How to Sell Metal Scrap Material in Best Prices

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.

• Fix the Settled Price 

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.

• Be Aware of the Downgrades

 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.

• Separate the Scrap Pieces

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.

• Keep Track of the Load and Tracking Reports

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.

7 Critical Press Brake Mistakes You Must Avoid

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.

1. Not Taking Care of Gibs

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.

2. Lubrication of the Machine

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.

3. Placing parts too close

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.

4. Forming offsets too close to one another

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

5. Not changing the hydraulic fluid

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.

6. Upsetting the ram

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.

7. A bend radius that is too tight for the material

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.

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What is 5-axis machining?

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

• It makes easy setup of highly complex machines in a single step. It increases productivity as it reduces processing and cycle time.
• Its work leads to less time and money spent on the preparation of fixture and machining time. Hence, it gives you a faster return on investment with greater profit margins.
• Since it is a 5-axis machining, it would provide greater part accuracy as the workpiece does not move across multiple workstations to complete the part. For instance, a valve block can work on five sides, reducing the overall processing time with improved component accuracy.

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.

All About Laser Engraving: Applications, Benefits, and More!

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:

• There are aerial vehicles by major contractors in the construction industry which incorporate thousands of parts. They travel through a complex global supply chain from their point of origin to the manufacturing units. In order to promote quality and accountability throughout the supply chain, vendors leverage laser engraving machines to mark products with barcodes and serial numbers which shows their traceability.

• Apart from the aerospace industry, it is popular in the jewelry manufacturing industry. It can be useful to create various artwork. 

• As an added advantage of its depth, this technology is popular for making stamps, dies, and moulds. Hence, it is popular in industries like automotive, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, etc.

• Apart from that, retail vendors can leverage engraving to make several customized products like wooden key chains, coasters, kitchen products, and so on.

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.

How to Maintain Machinery Parts for Longer Shelf Life

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.

1. Make sure to train large machinery operator

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.

2. Never Forget Lubricants

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. 

3. Look out for the Signs of Wear

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:

• Vibration comes from out of alignment gears and belts.
• If there is an accident or poor operator technique, shocks can come from the machinery.
• Problems like extended use, friction, worn parts, etc. can cause a rise in the temperatures of the machine.
• Age is a major factor which might affect the machine components. After some years the machine may stop working as required. In such cases, keep monitoring the machinery and get it repaired or replaced if needed.
• In robotics machinery, it is important to consider looking for the parts. You can try searching “Fanuc parts” or “Prima Parts” to find a replacement for your robotic or metal sheet machinery.

4. Maintain Cleanliness

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

• Check for the power transmission in moving parts. Make sure to lubricate gearbox in order to avoid lubrication, vibration, and damage to parts.
• Make sure to inspect parts like Fanuc Parts, friction materials, seals, prima parts, gaskets after replacement. 
• Keep lubricating bearings often. It would extend machinery performance.
• Keep torque checks on bolts. They can elongate and creep after some time.

If followed in an appropriate order, these tips can help you extend the machinery life. It can help you with a major return on investment of their costs. The key is to keep performing maintenance tasks to keep your machinery up to date and working in a proper way.

Important Rules to Consider While Choosing Press Brakes

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.