Articles

Sheet metal processing lines: how to calculate productivity, availability and efficiency

Sheet metal production lines nowadays are more and more automated, with increasing number of processing modules. Knowing how to balance a production system has become a strategic skill for the production manager in order to optimize the line and increase the productivity.

Production systems consist of a series of machines, each one performing one part of the process. In sheet metal processing lines, for example, a system can ... more details

Waterjet, oxycut, plasma or laser, which cutting technology should I use?

  There is significant competition in the market between different cutting technologies, whether they are intended for sheet metal, tubes or profiles. There are those that use methods of mechanical cutting by abrasion, such as waterjet and punch machines, and others that prefer thermal methods, such as oxycut, plasma or laser.   However, with recent breakthroughs in the laser world of fiber cutting technology, there is technological competition taking place between high definition plasma, ... more details

What Is The Best Way To Cut Steel Plate

Oxy-fuel, Plasma, Laser, or Waterjet There are many ways to cut mild steel plate, some of which are suited for automation some are not. Some are suited for thinner plate, some for thicker. Some are fast, some are slow. Some are low-cost, some expensive. And some are accurate, some are not. This article takes a quick look at the four primary methods used on CNC shape cutting machines, compares each processes strengths ... more details

How to quickly calculate the hourly cost and rate of machines and sheet metal processing lines

I am often asked what is the operating cost for a sheet metal processing line, and in this article I will provide a method for calculating it. We will see that, especially for new lines such as roll forming lines, punching machine and laser cutting, the payback and the number of working hours of the machine play the most significant role, and that the payback is a decision that the sheet metal ... more details

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