In the world of manufacturing, automation is often the key to productivity increases. While productivity is important, it is also important not to lose sight of the creativity required to produce excellent materials. While some claim that automation can destroy creativity, turning every manufacturing process into a “cookie cutter” operation, this is not necessarily true. With the right machines, your manufacturing process can handle a multitude of different tasks and runs that allow you to create custom pieces to fit any client’s needs. In many cases, automation not only allows for creativity but also enhances it.
The Creative Process vs. Automation
For many years, automation was believed to be the enemy of the creative process. Customers had to choose between standard cuts and finishes for metal tubing or order a custom job that was often too pricey to be practical. However, with the advent of rotating-head tube cutoff and finishing machinery, this choice became a thing of the past.
Now, a tube processor can expect to produce an order of metal tubing with a wide array of sizes, cuts and finishes for practically the same cost as a standard run. How is this possible, and what role does the automatic rotating head tube cutoff machine play?
The Rotating-Head Cutoff Machine: Versatile and Efficient
One thing that, in the past, drove up the cost of custom orders so much was the fact that a worker had to stop the production run, change tube grippers and tooling setups, and start up again. Each individual cut and chamfer operation had to be processed separately, so special runs often took a great deal of time.
Now, however, the rotating-head cutoff machine makes those processes obsolete. A custom run has become as easy as pushing a button. The secret is that the entire process has been reversed: now, instead of the stock being gripped and rotated, the metal tubes are held in place while the cutting head spins around the tube. This allow cutting and chamfering of both ends in a single operation.
This change has a significant impact on the processing of metal tubes. The servo-driven rotating head moves around the stock, which is held in place. This means that stock can be pre-loaded while the machine cuts, finishes and unloads it in a very short time. Workers are required only for the beginning and ending of this process; the machine handles everything once it is programmed. As a result, even very complicated runs no longer require workers to stop production and manipulate the metal tubes; the machine does it all.
At Hautau, we have spent many years creating machines that allow you to use your own creativity to fabricate any type of cut or finish imaginable for your metal tubes. With our rotating-head cutting machines, you are not bound to simple, straightforward cuts and finishes. Instead, you can use our custom software to program your machines and create almost any cut and endfinish you choose. To learn more about how Hautau is helping manufacturers combine creativity and productivity, give us a call today and speak to one of our friendly professionals.