---
title: How a Beam Coping Machine Can Improve Productivity
description: This article details the problems associated with using manual labor for coping. We then explain how a CNC beam coping machine can increase production speed, and other benefits that will improve overall productivity.
image: https://www.southernfabsales.com/hubfs/beam-coping.png
---
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Posted By: Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales | Posted On: July 5, 2019
# How a Beam Coping Machine Can Improve Productivity
Structural Fab Machinery
Coping steel beams is an important part of the process of structural fabrication. These cutouts, or notches, are unique to each beam and designed in such a way so beams fit up tightly to each other, even at acute angles. Coping (or notching) of beams is required to make sure beams and columns fit without interference. It may be necessary to remove portions of the flange or web or a combined section of both.
## **Manually Coping**
In days past beam coping was done by manually laying out the reliefs required and cutting with a hand held torch. Many times these copes, or reliefs were in error and additional cutting needed to be done at assembly, high in the air while a crane, operator and several fabricators all waited making the process very expensive. Other issues with the manual method were also problematic.
- Layout Time was simply too long.
- Laying out Coping Lines took the most experienced steelworker, making it that much more expensive and valuable.
- Incorrect Layouts were frequent.
- Incorrect Manual Cuts following the Layouts.
- Manual Cleanup took too long as all that manual cutting required chipping and grinding to remove the dross and slag left behind by the torches.
Beam coping was indeed a necessary evil, it had to be done but doing it accurately enough in the fab shop, without removing too much supportive material was the challenge. Thus the need for a beam coping machine was born.
## **CNC Beam Coping Machine **
The answer for the manual coping method was a CNC profiling Coping Machine. Fabricators could take the detailed engineering data and directly profile the beams in one setup. This not only allowed for more accuracy but it also greatly improved throughput and in-field errors when assembling beams together. The CNC Beam Coping Machine solved the issues
- Eliminating Layout Time
- Lower Paid Machine Operators can perform the Operation
- Layouts are all extracted from approved engineering data greatly reducing layout and cutting errors.
- Cleanup is quick and on some machines, automatic.
By upgrading to a CNC Beam Coping Machine a structural fabrication facility can greatly improve their thruput, accuracy and reliability on the structural steel components they produce. This in turn greatly reduces the errors found in the field and thus the need for hand held, last minute coping operations.
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Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales (SFMS) has been an expert in buying, selling, and brokering used machinery and used industrial equipment since the 1980's. We work in and with machine shops, tool dies, mold and fab shops just like yours, running the very machinery we now offer as solutions for your manufacturing needs!
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