An introduction to different types of sheet metal cutting machines, and a recommended loading and unloading solution for these cutting tables – customized magnetic lifting beams manufactured by HVR MAG.
Laser Cutting Machines
They use the heat emitted by a laser beam guided by mirrors or optical fibers. Laser cutting allows you to cut different materials without having to change tools, simply by setting the laser parameters. It is a very precise process, with a very small notch width allowing for complex contours. Depending on the material to be cut, the cutting speed can be very fast.
Main advantages:
- High cutting accuracy
- High speed
- Good cutting quality
- Low noise level
- Low vibration
Plasma Cutting Machines
They are only used for ferrous (steel, stainless steel, etc.) and non-ferrous metals (brass, copper, aluminium, etc.) with a maximum thickness of 160 mm.
Plasma cutting is faster than laser cutting for medium or thick plates, and is faster than oxyacetylene cutting for thin or medium plates. In general, plasma cutting is suitable for cutting plates of thick metal.
Main characteristics:
- Thick metal cutting (up to 160 mm)
- High speed
- Requires good ventilation
- Frequent nozzle and electrode replacement
Water-jet Cutting Machines
They use water pressure to cut all types of materials (except tempered glass which would shatter under the pressure) up to 600 mm thick. However, we advise you to limit yourself to cutting workpieces no thicker than 200 mm in order to maintain the correct cutting speed and precision with this method.
Water-jet cutting does not deform the workpiece (no deformation due to a rise in temperature) and the cut edges are soft and shiny. However, it is a rather noisy process. The cutting can be relatively fast in a straight line, but slows down sharply when there are changes in direction.
Main characteristics:
- Very versatile, cuts all types of materials
- No deformation of the workpiece
- High noise level
- Low speed when the cut is not straight
Oxyacetylene Cutting Machines
They send a blast of pure oxygen onto molten metal to perform cutting. This technique can only be used for certain types of steel, but has the advantage that it can cut plates up to 400 mm thick.
It is a relatively slow process, but there are machines that integrate several oxyacetylenel cutting torches that operate in parallel to increase productivity.
Main characteristics:
- Can only be used for steel
- Cutting thickness up to 400 mm
- Low cutting speed
EDM Cutting Machines
Also known as spark erosion machines, they are used for machining conductive materials. They can make very precise cuts on parts with a maximum thickness of 300 mm. The principle is to remove material from the workpiece using electrical shocks.
This process is recommended for cutting very hard metals, such as hardened steel.
Main characteristics:
- High cutting accuracy
- Can only be used on metals
- Cutting of very hard metals
Loading & Unloading Solution for Sheet Metal Cutting Machine
For large cutting table operation, clearing the table in the shortest time after the cutting procedure, plays an important role in improving the overall manufacturing efficiency of the workshop.
Loading & unloading with magnetic lifting beam – also referred to as magnetic traverse, a type of steel plate lifting equipment that utilizes the clamping force of magnet lifters. The multi-point magnetic lifting system unloading the skeleton and cut parts off the table in one movement.
Workshops don’t have to collect and sort the cut parts manually, which would be a huge consumption of time. Moreover, it’s also equipped with radio remote control, which only requires one worker to operate the unloading process.
Or, we also supply magnetic lifting equipment for merely loading steel plate onto the cutting table, depending on the thickness of sheets. Learn more about our lifting magnets system, please go to our product page https://www.hvrmagnet.com/product/single-steel-plate-lifting-magnets-21.html.
