Cut-to-Size Automation Doubles Productivity
Liberty Display Group is a
full service manufacturer of
plastic display products
located in Blaine, Minnesota.
They custom fabricate
acrylics, PETG and other
plastic substrates, providing
services which include
design, prototype and manufacture
of sign holders, literature holders, P.O.P. displays,
retail display fixtures, store fixtures, bulk food dispensers,
interior signage and various other custom products used
in the retail environment.
The company recently made a decision to upgrade their
plastic sheet cutting capability in order to improve productivity
and edge cut quality. At that time, they were operating
two older horizontal beam saws; cutting thin material on one
saw and thicker materials on the other. Greg Erickson, production
manager at Liberty Display Group, wanted to
upgrade to an automated saw that could consolidate all of
their cutting requirements while providing for additional
capacity for the future. After completing their due diligence,
Liberty selected the Sigma 105 PLM Panel Saw for Plastics
manufactured by the SCM Group USA of Duluth, Georgia.
By selecting the Sigma 105 PLM, Liberty was able to
consolidate all of their cutting onto one machine and double
their productivity by reducing their cutting time in half.
The Sigma automates material handling with its clamps
which automatically position and precisely measure the
material for each cut. Its high-speed carriage cycling speed
(up to 4x faster than their previous saw) reduces each cut
cycle time which increases productivity. In addition, the
large air tables in front of the saw will support the cut
pieces as they are pushed forward by the clamps/pusher so
off loading and reloading of cut pieces is eliminated.
Standard features on the saw include an 18 hp heavy
duty main motor with inverter to control main blade rpm,
air/mist cooling and a specially designed cutting table with
thin openings to support the cutting of very thin plastic
material. “Our new saw is cutting our entire range of materials
including .020/.030” PETG, providing high quality
chip-free edges,” said Erickson. “We are obtaining twice the
blade life on the Sigma as compared to our previous saws.”
Erickson attributes this to the heavy duty base construction
and precision rack and pinion drive system that provides for
smooth, vibration free operation of the saw carriage.
The Sigma 105 PLM also includes a solid phenolic rear
crosscut table which provides support for crosscutting of
thin strips and small parts.
A graphically driven, userfriendly
Wincut interface
running on an IBM PC with
a Windows XP operating
system is provided for the
operator. The easy to operate
Wincut interface software
includes manual and
automated cutting programs along with a Cutty Sheet
Optimizer which all increase material yield. The software
also includes easy to use self diagnostics with remote
access capability from the SCM Group.
For more information, contact Phil Bryant, SCM
Group USA Inc., 2475 Satellite Blvd., Duluth, GA 30096,
770-813-8818, Fax: 770-813-8819, E-mail: pbryant@scmgroup-usa.com, Web: www.scmplastics.com or see
them at IWF Booth #8340.
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