African Fusion November 2015

and precision benchmark

Koike’s Katana-ADV CNC controllers incorporate all of the software for controlling the cutting path of the torches, along with the electrical, flame and gas controls for the cutting process being employed. rial, decided to complement its fleet of machinerywith a combined plasma and oxy-fuel installation. The Koike Deltatec 4500 CNC cut- ting system was chosen, a machine with a 4.5 m beam width on a 14 m rail length, giving an effective cutting area of 3×12 m. For cutting, the machine has one Hypertherm HPR260XD auto gas control high-definition plasma cut- ting system, combined with two fully automated Koike K-FIT oxy-fuel cutting torches, all under the control of Koike’s Katana-ADV CNC controller. “These controllers incorporate all of the software for controlling the cut- ting path of the torches, along with the electrical, flame and gas controls for the cutting process being employed. When plasma cutting, for example, Hypertherm’s True Hole® technology enables high-quality, bolt-ready holes in a 1:1 ratio to plate thicknesses of between 5.0 mm and 25 mm on mild steel material. This is testament to the quality, accuracy and process speed of the Koike machine in combination with Hypertherm’s XD plasma systems,” Mo- riarty points out. He highlights the Portal Frame Compensation (PFC) system feature. The saddles of the Deltatec have a built- in system that enables the gantry to expand with the heat from the cutting processes, whilemaintaining a constant clearance between the rack and pinion on both sides of the drive system. This ensures a smoother cut surface and less wear on the rack and pinion systems. At start-up, the machine will auto- matically measure and calibrate the portal’s squareness using two sensors – the actual portal position will be

The Koike system offers high definition cost- effective plasma cutting on plate of up to 40 mm, plus the added flexibility and value of cutting plate of over 150 mm using oxy-fuel.

Laser Junction has established itself as a market leader in the sheet metal industry, specialising in plasma cutting, laser cutting, punch bending and steel fabrication.

tion at Laser Junction is the SigmaNest nesting software, which was originally developed in South Africa by Mecad Systems. This allows optimisation of material usage and productivity. “While the software is globally supported, be- cause of the local expertise in this area, Laser Junction’s SigmaNest systemwill be directly supported byMecad in South Africa,” Moriarty says. The cutting table itself is aHerr Plas- Vent exhaust-type table with a modular construction. Exhaust channels run in the longitudinal direction in separate 515 mm transverse sections. “Each of the channels has an exhaust flap, which is automatically openedwhen cutting in that section. This enables fume extrac- tion in the areaswhere it is needed,mak- ing the extraction processmore efficient and reducing the fan power required. “For Laser Junction, this cutting system significantly extends the com- pany’s cutting capability. As well as laser services on plate thicknesses up to 20 mm, the Koike system offers high definition, cost-effective plasma cutting on plate of up to 40 mm, plus the added flexibility and value of cutting plate of over 150 mm using oxy-fuel,” Moriarty confirms. “In addition, the company benefits from local service and support from Retecon and from Koike in Holland, the OEM of the system. Koike are cutting specialists. The solutions they offer are not limited to a single technology and combination system such as Laser Junction’s Deltatec plasma/oxy-fuel system, are not only cost effective, they can significantly enhance a company’s offering, while optimising productivity,” Moriarty concludes.

compared with the initial CNC settings when the machine was assembled. The Katana controllerwill showanon-screen message that warns the operator if the portal is out of spec and readjustment is required. Other features Moriarty points out are the SmartLift torch carriages to- gether with Smartflow gas distribution, for both plasma and oxy-fuel, incorpo- rated in the Deltatec 4500. The plasma torch, which requires very accurate height control for high definition cut- ting accuracy, is fitted with a magnetic torch holder for collision protection and maintenance-free ac slide motor with a precision linear guidance system. The oxy-fuel torcheswithheat protectionuse electronically controlled proportional valves with capacitive height sensing including an automatic pre-heat and ignition system. In addition: • A spot laser pointer enables easy manual plate alignment and refer- encing between cuts. • An E-cabinet air conditioning sys- tem maintains the temperature of the control cabinet at the ideal operating temperature in ambient temperatures ranging from -10 °C to +55 °C. • A voltage stabiliser compensates for fluctuation of between +10% and -30% from 230 V. • A network cable connects the Kata- na controller to a local area network (LAN). “Should any faults developon the Laser Junction’smachine, Koike Europe can log in via Team Viewer, diagnose the fault conditionand talk local technicians through a resolu- tion procedure,” Moriarty explains. Also supplied with the turnkey installa-

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November 2015

AFRICAN FUSION