protect yourself when the market falls and benefit when there the market rises. The decided upon index prices are generally not similar to the negotiated price for the scrap. So, when you negotiate, you are basically negotiating the differential price. This means there will be a difference between the market index price and the amount that the scrap company would give you. And when your prices are tied with the market-index, the scrap company won’t be able to freewill their way around the prices. So, make sure that when the index goes up to $20, the scrap price should also go up by the same amount.
It is a common industry practice to pay for the least valuable scrap material in a load. If the load contains 90% stainless and 10% some other material, the less expensive material would be graded. Looking from an ideal point of view, the payment should be based on the percentage of the material in a load. For dirty loads, downgrading the scrap amount is certainly fair, especially if a dirty load increases the amount of segregation work. Hence, if a scrap company downgrade a load, ask for proper documentation. Make sure that there is an agreement to send documentation and pictures for any downgraded load. If you communicate with the scrap company about how it handles dirty loads, you will understand how it operates.
This technique is all about maintaining transparency. This process includes everything that happens to the scrap before it’s sent to the mill. It includes shipping, processing costs, and other value-adding process costs. For instance, you get a pallet of metal pieces after a laser cutting process from a machine containing Amada parts or Bystronic parts. Before you put them for buying, they must undergo a number of value-adding steps. You need to segregate them by type and cut down to a mill-acceptable size.
Just like that, steps may vary depending on your exact material mix and requirements. It depends on your own processes and the price increase that a scrap company is willing to give you. It might sound like a complex process, but remember that just like the production, scrap is also a revenue center, so it’s worth organizing it with a process.
Usually, the truck arrives at your workplace, retrieves your scrap, and leave a pickup receipt and scale ticket at your dock. After a certain period of time, the concerned person would deliver them back to the front office. But it is not necessary that all those pickup receipts make it into the main office. You need to verify the number of loads that left the facility and for how many of them you received the payment. Keep one responsible person to take care of this process. Especially, when you scrap aluminum, stainless, or other high-value materials. Because each load can account for thousands of dollars.
Summing it up...
Handling scrap material isn’t rocket science. But it is important to understand the process, market, and of course, having a basic knowledge of the industry prices won’t harm. If done right, just like you produce products using Bystronic parts or Amada parts, you can turn scrap into a valuable profit-making product.
Machines don’t have to be brand new to produce quality desired results. But you do have to keep good care for them. With a press brake machine, producing good results won’t be a likely scenario if it has an upset ram. It is an integral part of the press brake machine. And if that has a problem, it can hinder your whole production process. Hence, it is important to practice proper maintenance practice to maximize its shelf life.
From where the problem arises?
Sheet metal fabrications, while going through the press brake machine, change its shape from a sheet into a three-dimensional shape. If those bends are not straight, the final assembly won’t go the right way. If you do not maintain your press brake machine, the bend follows a curved line rather than a straight one that is “canoeing”.
In order to avoid that, here are the seven most common press brake mistakes we should avoid to ensure its smooth working.
Gibs are the small components of the press brake machines. They lead the ram and tool as it makes movements. If you neglect its regular maintenance, the ram can twist and jam. Hence, it is important to adjust Gibs regularly and provide proper lubrication from time to time.
Apart from lubricating the gibs of the press brake, it is important to apply lubrication to other parts of the press brakes as well. If not then it may lead to metal-on-metal contact which causes wear and reduces the force available for the actual bending metal.
At the same time, lubricating does not mean slapping on too much grease. It even means not putting on the wrong type of lubricant in the wrong place. Applying excessive grease means attracting dust and metal fragments. It may cause sliding surfaces which would accelerate wear, causing seal leaks.
The key here is to maintain a machine with a film of oil on it. Because if it is too thick, it may increase drag and not penetrate between components.
Here are some other mistakes we should be avoiding while using, assembling or selecting press brakes.
Fabricators often do this to bend radius. But while putting features too close to the bend radius or at the edge of the die opening would change the features. They may no longer be able to hold necessary hardware near the bend radius. The position of the features should be according to their thickness. And lastly, if the feature has to be nearer to the bend than recommended, our advice would be you extend the opening past the bend line. And if you are already facing this problem, you can search for Amada press brake for sale or used Amada press brake on the internet to find the right part or machine.
If you set the Offsets that are too close to one another, they won’t be producing standard press brake tooling. Plus, these offsets would require special tooling that is not worth the extra expense for low volume orders. Refer to this image to choose the suitable standard offset size. You can contact your engineer if your measurement is outside of this table
Most press brakes have complex systems. And as time goes, hydraulic fluid would become contaminated with dirt, air, and water. It would limit the load that the press can apply. It reduces the lifetime value of the key components of the press brake. Hence, it is important to regularly change the fluid.
When you apply uneven forces or if the load is too high, you can upset the ram. The root cause of this issue is its position while bending the metal which is not in the right place or not in the center. It is important to note that if the metal is too thick or not enough load is there, it could hurt the ram as well.
Keeping your radius right is paramount. If it is too tight, it can cause a permanent deformity that alerts the dimensions of the part. It is important to understand that different metals have minimum bend radius-to-thickness ratios. Hence, the harder the metal, the greater the minimum bend radius.
Machinery parts for the press brakes are sensitive. If not cared for properly, that time is not far when you would need to rebuild the whole machine.
It is a must to avoid the above-mentioned mistakes for a full-proof and versatile press brake. If you are starting over, you can try searching Amada press brake for sale or used Amada press brake over the internet to find the products which would help you put together a quality press brake machine.
5-axis machining involves a combination of three linear axes and two rotary axes, moving together to stimulate complex machined surfaces. Here, not all 5-axis work requires interpolation. Mazak parts machine offers versions known as ‘4+1’ or ‘3+2’. It enables multi-axis capability though it is not fully simultaneous.
Here two rotary axes combine to tilt the workpiece in various positions in order to execute 3-axis milling strategies. It is a 5-axis positional machining. It relies on fourth and fifth axes to orient the tool in a fixed position. It does not manipulate during the process.
Who Uses 5-axis machining?
The machinery of such machines entails complex parts. Thus, it is popular in aerospace, automotive, and medical industry. Its parts include prosthetic replacement joints for the medical sector. Mazak parts and other machines parts like VHP 160XL and amada america parts are well suited for high-speed aluminum cutting.
Advantages of 5-axis machining
Is it difficult to transit from 3-axis to 5-axis machining?
It can be a bit tedious to move to 5-axis machining from simple turning. But if you wish it to move away from traditional processes, it is important to adopt its operations. Industries such as aerospace can take maximum benefits of it.
In its machine design, the users need to look for specific capabilities in the process. For instance, if there is a deflection of the workpiece under the cutting load, it can be an issue with the machine. You can find its solution in the Variaxis I-series and j-series. You would find a number of Mazak parts and machines equipped with a number of functions such as a thermal shield. It ensures accuracy against thermal drift during the 5-axis machining process.
The big change picking up at the runway is the users who are new to it will discover increased program complexity. As the moving tool is running in multiple directions altogether, it creates a leap in tool path strategies. Hence, integrating 5-axis could be complex than replacing out a 3-axis lather. However, with tight support, you can gain more merits of it.
How 5-axis machine programming works?
This programming requires switching from 2D drawings to solid models in CAD/CAM, controlling various cutting designs and strategies such as trochoidal tool paths. If you want to integrate 5-axis into machining operations, CNC is an important component. If you try searching “Amada America parts” or “Mazak parts”, you would find products like Smooth X which has features such as 3D assist for 3+2 type machining. Such machines enable 3D CAD models imported into the CNC.
Other machines include features like health check function with a touch sensor. It helps to maintain the accuracy of a machine with automatic measures for any geometric deviation in the machine’s rotary Centre.
Automation
It is not compulsory to apply automation with a 5-axis work. But for those users who possess a high mix of components in low volumes and wish to save more time, it’s a boon. For example, the Variaxis i-300 awc is a 5-axis machining center with an auto work changer. It is an expandable large capacity tool which can work via smooth CNC.
Overall, one can say that the incorporation of 5-axis into a machine shop’s strategies will require some hand-holding and technical support. Although it might sound like a complex process, introducing it to the system would bring change and represent a step-change in the production capacity.
Laser engraving is a sister practice of laser etching and laser marking. It is done in a slightly different way where there is no use of inks or tools that contact the surface material. There are CO2 laser engraving machines which primarily release low-powered laser beams. And then there are high-powered lasers which facilitate the high-volume laser marking and engraving applications.
Here is how it works:
Basically, laser cutting machines have three common components: the laser itself, the control system, and the marking surface. You, as an operator, can set the software program to modify settings on the laser cutter. You can change these settings whenever needed. When it comes to laser engraving, you need to choose standard parts like Mitsubishi laser parts or trumpf laser parts to ensure the smooth working of the system. Images chosen for the engraving onto a given material should be from graphics editing software like Illustrator, Inkscape, AutoCAD. In short, you need vector files. Because images in the vector files maintain the clarity and proportions when adjusted to any size.
Further, you have to upload the image into the cutting software. The machine will then translate it into numeric data. The software would capture that data and use it to program the laser machine’s controller apparatus to produce the provided image.
Laser Engraving Applications:
Benefits of Using Laser Engraving
Cost-Effective:
Laser engraving machines consume zero inputs besides the power it takes to run. That means it only has low and predictable costs for manufacturers. Whereas, there are companies which use a chemical etching as a substitute for engraving. But, they need adequate wastewater treatment or a certified third-party company to dispose of the chemical water. Plus, each image requires a brand new stencil. Now, that won’t give you any cost benefits for your projects.
Less Damaging
As the laser beam won’t be touching the material, there are lesser chances of causing damage. It is majorly relying on the heat to produce expected results. The only portion that laser will be targeting is the targeted spot. The surrounding area would be left untouched.
Permanent Markings
The aim of the engraving process is to remove a portion of the material. As laser systems offer so much control, a range of depths used by the machines ensures permanent markings. For example in the defense industry, it is important for the manufacturers to establish parts throughout the supply chain with unique identification numbers. These markings should be permanent even in extreme conditions or other environmental hazards.
Highly Efficient
It is efficient as it can easily switch between materials and a range of depths. It offers longer service life and with high-quality parts like Mitsubishi laser parts or trumpf laser parts, it will have lower maintenance costs compared to other traditional methods.
Supports a range of Materials
It is capable of working with different materials which include metal, ceramic, plastic, and glass. Most industries utilize more than one material in manufacturing. If you have a facility that deals with multiple materials then it could be a nifty solution.
Do you use laser engraving for your project? If yes, then share your experience with us in the comment section.
Heavy machinery where parts including Fanuc parts or Prima parts are present, constant maintenance is important for longer shelf life. Poorly managed equipment might perform less efficiently. Here is how you can maintain any type of large category machine and keep it in good condition.
In the large machinery plants, there are multiple operators working on different checkpoints. Out of all the points of inspections, it is important to check if the equipment is working properly.Whenever you purchase a piece of large machinery, it is important to inspect it. And even if you trained the operators in the beginning, it is important to keep training them at regular intervals in the right way. Otherwise, it could lead your process to breakdowns.
Make sure to educate them with the revised manuals for the specific work situation. And those manual should get updated from time to time whenever the machinery goes through some changes. In a digital work environment, management needs to make sure that operators are using the current version of each manual.
On another note, when you identify the best machine practices, you can apply the same to your other facilities.
Lubricating is one of the most important aspects when it comes to maintenance checks. They reduce friction around any moving parts. If you keep a regular schedule of good lubrication, it would extend the life of large machinery equipment and parts. The key here is to look for the signs of excess oil or grease on the pistons. Make sure to check for leaks around these oil seals.
On the other hand, it is important to use the right lubricant. There is a variety of grease or oil available for every component. In this case, check for the manufacturer’s recommendations. Also, it is important to check lubricants at regular time intervals. Because sometimes, there are chances that experts might find particles in the oil. This way, you can diagnose problems with large machinery.
When it comes to heavy machinery, it shows through different signs like vibration, shock, high temperatures, friction, etc. These all indicate the problem in the machinery. Here are some of the possible causes:
It is important to inspect the machinery parts regularly and clean them whenever needed. Important parts like filters, breathers should be cleaned to avoid creating a vacuum in the cab. It might suck contaminants into the cab. For instance, electronics in the can are vulnerable if contaminated. To maintain the cleanliness, it is advisable to store large machinery in a shed or other building if possible. It should not be in contact with wind and weather as it can lead to rust and rot. Also, it is important to run machinery periodically if not in use.
Extra Tips
Keep torque checks on bolts. They can elongate and creep after some time.
At the selection time of press brakes, many consider it as a minor accessory in metal forming and don’t pay enough attention. As a matter of fact, press brakes have transformed into multiaxis, high-precision machines with enhanced features. But only the tooling touches the part while bending.
There are many important features needed to achieve high-performance bending. Hence, regardless of which tool you want to choose it is important that it meets at least a few requirements. Here are some important things to consider while choosing press brakes.
High Precision:
It is important that the press brake provides high precision work. And for that, Its tolerance should be within 0.0004-inch range. With this range, you will be able to achieve part accuracy without any shimming or other tweaks. Amada Press brake parts will give you the required high precision work.
Segmented sections
It allows constructing of various lengths out of numerous pre-cut pieces. The small pieces are safer and easy to handle.
Self-retaining installation
With the ram up, you should be able to easily load the tools. It is important that the tool holding system should hold multiple pieces in place until you apply the clamping pressure.
Self-seating
As you apply the clamping pressure, punches would be mechanically pulled up into the position. It would eliminate the need to punch into the die during the setup.
Front Loading
It is important to be able to install tools from the front end of the machine. It would shorten the setup process as you would no longer need to spend time pushing tools from the end of the press brake. In most cases, it would eliminate the need for forklifts and overhead cranes.
Standard sizes
The common and light tools can reduce the requirement for machine adjustments when changing the project. Hence, it is important to choose tools with standard sizes. You can try searching “Amada press brake parts” in order to find suitable & high-quality products according to your requirements. You can also search for “used Amada press brake for sale” to get the best deals on the internet in case of a tight budget. Various elements like safety devices, back gauge heights, and front arm support remain at a standard position & are made of the same height. As a result, you can add off-the-shelf pieces and make sure that they match with existing tools.
There are many high-quality tools are constructed according to the metric standards. So, you will have to go into details to choose the correct tool.
Die Selection
In order to get the value for your money, it is important to choose a minimum amount of lower dies which cover the metal thicknesses which your shop forms.
Punch Selection
For some applications in press brakes, if you include high-tensile material, the workpiece might tend to crease, crack or even split in two while you use common industry bending standards. Hence, narrow tip exerts force on the bend line. And after combining that with a narrow V-die opening, the forces rise even more. In challenging applications, when material thickness is above 0.5 in, it is important to consult your material supplier on the acclaimed punch tip radius.
Minimum Flange Length
The most important aspect to keep in mind when you choose your V dies is the flange length. Many sheet metal designers save metal by specifying a flange which is too short like a 0.5-in. In order to attain the perfect bending results, it is important to have a flange which is at least 0.77in.
Punch Height
When forming three and four sized boxes, it is important to keep the punch height in mind. In some cases, short punches can form three-sided boxes if the formed side can hang off the side of press brake during the final bend. Hence, whenever forming four-sided boxes, it is important to choose a punch which is tall enough to span the box height diagonally.
Gifts are the expression of feelings. And every time when we look for a suitable gift for our loved ones, those available in the market might not best be suited. One of the major reasons is that they have a missing element. Something personal. That special touch. Probably a personalized name, a symbol which expresses your feeling towards that particular person. Good news! With laser cutting, you can craft some amazing pieces. It provides you a freedom to create thoughtful gifts.
Here are the 11 fantastic gifts you can make with the laser cutting:
1) Custom Leather Journals
Leather journals have been in the market for a long time now! It can be the most suitable gift for writers and travelers who would want to document their latest adventures or write-ups in that. They can also be a good fit as a guest book for weddings, a sketchbook for budding artists, etc. You can engrave leather with modern cuts and can give it a realistic look to the final product using laser cutting.
2) Engraved Rolling Pins
The best gift for cooking enthusiasts! Be it cookies or pies, the person who receives it would be delighted when rolling pins of their choice is engraved with their name. With the laser cutting process, you can turn any inexpensive rolling pin into a great gift with a customized print on it.
3) Engraved Wine Glasses
People who love wine will definitely appreciate engraved wine glasses. These can be great wedding gifts, anniversary gifts or even birthday gifts. Wine glasses with the initials engraved.
4) Custom Recipe Cutting Boards
Nowadays, wooden recipe cutting boards are in trend which makes it easy for cooking enthusiasts to chop vegetables. With LVD strippit parts, you can make a wonderful personalized gift which would last long and can be passed down to generations.
5) Slate Cheese/Charcuterie Tray
These gifts are for those who love entertaining. In order to set up your laser cutting set up, you can find the best Fanuc parts online. With the help of it, you can make a stylish charcuterie tray which makes a great host or hostess gift for holiday parties or as a thoughtful present.
6) Wooden Clock
How about a wooden clock with a personalized message for the special one? Using laser cutting tool you can easily make a wooden clock which stands out-of-the crowd in the market.
7) Bookmarks
A perfect piece of gift for the book worms. Now when it comes to giving away these, you would find many of them in the market. Hence, you can engrave that may be with a Starbucks picture or a design of your favorite web series character.
8) Earrings
What’s better than giving a set of earrings to your wife, friend or sister? LVD strippit parts are known to be performing well for such products. Just place a design of your choice and you would be able to create a perfect set of personalized earrings.
9) Personalized Door Mat
Let your visitors know that they’re at the right place and pass the message of a warm welcome at the same time! Plus, the benefit is that the laser beam actually burns the fibers in the rug. Hence, it would never get ruined.
10) Cellphone Cases
Giving a laser engraved mobile cover would be the perfect gift for people who love their cellphones. Because you will be giving them a gift they would take everywhere. And you will have an open canvas, where you can craft any type of design to make it more attractive.
11) Wall Art
This is the perfect gift for people with more artistic flair. It can be a simple, easy, an inexpensive piece of lasered wall art. It will be an excellent addition to anyone’s home and serve as a fantastic conversation piece.
A laser cutting machine allows you to craft some amazing piece of art which you can gift to any of your friends, family, and colleagues which they would remember for life! You would find LVD strippit parts, Fanuc parts online which are sure to help you produce attractive results from your laser machine.
When it comes to laser cut metal, we always refer to steel plates, signage or some other pieces and mechanical parts. But, it is important to acknowledge that you can even apply laser cutting on a panel for a stairway railing, a bouquet of flowers, wine glasses or even a stapler used in heart surgery.
The point here is that laser parts can be a solution for the oddball problems as well. Be it a car industry, disc gold curses to rental companies - almost all type of businesses can get benefits from a properly done laser cutting project.
So, if you are looking to cut something from metal, or checking the possibilities, here are the 8 examples of how laser parts can help for honed finishing :
Bag Tags in Golf
Weird but feasible. Outdoor exposure can damage the quality of the golf bag in a short time. Hence, golf enthusiasts can create their own custom bags using a metal sheet and laser. You can etch the course's logo and can cut-out the numbers which would work like a metal tag as well as an identifier.
Stair Railing
In order to give that authentic or real touch while designing the house, you can add an element of originality with the laser parts. Using Bystronic spare parts you can craft innovative designs and add them to the custom staircase. This way, it would give you a feel of elegance and a focal point in the normal room.
Charger Plates for Fancy Dining
Organizing an event is equally difficult in this cut-throat competitive industry. Perhaps, you can add a charm of uniqueness to your events with the charger plates. It could be a beautiful and inexpensive addition which would add a charm to any table setting. You can tie it together as a theme or can pump up the panache.
As this plate would sit beneath the plate your guests will be eating from, you can make it from any material including acrylic, plastic, wood, etc.. But we would recommend you to cut it from shiny, durable metal as it would transform that whole look of table settings.
With a Stapler
In some cases, experts from the medical industry would need a new heart surgery device with a metal durable staplers which also needs to be safe because it comes in direct contact with the human body during surgery. In such a tricky situation, using Mazak spare parts in laser cutting could help cut a prototype from various metals.
For Branding
Whenever there comes a holiday season or any occasion, it is the best time to send a token of appreciation to your customers. But if you do that with an ordinary holiday card, probably with your photos or signatures won't create a long-lasting impression. It would end up in a trash bin after a few days. Instead of that, you could use the Bystronic spare parts in laser cutting wisely to create a unique gift.
You can design a company logo as a whole on brass or other metal. As a result, it would be a great addition of value to customers' holiday gifts with an added benefit of increased branding. Plus, it would save you big bucks on the overall cost. It saves cost, time, and leaves a lasting effect on the customer.
Glass Designs
A sandblast logo on glass with a stencil is again a great idea. It is both durable enough to survive the rough use and is thin enough for the logo and text which would accurately etch on the glass. With Mazak spare parts, you can create a stencil in stainless steel and engrave the required text & design to solve the purpose.
Flower Bouquets
When it comes to laser's efficiency, it could provide the best finish results. And by that means, you can even cut the flowers in various shapes with it. Yes! There are various artists available in the market who often do such cuttings, assemble them together to create some stunning pieces of art.
Trophies or Crowns
Rather than offering old monotonous gifts, you can create different versions of trophies or crowns for award winners. To glam up the trophies, you can engrave unique quotes or maybe illustrations of winners to make it more exciting. This can be easily executed using laser cutting techniques.
Hence, regardless of your industry, you can leverage the power of the laser with mazak spare parts and bystronic spare parts to craft unique products.
If you want a sharp, precise in shape, and clear metal sheet, the most versatile solution is Laser Cutting. You can cut the sheet in a fraction of seconds. But when it comes to laser cutting, it's a whole different process. Let's see how it's done.
When it comes to laser tube cutting, Trumpf laser consumables are renowned products in the market. In laser cutting, there are no standard material towers. Using the most efficient material handling options, Bundle Loaders, they feed a single tube at a given time from the bundle in the laser. But such a mechanism does not work with open profiles such as angles or channels as they interlock and don't come off easily. So, use step loaders in case of open profiles which will put sections into the order one at a time into the machine. Also, make sure the orientation of that section is correct.
Because of its nature, there is no requirement for machines with high-powered lasers. A normal flat sheet laser cutting machine is available with laser generators as powerful as 12 kW. Whereas tube laser cutting machines usually require only 5kW of power. With the product, you have to be a little careful of the opposite side of the tube you are cutting.
Another thing to take care of is the weld seam. The seam where it's rolled and welded material.
Here are the two points which need a fabricator's immediate attention:
When the laser cutting process is going on, the position of the product's weld seam has to be into the account. The weld seam mustn't face the pins or holes. For aesthetic applications, such as furniture, you should hide weld seams as much as possible. When we consider a conventional laser cutting system, there is an optical sensor to scan the product to look for the weld seam. Most of the times rust or oil covers the tubing which makes it difficult to differentiate between weld seam and the other surfaces. With the stainless or galvanized tubes, the weld seam may only be visible internally. Due to this, some manufacturers had to include cameras in the system which allow the machines to scan the product externally as well as internally. This way, the machine can detect the obscured weld seam and correct the position of Amada parts accordingly.
The weld seam is of different compositions & cut differently than the rest of the tube. Back in the time, operators had to slow down all operations which took place on a tube to account for the weld seam. In the present time, some OEMs have developed the technology and parameters to allow the machine to single out a weld seam and adjust only those sections. This way, the machine would process the Amada parts in the fastest way.
The Finishing Details
It is important to note that there is no such thing as a perfect finish. The available weld seams can extend not only in the exterior part but also the interior. Overall, it's a challenge to treat the tube consistently and swiftly when such inconsistencies exist from one production run to another. These products are tricky things. Imagine having a put a through-hole centered on a tube. It is important to make it centered according to the actual dimension. But if it's bowed, it would make things difficult. And that's how it goes for tube fabrication.
The decision makers or purchasing department doesn't understand the consequences of buying inexpensive parts. So, it's entirely possible that the quality of the tubing is different from the previous week. To manage this, the fabricator needs to learn how to manage the variety. Also, the decision makers must know the consequences which will encourage them to invest in quality parts like Amada parts, Trumpf laser consumables.
It is important to consider the material for your metal project. At the time of execution, there are various things to examine like weight, aesthetic, finish, exposure to the elements and even the usage. It doesn't matter what the purpose of the project is, whether you want to hang the product outside of your house or workplace or an art piece you want to shape and hang on the wall. It is important to make a wise choice in the selection of material as well as the laser parts. Like Trumpf Laser Consumables or Mitsubishi Laser Parts are the best among the available laser parts in the market.
But before choosing the laser parts, you will have to decide on the metal for your project.
To help you make an informed decision, here's a guide to common metals you can use in laser cutting projects:
Stainless Steel:
The idea behind the creation of this metal was to create metal with corrosion resistance. And after adding chromium, you as manufacture can create a metal which encompasses the best quality. It is non-corrodible, beautiful, and strong as a metal. Here are the major benefits of using steel in your laser project:
Benefits of Steel:
Brass
Brass is a copper-zinc alloy which comes with many uses apart from being used in the loudest section of an orchestra. Because of its gold looks, its aesthetic qualities come in use of many things like jewelry and wall art. As an added benefit it's low friction point, makes it perfect for all the types of functional uses such as locks, door fixtures, and ammunition.
Benefits of Brass:
Aluminum:
One of the major benefits of this metal is that even if it's in the purest form, it is very light in weight, yet strong. Plus, it is easy as you can make any shape out of it without losing its strength. And it's reactive and forms a natural corrosion resistance when exposed outdoors.When you use it for commercial use, it is important to mix it with a few other metals. There are various industries including aerospace which rely heavily on aluminum.
Benefits of Aluminum:
Copper:
It is easy to excavate this directly from the earth. And you can also use it in its purest form. Around 8000BC, it was the first metal used by humankind. This metal comes with various advantages. It is conductive, as a result of that, it is great for pieces like bus cars and other electrical parts. It is perfect for plumbing and pipe as it is non-corrosive.
Benefits of Copper:
It's an alloy made of iron and carbon. Its ductile strength makes it a go-to metal when it comes to construction of buildings, bridges, and machinery. For Trumpf laser consumables you would have a couple of options to choose from. For example, hot or cold rolled steel.
Hot Rolled Steel
Elaborating that in detail, hot rolled steel is formed when you roll steel at very high temperature. It makes steel easier to form, which makes the product easy to work with. The finished steel would have a thin layer of magnetite known as "scale". It can be reduced with a pickling and oiling finish which would leave the surface of the steel nice and smooth.
Carbon Steel Benefits:
Mild Steel
The process of making Mild Steel is a bit complicated. They roll up the steel hot, then roll it up more after it cools down at room temperature. This process allows the metal to take shapes of a thinner sheet. In comparison with hot rolled steel, it does not require further processing for a smooth, finished surface.
Benefits:
What have you considered for your next laser project? Do let us know in the comment section below. If you are looking to replace or change your parts, consider Trumpf laser consumables, or Mitsubishi laser parts for the quality results.
Compensation of the Deflection in the table of the press break and the beam is an essential thing in press brakes which guarantees proper repeatable results when you implement the load on it. Without compensation of deflection, it's likely that a workpiece would have some form of deformation on its center when bent along the full length of the press brake. In order to keep the bend angle uniform over the full length of the press brake part, it needs a crowning system.
In this age of complex parts, quick turnaround, and short batches, crowning helps to maintain efficiency and repeatability. Let's see how in high-tonnage applications crowning helps to produce straight bends in high-tensile materials.
What is Crowning?
New age modern press brakes like Amada Press Brakes use a servo-hydraulic system in which a closed-loop system controls the position of the ram. At the corner of the beam, a position measuring system monitors the movement and accuracy of the beam. It does this by activating the left and right valves at the top of the position.
During the bending period, the servo-hydraulic system makes sure that the piston at the ends of the beam reaches the programmed position in the machine control and finally resulting in the correct bend angle. Because press brakes tend to deflect under load, especially in the center of the machine between the pistons. It is an angle in the center of the press brake. Without intervention, it would cause the bend angle to vary over the length of the press brake.
For the best results from crowning, it is advisable to use quality and modern press brakes. You can get them at cheaper rates as well by searching for "Amada Press Brake for Sale."
The Origin
In order to enhance the bending accuracy, it is important to have a crowning system which forms an opposite force to offset the deflection of the beam and the table. With the crowning system, you can ensure that the ram and table are parallel during bending.
Plus, crowning is not something new in the business. It has been in the market since the 1970s. Each day its demand is increasing with high-tensile-strength steels. Before its existence, manufacturers had to pregrind the curve into the press brake table to offset about 75% of the deflection. In the present scenario, systems are more advanced. Operators can enter the sheet thickness, die opening, and material tensile strength data into the machine using crowning systems. By using the press brake's hydraulic system and crowning together, it can provide an accurate bend angle with minimum operator intervention.
The Process
You can utilize Crowning with the press brakes of 80-ton in weight, 8 ft or larger in size. You can apply it to lower-tonnage press brakes as well. However, it depends on the length of the press brake table and its application. If the distance is longer between the uprights, the higher the machine deflection. Simultaneously, the higher the tonnage of the machine, the more the need for deflection compensation arises. To bend the thick and thin materials, a crowning system is the best option always.
There are two types of crowning available. Hydraulic and CNC mechanical wedge-style. You can purchase a CNC mechanical wedge-style crowning system as an add-on to a press brake through a manufacturer or tooling supplier. The CNC mechanical wedge-style crowning system can also be treated as one of the LVD press break parts. Hydraulic crowning is based in the machine. At the time of selecting between these two types, keep the cost comparison in mind but give more weightage to accuracy and efficiency.
You can apply the hydraulic crowning to the cylinders which adds pressure on them during the process to maintain the machine deflection. These systems do not apply the crowning process across the entire bed of the machine. Instead, the deflection amount for which the crowning system adjusts for is dependent on the cylinder location. Some of the hydraulic systems use only a central cylinder or a three-cylinder system. It provides crowning over 60 percent of the bed.
The hydraulic cylinders use the same line. As a result of it, no cylinder receives the full crowning force. All the hydraulic cylinders experience this force regardless of the numbers.
Critical for Accuracy
Crowning systems are more precise and capable these days. They can place more crowning in certain areas of the press brakes. As the manufacturing landscape changes, the crowning system has become a critical element to have in order to achieve accuracy and operations.
Learn how you can achieve the high tensile and accurate bending results with the help of the different type of crowning processes with the press brakes. The crowning process is more critical for the LVD press brake parts, tridem, quadem which combines various press brakes of similar or dissimilar tonnage in a synchronized configuration. They synchronize the cylinders to ensure that there is a constant straight- line movement in the machine.