Optimization of Sheet Metal Cutting with a High Power, Variable Mode Fiber Laser
General-purpose laser cutting systems, such as those used in a job shop, must be able to cope with an array of material types and thicknesses. The optimal laser beam parameters for a given sheet metal type and thickness will be distinct in terms of beam shape, focal spot size, beam quality and divergence. The choice of fixed laser beam parameters and beam delivery optics are therefore a compromise to achieve acceptable quality and speed performance across the whole sheet metal range. In this paper the cutting performance of an SPI high power variable mode fiber laser will be discussed, comparing results optimized for given metal types and thickness to standard cutting results using the same output power but with fixed beam parameters. Factors such as maximum cutting speed, process bandwidth, cut-edge quality and tolerance to deviation will be considered.
Daniel Capostagno - SPI Lasers
10 Ways to Increase Your Plate Steel Utilization and Decrease Your Costs
When it comes to plate steel, you know the high cost of materials and the importance of scrap reduction, but do you really know the tricks to maximizing your material usage, and improving your bottom line? It's been estimated that a 1% increase in plate utilization is more than enough to cover the lifetime consumable costs associated with plasma cutting. Join us for an information packed session covering 10 ways to increase plate utilization and decrease costs. We'll cover shop floor topics including labeling, storage, and maximizing scrap value, plus software topics including nesting and enterprise planning techniques.
Derek Weston - Hypertherm, Inc.
How to Optimize Results When Cutting Stainless Steel with High-end Plasma
Although use of stainless steel represents a much smaller segment of metal fabrication than mild steel, its usage growth is significantly higher and a for a large number of fabricators and steel service centers it represents an important and highly profitable part of their output. Compared with mild steel, however, it is a more challenging metal to cut well and optimizing results presents an operator with more complexity to deal with and options to choose from. This presentation will provide an overview of key issues that make stainless steel so challenging to cut well, different approaches and techniques that may be used to overcome or mitigate these challenges and some of the key new technologies that have been developed to improve the ability of high-end plasma to deliver superior performance in this important segment of metal fabrication.
Phillip Parker, John Peters - Hypertherm, Inc.