Ever driven a Ferrari? Johnny
Laser drives one everyday...at least one that cuts metal. Since October 2014, Woodstock’s factory floor
has been graced by Big Orange, a metal-cutting laser, and it’s been performing
its high-speed duties ever since. This machine can cut 4’x8’ sheets of steel in
15-60 minutes (depending on thickness) with five thousandths of an inch
tolerance just as long as Johnny is there to program it, make sure the “beast ”
is being fed, and unloaded.
It’s all done with laser light,
computer programming, and Johnny...and a ton of electricity. You hear a musical
hum when Big Orange is at work, accompanied with a cling and clang when the cut
parts roll out of the cutting area. Sounds much like a subway car rolling into
the station for pick-up. It’s clean and it’s hot (really hot!). This is truly
the new and amazing definition of man and machine.
Why has Woodstock gone “laser”?
Because by cutting, bending, and fabricating all the parts for our IDEAL STEEL
hybrids, we can fully control the production rate , production costs, and
quality. It’s the only way we can make new hybrids that are high quality, high
performance, and AFFORDABLE.
And then there’s the part about
customization. Our laser and waterjet cutting equipment make it possible for us
to create a product that is uniquely yours. If we had to outsource our custom
cutting, the IDEAL STEEL hybrid would cost a lot more than it does. That would
be a cut into your pocketbook we don’t want to make.
We are focused on developing
new high quality, high performance designs at affordable prices. Having Big Orange on staff has already inspired
some great changes to our new product designs.
Who knows what our Gear Head imaginations will think of next!?
Things to Know about the Big
Orange
How thick and/or thin
stock can the laser cut?
We use the laser
to cut carbon steel and stainless steel that varies from 24 gage to ½”
thick (0.0239” to 0.5”)
What gases does it use to cut?
The laser beam
is created from a turbocharged mixture of Helium, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon Dioxide
(He, N, O2, and CO2)
What is a Laser?
Lasers are used
in CD players, dental drills, eye surgery, and, in our case, metal cutting.
Laser light
beams are very highly focused, within a very narrow spectrum of light for
maximum concentration of power.
How large is its footprint in the shop?
The machine footprint
is about 36’ x 15’
How hot is the cutting tip when it's cutting?
How hot is the cutting tip when it's cutting?
The cutting tip
is really hot - about 20,0000 Fahrenheit. It has to be this hot to cut through metal
cleanly and quickly.
How fast does it cut?
It cuts thin
metals at speeds up to 240 inches per minute (4 inches per second). It cuts heavy steel, like the stove bodies, at
about half this rate of speed.
The cutting head
repositions itself at speeds up to 3900 inches per minute (about 5.5 feet per
second) using powerful servo motors.
What is the
tolerance/margin of error in a cut?
Typically all
cuts are well within .005” tolerance.
(.005 is the same as 5 thousandths or 5/100, or one two hundredth of an
inch).
How do you load sheets of
steel onto the shuttle tables?
Beside the
machine is a crane with a vacuum hoist which we use to load sheets of metal.
