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Fabricating Technics diversifies with new laser system |
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by Jerry Cook
A desire to diversify into different market segments recently prompted Fabricating Technics Inc., Bowmanville, ON to install a new laser cutting system. “We needed additional capabilities and we wanted to diversify our markets,” says John Laporte, president of Fabricating Technics.
“There are many companies out there with 2,000 watt and 3,000 watt
laser systems (designed for cutting thinner gauge materials),” says
Laporte, adding that the thinner gauge segment of the market for laser
cutting is fiercely competitive.
“It’s fierce and it’s also being threatened by China. I felt that if we
went to laser cutting the heavier material, it would be uneconomical to
ship (heavier parts) to China so there would still be a market here for
that type of work,” Laporte explains.
Continues Laporte, “We wanted to get into cutting heavier, thicker
materials, in particular stainless steel. We wanted to take our
expertise in making precision parts in thinner gauge materials and make
heavier parts with the same precision.”
As a result, Fabricating Technics recently installed a 4,000 watt Strippit/LVD laser cutting system.
The company, which started operations in 1989, has nine employees at
its 10,000 sq. ft. facility. Fabricating Technics is a custom
fabricator that specializes in high precision work.
Fabricating Technics does work for a variety of customers in various
markets including the military, electronics, construction, general
industrial, custom machinery builders and more.
In addition to laser cutting, the company offers a variety of other
services including CNC punching, bending, MIG and TIG welding,
grinding, sanding and more.
Fabricating Technics works with a variety of materials including
aluminum, mild steel, and stainless steel. Typically, the company is
dealing with material thicknesses ranging from 1/4 in. to 1/2 in.
“However, with the Orion laser, we now have the capacity to cut up to 3/4 in. thick material,” he says.
In general, the company’s part runs range from one-offs up to 100
pieces. The firm is capable of working to tolerances of plus or minus
.005 in.
In addition to the Orion 3015 laser cutting system, other Strippit
equipment that Fabricating Technics employs includes a Strippit 1000 XP
CNC turret punch press and a Strippit/LVD CNC hydraulic press brake.
After comparing different laser cutting systems, Laporte subsequently
selected the Strippit/LVD system. According to Laporte, there were a
number of factors that led him to select the Orion laser cutting system
including the convenience of local service and very competitive
pricing.
“The Orion laser system comes with all of the features and options that
you need to begin cutting immediately. There aren’t any extras that you
have to purchase,” he states.
The Strippit/LVD Orion 3015 laser cutting machine is a hybrid-style
system able to process sheet sizes up to 60 in. x 120 in. The Orion CO2
laser system combines quick set-up and features such as programmable
high-pressure oxide-free cutting and automatic cutting gas selection to
provide consistent accuracy and high productivity.
Other high-performance features include a fully programmable 11.5 in.
Z-axis for efficient cutting of pre-bent parts or tubes and an edge
function for clean-cut processing of sharp corners.
The Orion 3015 offers a repetitive accuracy of plus or minus 0.0008 in.
and positioning accuracy of plus or minus 0.002 in. The company is
using Strippit’s CADMAN software with the laser system. The Orion 3015
laser cutting system was supplied by Strippit Inc., Akron, NY
(lvdgroup.com).
According to Laporte, the new laser cutting system has provided
Fabricating Technics with a variety of benefits including increased
productivity and enhanced flexbility.
For instance, because the firm is dealing with a variety of products
and many small lot sizes, flexibilty is critical. “The Orion laser
enables us to switch over from one lot to another quickly and easily,”
he says.
“Also, the Orion laser cutting system has exposed our business to more
quick turnaround products. I can literally bring the steel in one day
and have the end product shipped out in two days. Previously, with some
of our other products, we could have worked on them for two or three
months,” notes Laporte.
In addition, Laporte points out that the faster turnaround time for
finished products also enhances the firm’s overall cash flow.
The Orion 3015 has also provided the firm with increased productivity.
“One job that we do on a regular basis that we previously punched, we
are now doing with the laser and between the large table size of the
system and the nesting software, we probably save seven sheets of
aluminum each time we run the job,” says Laporte.
The new laser, he coninues, has also assisted Fabricating Technics with
work that the company couldn’t do previously on a cost-effective basis.
For example, “There is a job that we are doing for a large fabricator
and although the material was only 1/4 in. I could never bid on the job
competitively because my existing laser was just too slow. Now I can be
competitive on this job.”
Because Fabricating Technics already had previous experience with laser
cutting, training for the new laser system was a simple and
straightforward process, he says.
“Strippit sent a representative in for three days, but within hours we
were writing programs for the system. Training was very easy,” says
Laporte.
lvdgroup.com
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