Sunday, June 23, 2019

8 Unique Products You Can Make With Laser

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.

Friday, June 21, 2019

All You Need to Know About Laser Tube Cutting

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 in 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.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

How to Find The Perfect Material For Your Laser Project

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:
  • Strong and big
  • Great for outdoor use
  • Washable and sanitizable
  • Welds easily
  • Cost Effective
  • Perfect decorative, durable parts


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:
  • Lightweight
  • Malleable
  • Great for Outdoor Use (with a protective top layer)
  • Low Friction point
  • No additional process needed


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:
  • Suitable for Prototypes
  • Lightweight
  • Perfect for outdoor use.
  • Easily shaped, brushed


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:
  • Great for outdoor use but it will patina after a while
  • Suitable for electrical parts
  • Malleable
  • No additional process required


Carbon Steel



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:
  • Creates indestructible parts.
  • Welds easily
  • Easy to thread, machine, drill, etc.
  • Suitable for cutting thick pieces.
  • Looks great painted, powder coated, or clear coated


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:
  • Strong (especially in 11ga thickness).
  • Welds easily
  • Simple to thread, machine, drill.
  • Easily Etched and cut

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.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

A Detailed Overview About Achieving Better Bend Accuracy on A Press Brake

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.

Monday, June 3, 2019

A Layman's Guide to Computer Cooling Fans

Cooling fans are important for any computer. If you are assembling a PC system with all the modern components, at least one cooling fan is necessary. When you surf online you would find a number of varieties & brands in cooling fans such as Fanuc cooling fans and more.

But as a beginner, it is important to cut through the marketing jargon and select the right product for your computer. This guide would explain all such things in detail to help you choose the right cooling fans for your computer system.

Consider Size & Placement

One of the first concerns is their size. Because it depends on the overall system size. Most modern systems use 80, 120, Or 140 mm fans. In some exceptional cases, CPU coolers use from 40 to 200mm. So, to choose the right cooling fan, look at the system size in the manual, online or otherwise, you can measure it from hole to hole.

On the basis of that, you can consider the place where you would want to mount the fan. Vertically mounted fans are common for intake and exhaust. However, many modern cases also allow horizontal mounting as well. It causes a direct effect on the type of bearing you use.

Bearing Type

Coming to the bearing, it's a small piece(s) of metal that stays between the stationary frame of the fan and the spinning part. So, if you ever wondered why there was a rattling sound coming from the system, it was probably bearing pieces. These bearings are very important as it is the mechanism on which cooling fans spin on.

Types of Bearings:

Sleeve Bearings are affordable but they might cause noise. Possibly they can prematurely wear out if mounted horizontally.

Rifle bearings: They are probably the cheapest fluid dynamic bearings. Fit for most case fans. Also, they are the cheapest solution for long-term horizontal mounts.

Ball bearings: They are expensive, heavy-duty fan bearings suitable for tough environments.

Maglev bearings: These bearing provide a balance of power, security, and minimized noise. Best for high-performance environments.

The Application

Most of the computer cooling fans are designed for either of the two purposes: Airflow or static pressure. Air fans evacuate as much air as possible from one place to another place. They have a grille or light mesh which allows the air to move freely and easily. And on the other hand, you have static pressure cooling fans which are used to push the air out through obstacles such as CPU heatsink. For example, Fanuc cooling fans push the air through obstacles. Fanuc is among top brands for cooling fans and you can always search for Fanuc parts to get quality products.

In most of the PC builders, it is important to choose a fan with good quality focusing on long-term reliability.

Header Connection Types

Almost all the types of fans come in 3-pin or 4-pin varieties. That also means that the wire which connects the fan to the motherboard has either three prongs or four prongs as a connection point. The connectors on 3-pin models carry three types of signals: Power, ground, and a speed sensor. They speed up or slow down with the variation of DC current on the power pin. As a result of it, 3-pins fans often run at full speed or might be achieving low speeds because of undervolting. The fourth pin on 4-pin connectors allows Pulse Width Modulation(PWM). It adds another electronic signal that controls the fan speed. It is important to note that 3-pin fans would work in 4-pin motherland headers but it won't have a PWM feature.

Pro tip: Buy 12V fan for a desktop PC. Generally, 5V fans are for routers and other small computing devices.

RGB and Fan Controllers

RGB. They are a hot favorite of most people. Most of these RGB fans come with two plugs, one for power and another for RGB addressing. You can easily plug them both into relevant places on your motherboard. Controllers can simplify the process by the daisy chaining of multiple RGB fans. There are plenty of fans with non-controllable color lighting and PWM versions are easy to control by any of the basic internal fan controllers.

If all these details are overwhelming for you, or you just want to find an adequately cool PC with minimal hurdles it is important to focus on reputable brand names. Fanuc selling Fanuc parts and Fanuc cooling fans, Corsair, CryoRid, Fractal, etc. are among top brands. Also, don't forget to check the review score.