It is a history at Craig Welding to look at our process and if we see justification of equipment, we purchase the equipment to do the job. We found with the plasma machine that it did well with some of our products. But it did best when we did not have to worry about tight tolerances. With the work that we were doing, more accuracy was required. We then purchased an Amada Laser. This gave us the ability to cut with tight tolerances, without the distortions of the plasma or shear. This allows us to easily produce small runs and prototypes efficiently and competitively.

The capacity of the equipment allows nesting of parts that reduces material usage. There is also the ability to etch parts as part of the process. This increases the potential of design changes without the cost of dies. Maximum thickness limits are .75 in. for steel, 3/8 in. for Stainless and Aluminum.

Amada's new EZ Cut laser cutting technology produces high-quality edges that often eliminate additional finishing operations prior to painting or welding while costing only 1/3 as much as nitrogen. Depending on your application you get better edge quality, lower assist gas costs, shorter cycle times and lower manufacturing costs.

Travel Method: Stationary table, X, Y and Z-axis movement for cutting head

Control Method:  X, Y and Z simultaneous 3 axis control

Drive Motors:       Fanuc AC servo motors

Maximum Sheet Size 61" (Y) x 122.8" (X)

Maximum Axis Travel 60" (Y) x 120" (X) x 7.87" (Z)

Maximum Axis Positioning Speed 3,150 inches per minute

Maximum Speed Z-Axis 2,362 inches per minute

Positioning Accuracy 0.0004"/20" Maximum Material Weight 1,875 lbs.