Thoughts or advice on better utilising current equipment??

[Barry Weeks]

I do note that one sees a lot of laser/punch combo machines in catalogs and at trade shows, there's surely some reason for that...

Turret punch requires you to buy tooling (punch and die) to make most shapes and sizes. Once you have the tooling, the punching is quick and easy. Laser can make odd shapes and sizes by programming. Combo is the best of both worlds. Buy tooling for your commonly used holes, and laser the rest.

 

[WILLEO6709]

a turret punch will slam the hole in and be on its way to the next before a laser makes the initial penetration. turrets can "nibble" contours but are slow as molasses in a deep freeze compared to laser. The downsides of hard tooling is not that much a downside but enough that the combo machines have niches they fill quite nicely.

 

[Ries]

There are also plenty of plasma/turret punch machines out there.

A laser or plasma is usually better for oddball shapes and long lines.
A punch is always faster and cheaper for circles, squares, round ended slots, and hexes up to about 3" or so in sheet metal.

A combo turret punch will use the right tool for the job, without having to move the material to different machines.

 

[maxh]

Kentuckydiesel, I sent you a private message about some sheet metal work.

 

[Kentuckydiesel]

Kentuckydiesel, I sent you a private message about some sheet metal work.

I just got a chance to check the forum (been a busy week) and tried to send two different replies but neither showed up in my "sent messages" folder. Please let me know if either of them came through or not.

Thanks, Phillip