Fibre lasers are the most efficient way for laser cutting. The laser beam is created by an active fibre and transmitted over a transport fibre to the machine cutting head. Fibre lasers are signifi­cantly smaller than CO₂ lasers and generate several times the power for the same current. A fibre cutting system is primarily suited for processing thin to thick sheet metal from steel, stainless steel, aluminium and also other non-ferrous metals (copper and brass). See our 3Kw fibre laser in action:

What are the benefits to Fiber Laser Cutting?

• Cost. Fiber laser is delivered through a laser optic cable instead of mirrors and channel used by CO2 laser cutting machine. Reducing power loss and increasing energy efficiency, lowering production costs.
• Cutting Edge. Falcon Precision are well known as a specialist in manufacturing electronics cases for many industries, including medical, industrial computers & military. This requires a high volume of thin sheet metal to be cut quickly. Our laser can cut a variety of materials with clean edges, requiring no additional deburring.
• Interchangeable beds. Our fiber laser machine has a dual interchangeable platform where materials and finished cutting sheets can be loaded/unloaded whilst the machine is still cutting. Reducing downtime.
• Maintenance. Our fibre laser requires less maintenance and downtime than a CO2 laser, saving worry and money. A CO2 laser machine requires regular and annual maintenance, including component replacements, which can cost thousands of dollars per year.
• Reflective Material. One of the major problems when using a traditional laser is in regards to reflective material. There is the chance a laser may bounce off the reflective material, which in turn will damage the equipment. Due to this, traditional lasers are not often used when cutting brass, aluminum and copper. With fiber optic lasers though, this reflective material problem is no longer an issue, which in turn allows for the cutting of these materials.

Click here to see the type of work we can offer in our showroom.

How to take advantage

One goal in designing for manufacturing is to achieve a simple solution rather than a complex one. After all, complex designs are more challenging to manage, increase the risk of errors, and generate waste in the form of materials, energy, labour, and time. Laser cutting is a suitable tool for creating components of all shapes and sizes and is one of the most efficient and cost-effective fabrication methods. Complex cuts with superior edge quality can be accomplished accurately with fibre laser cutting. Precision laser beams can create close-tolerance components quickly, cleanly, and efficiently, with minimal operator intervention.

To see how Falcon can help your company’s metal cutting requirements, click the link below to contact us directly.

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Benefits

• All sheet metal will now be stored directly next to the main three work centres that use it. Currently only our most frequently used materials were stored next to these work centres due to a lack of space. To process other materials, pallets needed to be transported between two separate roller doors. The Bystronic fiber laser, Motorum CNC turret punch and the guillotine operations will all benefit. This reduction in down-time means that more of the operator’s time can be spent at the machine, cutting parts.
• Two additional closed off bays will be added to our sheet metal fabrication area. A welding bay and a separate grinding/polishing bay will be added alongside our current work centre. This increase in our sheet metal fabrication capabilities is a reflection of a number of successful years in this department.
• Our in-house assembly work centre will be gaining more floor space. Falcon has seen a rise in customers wanting us to pre-assemble their sheet metal computer cases. This can be to aid quality checks, reduce the shipping/storage size or to speed up assembly in their production line. This extension will allow us to take on more of this type of work, with our reputation as a specialist in sheet metal fabrication growing year on year.
• Our ‘key walkways’ will all be widened throughout the factory. All key walkways will now be wide enough for a large pallet to move easily to all work centres. These will also be clearly colour coded for health and safety considerations.
• The extra space will also facilitate the investment of new machinery in the future, helping further modernise and increase production.

The extension to the factory is the second major improvement to be carried out at Falcon this year, with high spec LED lighting having been fitted in February 2019. This has proven to be a popular decision with both our staff and our customers since the installation. See our post from earlier this year for more information. https://www.falconprecision.co.uk/news/led-floodlights-sheet-metal

Laser cutting, CNC machining, metal fabrication all under one roof. Click the link below to contact us directly.

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CNC punching is the process of creating a hole or other shape in a piece of sheet metal by applying a high force through a tool and die, to shear or indent the metal. This process is repeated using a variety of custom precision made tools to make a wide range of parts. Punching is often, but not always, the most efficient way of producing sheet metal parts, though this depends on the part geometry and materials used.

The abbreviation CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. This means that the machine is being controlled by a program (typically G-code), and not an operator. As well as having a CNC punch, Falcon also has a CNC fibre laser and CNC milling machines.

What materials can be CNC punched?

Falcon Precision can punch aluminium, steel, stainless steel, brass, copper and many others. Typically, the maximum thickness we like to punch is 3mm. Whilst we can punch thicker than this, it can dramatically reduce the life span of the tooling used.

CNC punching or laser cutting?

Both manufacturing techniques have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the process we use for your parts will depend on a variety of factors.

CNC punching strengths:

CNC punching diagram

– Generally faster run times – suits larger volumes. Up to 500 punch strokes per minute!

– More economical to produce simple forms. E.g. countersinks, louvres, dimples, thread forming, dunces, bridges, symbols, ribs, locking tabs – the list is endless!

– Can create entire parts in a single punch with custom tooling.

– Cluster tools can be used to punch large grid patterns, creating multiple holes/slots in a single punch stroke.

Laser cutting strengths:

– The space between parts on a sheet is smaller, giving a more economical sheet utilisation which can result in cheaper parts.

– Can cut a wider range of material thicknesses.

– Faster set-up times to suit smaller volumes

– Can laser etch serial numbers, product codes or revision statuses into components for trace ability.

At Falcon we believe it is essential to have both processes to offer a complete manufacturing service to customers.

Tips for CNC punching

– Hole diameters or rectangular slots should be the same gauge as the material thickness.

– Distance between holes/slots/edges should be the same as the material thickness, however we can go smaller in some circumstances if required.

– Some features are not economical to produce on a CNC punch such as convoluted curves. If your part doesn’t have any aesthetic requirements, make sure it uses straight lines and edges in its geometry so it is suitable for CNC punching.

– It can take less than 0.5 seconds to countersink a hole on a CNC punch turret compared to roughly 10-15 seconds for an operator to manually enter one on a pillar drill. To benefit from these cost

CNC punch turret

savings, make sure the rest of your part is suitable for CNC punching.

– Cluster tools can punch a number of holes in a grid at the same time, drastically reducing run times. This can be used very effectively for ventilation grilles or LED panels.

– As a CNC punch typically takes longer to set up compared to a laser cutter, consider increasing your order volumes to reduce the unit price. This will also reduce the amount of distortion in the part.

– Punch forming can produce some useful features very economically. Louvres for air vents, dimples for locating positions, bridges for slide rails or back stops can all be produced in a matter of seconds.

– If your part is smaller than 88.9mm in diameter (3.5″), we may be able to punch it in one punch stroke with custom tooling. If you are buying parts in their hundreds this is an often underused technique to help economise, however it may not be perfectly flat.

– Some customers have worked with Falcon to help create a ‘nest’ of their parts, similar to how a model of a plane would come in a box. The customer benefits from having a economical collection of parts which they can ‘break-out’ and use as required. This also works with laser cutting.

For more tips on sheet metal design, visit our latest in a series of new design pages here:

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