new laser

[mike techserv]

Hi
Got this off Ebay last week, it didnt sell so the owner (Keron) lowered his asking price to £0.00 -Just needed to get it out of the way.
Very big, fills the loading bay completely so I will have to remove some of the floor to get it in.
Heidenhain controller, 500 watt ferranti laser, 3m x 2m cutting. Should be good for 20mm plastic and 3mm mild steel, which is nice as our small machines and control panels are 2 and 3mm thick steel.
Also bought a 25hp Ingersoll Rand waterjet intensifier 56,000 psi at 1.9 litres/min £1,025. Going to build a tank and stick our motion on it, low cost waterjet cutting facility.
Amazing, to buy both these machines new would be £200k +, so thats a saving of about £195,000.
Difficult trading conditions out there at the moment so its a good plan to try and reduce your manufacturing costs, its also good fun buying toys, wonder what I could make out of laser cut plastic, apart from signs and stuff?

mike
techserv

PS been nominated for a Tata innovation award, innovation in a shitty mill in Dewbury - who would have thought

[mike techserv]

Yep, we have tea, coffee, water and sometimes biscuits. You are more than welcome. Give us a call beforehand as I am out quite a bit.

Cheers

Mike
01924 460456

Re the panels, yes could do, are the drawings avaliable and what material? Given that I can get the thing working, I am happy for anyone to call in and cut their own stuff. No doubt someone might have some insurance issues but Im sure we could sneak a bit of time after hours. Got to take a chainsaw to the floor first! :naughty:

[Lee Roberts]

I can send in some Hobnobs ?

[John S]

I've never eaten "just one" of those....very "moreish" :)

Oh I have, we are talking about packets now aren't we ???

[mike techserv]

I was trying to start a 'bring a bun' policy for all non-purchacing visitors, but biscuits will be fine, how about hobnobs with caramel. Or better still if we have some bits that you want we could swap them for their weight in biscuits, might have to set some limits, perhaps a minimum payment of 2 biscuits and no maximum

We have removed the floor to fit the laser (this is the 'royal we' as I've done nowt due to a brief holiday). The laser is very big and heavy, uses a heidenhain cnc and a moving table, ballscrew and spinning nut, looks to weigh about three tonnes, which might be a struggle for our 2 tonne crane.

Mike

Techserv

[John S]

Mike,
It may pay you to remove the laser off the top whilst installing the machine.
If that takes a knock it's virtually impossible to get back aligned again.
Those Ferranti's can be pigs to tune.

Early ones were filed with Fluorocarbon, later ones deionised water, whatever happens make sure the ballast resistor box in the bottom is bled before starting, one air bubble and it frieds the ballast resistors, - don't ask.

.

[mike techserv]

Thanks for the advice John, laser removed to a place of safety, in fact almost every thing removed, too bloody heavy to lift with our crane. Now in position ready for a rebuild, might have a bit of a hunt round for a higher power laser. I'm told there is a chap in Wakefield deals in them. Water jet machine going togerther shortly and looking out for a 3 metre pressbrake.

Thanks for calling in Kip, sorry to have missed you, had to do the holiday thing, next time perhaps. Did you get the full tour of 19,000 square feet of junk or just the main workshop?

Cheers

Mike