Selecting The Right Tube Laser Cutting System

Tube Laser Cutting is one of the newest forms of fabricating processing machinery.  Whether its round, square, rectangular, structural, extruded or roll formed shapes they all can be easily processed on a tube laser system, in fact it’s hard to imagine processing these parts anymore without a tube laser. Because these systems are so versatile, and costly you will need to be diligent in your search for the right machine for your needs and budget. You will need to consider the most important factors when selecting the right company and model machine that’s bets for your needs. Factors like: 

• Can The Manufacturer Support Your Whole Process From Design To Material Handling & Cutting, Offloading And Bending/Forming? First question is to make sure the manufacture your talking to supports tube cutting AND tube bending as most offer tube cutting systems as only a supplement to their sheet cutting machinery but leave you out in the cold to find a reliable bending solution. 
• Is The Design Simple And Intuitive? Simplicity of design makes repairs, operation and maintenance easier.
• Does The Process Reduce Manufacturing Costs? A reduction in manufacturing costs is the  primary goal of every machinery purchase however some machinery may be so heavy on maintenance that simpler forms of manufacturing can be preferred.  Selecting the right Tube laser cutting system is critical. 
• Does The Process Reduce Cost Offsetting the Investment? Reducing Manufacturing Costs is one goal, offsetting the costs of manufacturing AND your new machine investment are another.
  

Why a Tube Laser?

A tube laser cutting system can be a vital piece of equipment in your shop. Able to precisely cut shapes from round, square, rectangular, structural, extruded or roll formed shapes automatically, accurately and efficiently. Either purchased as a separate process or integrated in with your existing fabrication shop a tube laser cutting system usually is filled up in a matter of weeks with all the processing needs manufacturers have.  With the ability to cut contours, holes, angles and straights a tube laser is the ideal machine for just about anyone processing tubing and while there are other forms of cutting tubing available there is none that match the speed, accuracy, throughput and justification of a quality tube laser cutting system.

Tube Capacity & Capability Matters

Whether your cutting a specific product or a range of products, the capacity of your tube cutting laser matters as the more capable your system is, the more you are able to justify the purchase thereby profiting from it. Capacity can mean more than just diameter or length of the tube as well, it can also mean wall thickness and angle cutting capability. Choosing the right capacity machine for your needs is critical to ensure you not only meet the current tube cutting needs but can also adapt to the future needs as they arise. 

Cutting Power

Laser Cutting Power is important for not only capacity but speed too. On a flat sheet laser the more power the better for speed, but that doesn't apply on a tube laser cutting system. Because a tube laser cutting system can have 7 or more axis working in conjunction to get the right cut the speed is more limited than that of a simple X, Y Laser. Furthermore Tube lasers are rarely found above 3.5KW as utilizing higher power can easily burn through the opposite side of the tube if the operator or programmer is too aggressive. The right powered resonator in a tube laser is a careful balance of the machinery geometrical capabilities, material being cut and the thickness of material at any given angle being cut. 

Loading & Staging Tubing 

Having all that cutting capability is useless without the best staging and loading system available. Any system you consider should be able to hold 8-12 hours worth of production within the loading and staging area in order to maximize profitability and provide the earliest possible payback. A quality loader also will have the ability to orient the parts correctly whilst loading preventing machine jams and out of orientation cutting. Autoloading and part staging is a critical factor in a quality system that is capable of keeping up with the demands of a tubing fabrication leader.

Tube Offloading Matters

Removing cut parts is as important or more important  then loading the raw material. Short pieces should be easily dropped and fed away from the cutting zone ensuring your machine is not down due to a jammed part. Longer pieces should easily fed out through the cutting zone to unloading stations that are capable of supporting hours worth of work untended as without the ability to offload the work your machine sits idle waiting for manual help thus nullifying the whole process of automation. The last thing a high production application needs is to either run out of stock due to low capacity loaders, or to stop production because the offloading side is full and cannot handle the capacity the machine produces.  

Finding The Right Tube Laser 

At Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales, Inc we offer the best in new and used Laser Tubing Machinery. The systems we offer from BLM GROUP are designed from the ground up to process stock tubes throughout the whole of the manufacturing process including 3D bending all on one integrated software system that is second to none. Where other manufacturers leave you hanging our solution brings you all the way home. Check us out at WWW.SOUTHERNFABSALES.COM or by calling one of our laser cutting experts today at 1-813-444-4555