| What
is Plasma cutting? |
|
| Plasma cutting utilises a super
heated intense beam of ionised gas to cut metallic
substrates. It can cut any size, shape or form up
to 2,000mm square with a depth of 800mm, virtually
burr and scratch free and accurate to +/- 0.1mm.
Programmed by an off line system, the CCT machine
can cut formed press panels faster than any other
multi-axis system. |
| The process produces a clean
and virtually burr free finish with a robot repeatability
of +/- 0.025mm and a trajectory accuracy of +/-
0.1mm. |
 |
| Praise
and accolades for the technology |
| The technology has seen its developers
receive praise from the likes of Aston Martin, whose
nomination won the Plasma Cutting System the Accelerate
Innovation award in 2003. |
| This same technology is now harnessed
by Panel Technology Ltd to achieve the same goals
its developers set out; repeatability, accuracy
and impressive cost-competitive manufacturing. |
|
| What
are the benefits of Plasma technology? |
| Plasma technology is ideal for
customers requiring low to medium volume solutions
(40 to 20,000) that require complex 3D trimming
and clipping operations or modifications to components,
to provide additional holes or other features that
would normally require the job to be retooled in
some way. |
| With that in mind any industry
with a need to cut mild or coated steel up to 6mm
thick and stainless steel or aluminium up to 4mm
thick can be accommodated. |
|
| From
Design to Manufacture |
| The use of Computer Aided Design
and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CADCAM) techniques
allow the customer to produce their desired component
on a CAD terminal and then send the data to Panel
Technology via the internet or a Compact Disc (CD.) |
| Using the “ACT-CCT”
offline CAD, purpose written software, the customer
design is modeled in 3D and then fed to the machine.
Utilising complex algorithms, the machine can then
be controlled in ‘virtual reality’,
mapping the cutting path. The software also translates
common CAD files such as IGES. |
| One of the main advantages of
this 3D technology is that the CCT machine can produce
a finished component without ever seeing a sample,
a drawing or set of co-ordinates to “describe”
the component required. |
| This allows a typical programming
time for the periphery of a relatively simple 3D
component cutting path, with corrected CAD data,
to normally be produced in around 20 minutes. |
|
| Summary
of the advantages of Plasma technology
|
| Plasma gives speed, accuracy,
repeatability and high precision. The technology
also provides a major cost advantage when compared
to alternatives such as laser cutting. This cost
advantage is vital in the current global market
environment. |
