Volume 20 Issue 2 - Finn-Power International, Inc.

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CUSTOMER PROFILE Florida Manufacturer Dramatically Increases Productivity with Automated Laser Vac-Con, Green Cove Springs, FL, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sewer cleaning and excavating equipment, producing such products as combination sewer cleaners, jetters, and industrial vacuums. Vac-Con manufactures these products to be sold to municipalities and contractors across North America, as well as South America, the Middle East, and Europe. Most of the products that Vac-Con manufactures are cut from steel plate – 20 gauge up to 2 1 /2 inches. In 2007, Vac-Con’s management decided that its fabrication shop needed more capacity. The company had two large plate plasma cutting centers and a laser cutting centers on site. After attending trade shows and doing a great deal of research, Vac-Con purchased a Prima Platino 2D Laser System with the 10-shelf TowerServer automated work handling system. “The Prima laser system was responsible for a 30-40% increase in our productivity. Approximately 50-60% of all metal in our shop is processed by the Prima laser system.” The Platino is equipped with lasers developed and produced at Prima Industrie in laser powers ranging from 3000 to 5000W. The laser cuts a broad range of materials and thicknesses with speed and precision without the need for manual adjustments. Platino’s laser cutting head gives users a choice of a 10-inch focal length in addition to the standard 5-inch and 7.5-inch lenses. The 10-inch lens enhances the application flexibility by increasing the depth of focus and enlarging the spot diameter for high and uniform cut quality of thick stainless (5/8 in), thick aluminum (1/2 in) and thick mild steel (1 in). Offering a compact footprint along with a Cartesian Cantilever structure that provides threesided access, Platino is a cost-effective machine that is easy to operate and quick to program. Its unique stonecast frame reduces vibration and increases stiffness by about 4 times compared to cast iron and about 6 times compared to welded frames. Its low heat conductivity results in much higher thermal stability compared to traditional cast or steel frames. According to Bob Graden, plant manager, The Platino is equipped with lasers developed and produced at Prima Industrie in laser powers ranging from 3000 to 5000W. The laser cuts a broad range of materials and thicknesses with speed and precision without the need for manual adjustments. Vac-Con’s plant manager Bob Graden (right), considers the Prima Platino a wise investment for his company. It has allowed the company to gain a 30-35% increase in output. the Prima Platino has been a wise investment for Vac-Con. “We decided on the Platino because of its “footprint”, which fit within the production space of our building,” explains Graden. “As we researched the laser market, we also discovered that Platino and the TowerServer was the most economical system on the market at that time.” 4 Flexible Automation Prima’s 10-shelf TowerServer allows easy loading/unloading for blanks and processed sheets. It has an elevator for loading and unloading the pallets on and off the tower, and features single sheet separating, control systems, and sheet reference. “This system has proven to
“This system has proven to be one of the better investments that we ever made. It has allowed us to gain a 30-35% increase in output.” be one of the better investments that we ever made. It has allowed us to gain a 30-35% increase in output,” says Graden. “The Prima TowerServer improves our efficiency to quickly produce parts and increases our flexibility by allowing us to store different gauges and types of material. We run this unit unmanned throughout our 2nd shift. Before we bought the Prima, we were producing Platino’s laser cutting head gives users a choice of a 10-inch focal length in addition to the standard 5-inch and 7.5inch lenses. The 10-inch lens enhances the application flexibility by increasing the depth of focus and enlarging the spot diameter for high and uniform cut quality of thick stainless (5/8 in), thick aluminum (1/2 in) and thick mild steel (1 in). “The Prima TowerServer improves our efficiency to quickly produce parts and increases our flexibility by allowing us to store different gauges and types of material. We run this unit unmanned throughout our 2nd shift.” about 80 sheets a week off the two plasma cutting centers. Now we are cutting anywhere from 200 to 300 sheets per week. The Platino’s efficiency has allowed us to take one of the plasma cutting centers off-line. During the past four years, we have improved our manufacturing efficiency by 15-20%. I attribute a large part of that to the Prima laser cutting system and tower.” The TowerServer not only helped produce more parts for Vac-Con, but allowed the company to better manage its sheet steel inventory. “Every day our engineers look at parts in a different light because we now have capabilities throughout our laser cutting operations which allow us to not only to improve the quality of the part, but in some cases to be able to combine pieces that we used to have to make and then weld together,” explains Graden. “We are able to cut it on our laser cutting center and then go to our press brake operations and greatly reduce our welding time and increase the appearance and quality of parts that we produce.” Proven Performance According to Graden, since installation, the Prima laser system has proven itself time and time again at Vac-Con. “When we first brought the Platino online, we had two operators operating the machine 16-20 hours per day,” says Graden. “As we gained a better understanding of the machine and got more familiar with the nesting of the parts we produce, we found that we could actually move one of the operators to another function within the fabrication area. Because we can run “lights out” with the Prima Platino laser system, it is nice to come to the shop in the morning and find parts sitting there ready to go to other processes. We can now build the trucks more efficiently.” Reduced Secondary Operations The Platino laser system also helped improve quality at Vac-Con. “We have seen a great improvement in the quality of parts that come off the Platino,” explains Graden. “The parts coming off the plasma cutting machines had to be put through a secondary operation. We have a 5 Prima’s 10-shelf TowerServer allows easy loading / unloading for blanks and processed sheets. It has an elevator for loading and unloading the pallets on and off the tower, and features single sheet separating, control systems, and sheet reference. sanding machine that is located next to the plasma cutting machines, and we had to put all those parts from the plasma cutter through the sander. The Prima laser has eliminated secondary operations in about 99% of the parts that we process through the Platino.” The Platino laser system also helped improve quality at Vac-Con. It has eliminated secondary operations in about 99% of the parts that the company processes through the Platino.
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Page 3: MANAGEMENT CORNER by John Rogers, C
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Page 9 and 10: Technology Basics Press brakes are
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Page 13 and 14: FABTECH TRADE SHOW Prima Finn-Power
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Page 17 and 18: FOCUS ON TOOLING By David Bishop, B
Page 19 and 20: NC Express Programming Software The
Page 21 and 22: equipment lists, including: ■ Del
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Volume 20 Issue 2 - Finn-Power International, Inc.

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