When considering the investment of a tube laser, there are several questions that a fabricator should ask potential machine providers. The various factors that should be considered beforehand are wide-ranging as are the multiple drivers that motivate a fabricator toward the investment in the first place.
“From a general standpoint, a lot of driving factors could motivate someone to purchase a tube laser,” says Robert Adelman, head of product group at BLM GROUP USA. “In a general sense, businesses are looking for increased speed, quality, accuracy and repeatability. A lot of manufacturers have multiple time-consuming processes that are required to produce a part. A part could start on a saw line, move to a drill or punch line and then a machining center, etc. This large number of processes creates a long chain of WIP or work in process.”
A tube laser offers a streamlined solution by performing multiple operations within a single system. It can cut raw material to length, process holes and slots, install rivet nuts, as well as drill and tap – all in one setup. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple machines and reduces the complexity of transferring parts between workstations. Maintaining tight tolerances across several machines can be challenging; by completing multiple processes on a single platform, manufacturers minimize the risk of dimensional variation and reduce the need for rework. Additionally, by eliminating part transfers between machines, fabricators avoid the risk of lost components and reclaim valuable floor space.
“It really depends on the customer, though,” Adelman says. “OEMs want to improve efficiency and quality, increase production and eliminate traditional processes like punching and stamping, which tube lasers replace. Service centers on the other hand are looking for ways to add value while fabricators need a machine that can produce their parts in the best and cheapest way possible.”
Internal Q&A
Before reaching out to the tube laser manufacturer, however, there are a few questions that a fabricator should ask themselves first. Oftentimes, those questions boil down to the goals the customer is trying to achieve and if those goals justify the investment. For some, it’s as straightforward as expanding capacity to take on new business. For others, it’s the need to replace older cutting technologies. For most, the goal is to achieve higher throughput, quality and efficiency.
“Many OEMs are producing in extremely high volumes, so they’ll need to ask themselves about the throughput and quality they’re getting from their current processes,” says Kenny Criger, applications manager at BLM GROUP USA. “Fabricators, however, are often involved in high-mix, low-volume production, so they’ll need to ask themselves about the issues, obstacles and pain points they’re trying to overcome. Are they looking to streamline and enhance their production or perhaps replace aging machines? Do they need to make their downstream processes more efficient or reduce post-processing tasks?”
Self-reflection can be difficult at times, though, so getting an outside perspective can be incredibly helpful. Criger says that one of the biggest things BLM GROUP USA can do as a customer advocate is to listen and observe and then ask questions of the customer that they might not have thought of on their own. One of the best places to do that is on-site at a prospective customer’s location.
“It’s good to have a conversational walk of their floor because, through observation, we can ask specific questions about their current processes, such as why someone is grinding a tube,” he says. “Maybe they have a saw that produces an edge that’s sharp and unacceptable for their end user.
“During those conversations, we’ll ask them where their bottlenecks are,” Criger adds. “Perhaps they’re producing 1,000 parts per hour but are absolutely burying their welding department. As a good consultant, we can offer suggestions to reduce or potentially eliminate that bottleneck, such as by creating self-fixturing components within the tube laser’s software, which ultimately could help those downstream welders.”
Typically, these conversations also lead to deeper discussions about the design-for-manufacture benefits that tube lasers can deliver. Criger says it’s exciting to see the light bulbs go off during these conversations. The production opportunities a tube laser can deliver are vast, but they are often difficult to see without the shop floor conversations BLM GROUP USA recommends.
Setting benchmarks
Undoubtedly, the shop floor conversations inspire entirely new lines of questioning for customers: What other downstream bottlenecks can a tube laser solve? Can I redesign my traditionally flat-to-press-brake parts to be produced on a tube laser? What more could I be doing for my shop with a tube laser investment?
While these prospects are exciting, of course, there are core questions that must initially be asked and operational data that should be presented to the machine provider. In doing so, customers can better answer that main internal question: Is a tube laser a good fit for my business?
“In regard to current throughput and cycle times, it’s incredibly helpful for a customer to have a use case that is very specific to what they’re trying to accomplish,” Criger says. “Perhaps they have 10 parts that they’re looking to produce at high volumes each year. The question would be how many machines would they need to produce 100,000 of those parts each year and how many shifts would they have to run?
“For fabricators looking to replace older tube laser technology, they may want to ask questions that can help them benchmark the new technology against the output they’re currently achieving,” he adds. “Benchmarking doesn’t just include throughput, however. New machines not only produce more parts per hour, but they can often do it while also reducing gas or power consumption and even maintenance costs. Combined, something like that could help position a job shop for more competitive quoting.”
Addressing the practicalities
Investing in a tube laser can be incredibly transformational for a business, but practicalities must be addressed, as well, like learning the basics of how to operate the machine. There are also various models and machine sizes from which to choose.
When it comes to some of the light bulb moments Criger mentioned, redesigning a part to take full advantage of the machine shouldn’t require a heavy lift. The challenge for a potential customer, therefore, is knowing what to ask in terms of the software’s capabilities. Understanding that customers can’t ask about features about which they’re unaware, Criger says that should be an interactive process.
“The best thing we can do to understand a customer’s need for specific features is to assess their variety of parts,” he explains. “That helps us evaluate what features might lend themselves best to their process. A machine or software demonstration, whether it be virtually or in person at our solution center, will really get the gears turning. It opens their eyes to the different componentry in the machine and features of the software that can help them achieve their goals.”
In terms of actual usability, BLM GROUP software was designed with ease of use in mind. It allows for two-click programming from 3-D models to part programs and offers features for parametric design and automatic nesting. On-site training is included and comprehensive, and if the time comes for a customer to add a second machine, the software is consistent across all of BLM GROUP tube laser models.
Choosing the right tube laser model is another piece of the puzzle. Most machine manufacturers have multiple options, including BLM GROUP, which offers 10 models from 4-in. to 24-in. tube lasers.
“An assessment of the customer’s parts is also a critical component of the decision-making process – not just from a time study perspective, but also to determine if they have assemblies and how they can enhance those assemblies for downstream processes,” Criger says.
Creating a direct relationship between the applications team, sales team and prospective customer is essential for properly sizing a machine, but it’s also essential for identifying additional aspects of the overall purchase, such as material handling components and specific software features.
Beyond cutting
For first-time buyers, there could, of course, be some aspects of a tube laser that are overlooked in terms of critical specifications or capabilities. Unlike flat sheet lasers, with which many fabricators are incredibly familiar, the focus on tube lasers must go beyond beam on-time and cut speed.
As their name implies, tube lasers process tube, but they can also process a variety of profiles. Many fabricators process angle, channel, beam and even extrusions, but not every tube laser is created equally in its ability to process those profiles. The caveats are often centered on the ability to automatically load and unload the material and program the parts.
“Loading and unloading is actually one of the most overlooked aspects of tube lasers,” Criger says. “Typically, 40 to 60 percent of the time processing a part is actual cutting while the other 60 to 40 percent is loading, transferring and unloading.
“At the end of the day, I don’t really care how fast a tube laser can cut my part; I care how many parts per hour are sitting on my unloader,” he stresses. “If the operator is incredibly fast at processing those parts, but it takes a minute to go from part to part because of a loading or unloading inefficiency, none of that matters. It’s incredibly important to not let that fall through the cracks during these important conversations.”
First-time tube laser investors, however, aren’t unfamiliar with the importance of post-sale service and support. But with so many new topics to address, the topic of service shouldn’t fall through the cracks, either.
“A fabricator needs to know whether the machine provider has a local representative in their area,” he says. “They need to know if parts are available in the United States if their machine goes down. They need to know how long the wait will be for their part or a technician to arrive. Service has a direct effect on ROI and, honestly, it’s one of the most important things to consider when purchasing a machine.”
