CNC Pressure Beam Saw Increases Accuracy and Productivity

In the winter of 2004, Tom Ryan, President and Coowner of Hart Supply Company, a full service plastics distributor and fabricator based in Hingham, Massachusetts, decided it was time to replace the company’s out-of-date, antiquated beam saw with a cutting system that would increase accuracy and provide the edge quality on acrylic that his customers were demanding.

Hart Supply is a very diverse company, supplying materials to a variety of different industries. Display and P.O.P. manufacturers make up the majority of Hart Supply’s business but they are also very active in the graphic arts, glass, sign and building products industries. Hart Supply inventories a wide variety of materials, all with unique qualities and different cutting challenges for the saw operator. On an average day they will cut: acrylic, polycarbonate, aluminum, PVC, foam, sign board, styrene and a variety of other materials that range in thickness from .060 to 2”.

Ryan determined that if his company was to grow and be competitive in the cut-to-size business he had to offer superior cut quality and shorter lead times. After evaluating several manufacturers of CNC beam saws, he choose the Holzma HPP 82 for plastics, which incorporates a number of features designed expressly for the cutting of plastic sheets.

The variable speed main saw motor on the HPP 82 allows the operator to choose the main saw rim speed according to each plastic’s cutting properties. This capability, taken with the mist coolant system on the main saw, helps achieve maximum cutting speed and optimal edge finish, boosting both productivity and part quality. A key feature of the control on the HPP 82 is the Material Parameter Library, which allows automatic selection of such variables as the rim speed, cutting speed and blade exposure by material type so the best settings are chosen automatically every time for consistency of performance and output.

At the time of purchase, Hart Supply also decided to invest in the powerful Cut Rite Production Control and Panel Optimization software offered by Holzma U.S. Cut Rite works on a cost basis, comparing both the cost per hour of machine time and the cost per square foot of material being cut, to arrive at the least cost solution for the required parts from the given sheet stock sizes. The optimized patterns can be generated from internal or imported parts lists and the resulting patterns downloaded electronically directly into the Cadmatic control on the saw, thus eliminating all setup time, the potential for setup error on the shop floor and typically saving 25-35% of the production day by eliminating manual setup.

The challenge to improve cut-to-size capabilities came from the sales force, which number nine inside and nine outside sales reps covering all of New England and Eastern New York and 14 trucks on the road daily. Answering the challenge paid off as the cut quality and capacity of the new saw helped Hart Supply increase cutto- size volume 5-fold.

Gary Hermanson, Hart Supply’s department manager, is thrilled with the service and support he is getting from Stiles Service and Holzma Tech Support. Saw operator, Mark Bates, said “The HPP 82 with Cadmatic control is one of the most user-friendly machines I have ever operated.” “The overall performance of the machine exceeds our expectations,” said Hermanson. “We look forward to many more years of precision cutting and reliable use.”

Advantages of a Beam Saw

Electronically controlled, pressure beam equipped panel saws of the type which Hart Supply purchased offer a wide variety of advantages to the plastics sheet fabricator. First, the electronically controlled program fence is equipped with clamps which link the sheet or stack of sheets to it, thereby guaranteeing precise positioning and ensuring tight tolerance component accuracy and squareness. Second, because the saw utilizes a pressure beam, this type of cutting equipment can effectively cut one sheet or many at a time with clean, attractive edge quality throughout the stack. Third, because the pressure beam rigidly clamps the sheets prior to cutting, the quality of cut on this type of saw is far superior to that achieved when the sheet is physically moved past the cutting blade. Fourth, because of the capability to stack-cut and the physical speed of this type of saw, both turnaround times and direct labor are minimized. Finally, because the saw itself does all the workpiece positioning and because the stack of sheets is firmly clamped by the pressure beam during the cutting process and because the blades on the saw are below the machine bed except when cutting, this type of cutting equipment is one of the safest methods for cutting plastic sheet goods.

For more information, contact Bill Pitt, Holzma U.S., 1200 Tulip Drive, Gastonia, NC 28052, 704-861-8239, Fax: 704-867-4140, E-mail: bpitt@stilesmachinery.com, Web: www.stilesmachinery.com.