ART’s SMART CNC router installed at Queensland’s Bond University helps students to bring their projects to life.

Gold Coast-based Bond University’s School of Architecture’s vision is unique but simple: It aims to combine teaching excellence with practical experience to deliver top-class graduates. Practical hands-on projects contribute to a large part of the Bachelor of Architectural Studies, where students learn about shape and form, textile usage, light and shade influences, structure and strength, design aesthetics and a host of other architectural influences that exist in this creatively driven profession.

“The WRAP” exhibited at the exhibition of speculative proposals for the Gold Coast cultural precinct, processed on the ART router.

In early 2012 the school decided it was time to add a state-of-the art CNC router from Brisbane-based Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) to its technical equipment, which already included a CNC laser cutter and 3D printer.

Jonathan Nelson, Teaching Fellow and the manager of the Digital Fabrication and Research Laboratory at the Solheil Abedian School of Architecture, was looking for something to process large materials and to do more sculpting tech work when he came across ART’s range of CNC routers. He has spent the last ten years working in the architecture, fabrication, and software development fields, and knew exactly what he was looking for.

“The machine had to be well-made, it had to be high-durability, high-capacity, and we needed someone as local as possible to service the machine,” he says. “ART have absolutely provided that service. While it might be cheaper to buy an imported machine from Asia, it is hard to get the service. With ART we are dealing with a local company that can provide something that’s worth the extra price!”

The Lab’s SMART router XR 3500 is unique in the Australian marketplace, as the only 100% Australian-made machine designed for various applications featuring an additional fourth axis for automatic tool changes including special tools such as knives for foam cutting. The grantry-mounted covered toolchanger turns variable-angle cutting, creasing and routing needed to create architectural 3D shapes into one efficient fully automated process.

According to Mr Nelson, studio assignments have been purposefully designed to introduce the students to the intellectual, material and spatial culture of architecture; seeing, understanding and responding o the parameters of place; recognizing landscape as architecture … all intended to foster design and strategic thinking skills and the value of risk taking in the creative process.

The Fabrication and Research Laboratory now provides all the tools to fabricate both small scale models or full-size prototypes and sculptures. Wood, plastic, MDF, dense foam and soon aluminium are among the many types of materials that can be machined or manipulated in the shop. Students create sculptures and other architectural artwork, and use the CNC router as a major tool in their shop. The photos illustrate just a few examples of some of the exciting work being created.

“The Fabrication Lab provides a setting in which students learn basics of fabrication and CNC programming,” Mr Nelson says. “The students don’t exactly learn how to do the CAM programming, they sit with me and learn what the strengths and weaknesses of the CNC router are and what it can and can’t do.”

Mr Nelson adds that he uses the router in as many of his classes as possible and student frequently use it for studio projects, which have been purposefully designed to introduce the students to the intellectual, material and spatial culture of architecture.

Much of the artwork processed on the ART router was recently on display at the Speculator gallery exhibition, a design studio and public event guided by Gavin Robotham and Mark Bagguley of CRAB studio London. Here, the students and staff have experienced the exhilaration and exhaustion of designing, building, promoting and putting up for public scrutiny an exhibition of ideas.

Photo 1 shows the “WRAP” (also processed on the SMART router, http://speculator.org.au/gallery ) exhibited at the exhibition of speculative proposals for the Gold Coast cultural precinct, aimed to ignite our aspirations for a meaningful and valued civic place to transform the cultural heartland of the Gold Coast.

Since the router has been installed in early 2012, most of the other machines like bandsaws are now collecting dust, Mr Nelson says.

“The router takes a lot of the work over we formerly used to do with the other equipment,” he says. “Having that machine around has taken the need from me to train students on smaller woodworking equipment. I don’t train students on the bandsaw anymore because the router does all the work. It is also easier for the students now because they have already drawn everything on the computer, and get a lot more done with the router today.”

While Mr Nelson admits that the CAD/CAM software the school is using is a bit hard to get used to, the machine is really simple. “Once all the drawings are converted to the G-Code, the machine cuts all parts precisely and fast. It is an excellent machine. We have put it through a lot of work and it runs pretty much constantly towards the end of the semester.”

“We would absolutely go with one of ART’s machines again – it is the service and the quality of the machine itself. It is worth the extra money!”

www.advancedrobotic.com

http://www.bond.edu.au/architecture

Artwork created on an ART router.

ART’s new range of Metaltek custom-configured engineering machines has hit the ground running

Early in 2012, ART’s managing director and head of R&D, David White, met with representatives from a well-known manufacturer of pressure vessels for the oil and gas industry to discuss the need for a very special machine: A portable profiling machine for cutting weld preps in pressure vessel shells, boilers and heat exchangers.

The challenge was to take an extremely complex, dirty and labour intensive job and automate it. The goal was not only to make the job faster but also to increase accuracy.

The team from ART met with the design engineers that are involved with the company and discussed the many unique challenges and how to overcome them. Firstly, the machine had to be placed directly onto vessels from 600mm diameter all the way up to 8m diameter. It had then to be able to accomplish all of the complicated cuts in a timely manner. Moreover, there had to be a simple method to create the CNC job files, yet it had to be useable by relatively unskilled operators. “The task seemed quite daunting at first,” David comments.

160mm capacity in stainless steel allows 45° bevels in 100mm walls.

The existing method involved using 3D CAD software to design the pressure vessels and the cuts for nozzles (inlets and outlets in the gas tanks) as well as man holes and other fixtures.

“Typically we produce 2D Autocad drawings for our more common weld preps and with the more difficult a 3D solid model from Autodesk Inventor for our machine shop to manipulate,”  says one of the company’s engineers. These drawings were then manually transferred onto the shell of the pressure vessels by measuring and drawing by hand.

Automating complex cuts

The fabricators would then have to use their skills to manually grind the holes into the steel or stainless tank wall, often in metal up to 100mm in thickness. Once the holes were cut, they would then have to grind specialised weld preparation bevels around the hole. The process to cut just one hole was taking between eight hours on a thin wall vessel, to 16 or more hours on complex holes on thick walled vessels. Some vessels could have 20 or more holes cut at various locations and different sizes. Some holes are cut straight through, some straight but with an offset. Some holes are bevelled on the inside surface, others on the outside or even both faces.

“One of the most complex cuts we had to reproduce is called a half in/half out cut,” David explains. “This required a round hole which was offset a large distance down the curve from the centre of the vessel. It required half of the circumference to have a bevel on the outside face, which would then transition to an inside bevel on the other half of the circumference. The tricky bit was that the bevels had to overlap but still leave a round hole when viewed from overhead. All of this had to be done in carbon and stainless steel up to 100mm thick! With the 45 degree bevel it added up to over 140mm thick material that had to be cut accurately and efficiently.”

After careful consideration of all the parameters, the team at ART came up with the concept that finally went into production. The machine would be an 800-amp high definition plasma cutting machine which would have a maximum cut thickness capability of 160mm in stainless steel!

5-axis synchronised motion control

To accomplish the unique and complicated cutting sequences it would require at least 5-axis synchronised motion control with robotic kinematics. To create the complex design files, a customised 3D graphical interface would be written from the ground up. A unique mechanical configuration would also need to be created to allow it to be placed onto various types of tanks and be able to achieve the extreme range of motion required.

The customer felt very comfortable and confident about ART’s technology and their proposal was the one they wanted to pursue. A deal was struck in May 2012 and development work began immediately.

Craig White, one of ART’s software engineering team, was tasked with heading up the development of the new 3D interface. “This project gave us the opportunity to expand our capabilities, especially in 3D software development,” says Craig. “It was a great challenge but we found it extremely satisfying to be able to achieve the desired results. The operators were able to enter complex cuts into the system very easily and they were able to pick up the operation in just a couple of days. Seeing our products make such an impact on others is a good feeling.”

Custom design

The project involved casting custom-designed cast iron chassis beams, custom fabrication of the extra sturdy gantry system, designing a completely new Z-axis with over 1 metre of vertical travel. Specialised vacuum clamping arms allow the machine to grip onto all types of materials.

One of the main breakthroughs was the design of the unique bevel cutting torch head that allowed over 270 degrees of rotation in the A-axis. The resulting design can process over 180 degrees of a smaller vessel without moving the machine or vessel.

The customer took delivery of the new 5-axis robotic plasma cutting machine in November 2012, just six months after the initial concept was formulated. Two engineers travelled to the factory to commission the machine and to finalise some minor aspects of the design. Once the last details were worked out and the machine was up and running the training began. After several days the new operators were able to produce accurate hole cutting and weld prep bevelling with minimal supervision.

The very first job the customer performed without assistance was the true test of the new system. What would be the result? We will let the customer speak for themselves…

“The job went very well! The cuts [...] were very good. Overall, I think the machine is already starting to prove itself. The guys finished all the nozzle preps on two vessels in 2.5 days – that would normally have been around six to eight days per vessel!  So yes, the system is working!”

David says that with more practice the customer will be able to set up the machine in as little as 15 minutes, and cut and bevel each hole in as little as five minutes each – a massive improvement from the eight to 16 hours per hole!

The 5-axis plasma cutter from ART is part of a new range of CNC machines called Metaltek. It is a new and innovative platform that was created to enable sophisticated machining operations on the job, even out in the field. The Metaltek range includes milling, drilling, tapping, probing, oxy fuel and plasma cutting in three, five or even eight-axis motion. The ability to take a completely new concept and develop it through to completion is one of the things that sets ART apart from other machine builders.

For more information, please see the website at www.advancedrobotic.com

Or contact Tami Hunter at sales@advancedrobotic.com

Mining operators must focus on increasing their profitability – and ART’s remote access to the new Metaltek modular multi-function CNC machining systems can alleviate operational and financial issues.

Today’s mining industry does virtually everything on a gigantic scale. There are vast mining deployments on almost every continent producing everything from coal, ore, and minerals to other natural resources. These sites must work around the clock to be operationally efficient and productive and must experience minimal downtime due to machine breakdowns.

Many mines are located deep in Australia’s rugged outback, where 24/7 Internet connectivity is the only way to have connectivity to the outside world and to training, assistance, updates and maintenance services. As a result, mining operations in Australia and around the globe have turned to wireless technology to help alleviate operational and financial issues caused by machine breakdowns by streamlining communications and providing real-time telemetry to help identify and stop problems before they cause costly operational shutdowns and delays.

ART’s ProfileShop V3 touchscreen controller allows a service technician to examine virtually any aspect of control functionality as well as many aspects of the machine itself

ART’s remote access to its machines can alleviate operational and financial issues. ART sees the advantages of interactive networking with its CNC routers, plasma cutters and the new  Metaltek modular multi-function CNC machining systems in three categories: before, during and after production or operation.

Before jobs start, ART’s remote access technology can provide job scheduling and production control. It can access tooling databases, verify CAD/CAM, or train operators, to name only a few.

During machine operation, the direct connection to ART’s headquarters in Brisbane can provide remote diagnostics and remote operation. Real-time monitoring of position, program and displays is possible from any PC on the network. Machine data can be efficiently gathered and remote monitoring at the management and supervisory level is also possible.

After the job, ART can provide data for productivity analysis along with a permanent record of all machine data before, during and after completion of the job.

Serviceability

One area where the PC-based control is invaluable to remote operations such as mines or oil and gas fields is serviceability. Because so much of the machine’s functionality is determined by software – and because that software is externally accessible via the internet – it becomes possible for troubleshooting diagnostics as well as software upgrades to be executed remotely.

The diagnostics screen gives readouts on internal machine information. It displays gas selections, inlet pressures, flow settings, temperature and coolant flow. Real English pop-up messages and automatic tests help to verify correct operation.

That’s allowing users to secure a significantly greater measure of ART’s repair and application support without the physical presence of a service technician. Combining remote PC-access software with multimedia capabilities, ART’s ProfileShop V3 touchscreen controller allows a service technician to examine virtually any aspect of control functionality as well as many aspects of the machine itself—regardless of where the machine is physically located—while also interacting with the machine operator via voice and video links.

The service engineer can diagnose and troubleshoot problems or issues with the machine, decreasing service times by providing accurate and real-time information.

To increase efficiency and productivity, Sydney-based Formula Offroad decided to invest in an ART CNC plasma cutter and to use a CAD/CAM system to replace its ink-drawn optically traced plasma cutting records to streamline its manufacturing process while saving valuable machining time on the shopfloor.

By Barbara Schulz

Established in 1991, Formula Offroad designs and manufactures steel and aluminium vehicle accessories for commercial vans, 4WD and private vehicles. All the bullbars, profile bars, nudge bars or roof baskets are designed, manufactured and finished in-house.

With a passion for off-road vehicles and expertise in engineering, design, welding and fabrication, CEO Wes Patterson never stops trying to improve his business.

Until recently, the company drew manually all parts for processing on the plasma cutter. To increase efficiency and productivity, Mr Patterson sought to replace this process with an upgraded CAD software that would be easy enough to use in a small shop environment, yet capable enough to enable quick conversion into machine language.

Moreover, the 30-year old plasma cutter needed to be replaced with a modern CNC machine. The company chose an ART XR plasma cutter, which offers reliable air plasma technology at a low investment cost, yet featuring a high level of performance and features.

All of Formula Offroad's bullbars, profile bars, nudge bars or roof baskets are designed, manufactured and finished in-house.

“We chose the ART XR plasma cutter because it was affordable and the fact it was made in Australia so we knew there was sufficient backup if we needed it, ART is only a phone call away,” Mr Patterson explains. “The backup proved to be there when we needed it and we managed to take all our drawings from our previous plasma cutter, convert them in dxf and reduce the storage of all the original paper drawings. The clincher was the ability to reverse engineer existing parts and drawings using the inbuilt laser alignment and digitising feature,” Mr Patterson says.

The experienced ART service engineers helped Formula Offroad to create a parts library for the plasma-cut parts, which is extensive, dating from the mid-80s to today. ART knows that lengthy manual design times and inefficient toolpath strategies can more than offset productivity gains derived from even the most high-tech machines; that’s why the company developed its ToolShop software for use on all ART machines. The toolpathing and nesting software together with the ART ProfileShop software allows unparalleled usability over all machine functions through the innovative touch-screen interface, giving the user control over each job while maintaining simplicity of use.

The XR plasma cutter is available in 1.6 and 1.9m wide process areas and is designed to work with most commonly available sheet and plate sizes and thicknesses. “We manufacturer all of our parts in-house,” Mr Patterson says. “We use the CNC air plasma to cut anything from 8mm down to 2mm in aluminium, or 20mm flat bar down to 1mm sheet steel, which could be anything from our bumper replacement bullbars right through to parts for the nudge bars we manufacture for different vehicles.”

By replacing its old plasma cutter with the ART machine, Formula Offroad realised a threefold increase in productivity on some parts. “Today, we can cut a 6mm plate with about 650 lead-ins in two hours, while on the old machine it would have taken about three to four times that long. That’s huge savings!”

Mr Patterson adds that the upgrade to a CNC machine also paid off. “Since we installed the CNC plasma cutter, the operator can now do other things around the factory while the machine does the work on its own, which saves labour costs.”

Additionally, Formula Offroad managed to improve on quality and accuracy, thereby opening new areas for product innovation not possible on the older machine. ART’s intelligent torch height control (THC) ensures correct piercing and cutting by providing optimal height during cutting for good results and long consumable life. The integrated THC includes an initial height-sensing mechanism and voltage control settings. Therefore, before every cut, the torch senses the plate so that it can pierce at the correct pierce height.

“The investment will certainly pay off,” Mr Patterson concludes. “We are very happy with the machine’s performance and the resulting savings, as well as with the service ART provide.”

One of the most common forms of automation that has found its way into many manufacturing facilities is the CNC router. These machines have revolutionised cutting and drilling processes for materials such as aluminium, timber, plastic and composite panels, thereby reducing manual labour and improving accuracy and efficiency. Unfortunately, fast processing times are often hampered by delays in material handling such as loading and unloading material. Investing in automated sheet loading systems can enhance the flow of material across the router table and bring greater a greater return on investment.

By David White, Director of Advanced Robotic Technology (ART), Brisbane

AUTOMATION is a word that immediately comes to mind when we think about improving productivity and profitability in the manufacturing sector. When considering whether the purchase of a piece of automation equipment such as a CNC router makes sense, price alone does not tell the whole story. Profile cutter automation earns returns in various ways, some of which will be more or less valuable to different businesses, and all of the returns on automation deserve to be figured into the analysis.

Of course, the absolute pinnacle of automation is the chance to keep producing while the machine is unattended. But even if this is not the immediate goal, there can be wide ranging benefits for extending your CNC cutting machine with an automated sheet loading system. Although this might make the CNC router seem more expensive, it can quickly bring returns on investment through improved productivity in a number of areas

The various sources of return on investment for automated material handling include the following:

Speed. Especially when handling heavy sheets, manual loading might not be an option because the machine sets the pace and operators may struggle to keep up with the machine. More significantly, the automatic loader does not get tired. Its speed remains the same, even late into the shift.

OH&S. Many materials are too heavy to be manually loaded safely by a single operator. This means tying up multiple employees or risking work related injuries. Automated material handling means no heavy lifting and no back injuries.

Consistency. How valuable is it to be able to accurately predict how long the entire production run of a part will take? Knowing just the machining cycle time is not enough to make this prediction. The amount of time between each cycle – that is, the load and unload time – is a variable as long as it relies on human beings. This variable is influenced by which operator is doing the loading, how the operator is feeling at that moment and to what extent the operator gets distracted. By contrast, automation turns the load/unload time into a fixed and repeatable value (in addition to potentially shortening this time).

Increased output per operator. A plant that depends on operators to load its machines has to add both machines and people in order to increase its volume. Moreover, for large, heavy part applications two or more operators may be required in order to load and unload the part to and from the machine. However, a business that uses at least some automation can add machines without necessarily adding people, making it that much easier to quickly respond to increasing demand.

In general and in particular for parts with short cycle times, the principle reason to automate is productivity. If the sheet is relatively lightweight, an automated system is likely to load and unload the blanks and sheets faster than a human being can, and this loading time advantage will accumulate over time.

The ART solution

The ART automatic sheet loader allows automation of the production process straight from the pallet, which means there is no operator intervention when lifting from the material stack to the machine. No intervention means lean manufacturing and higher profits.

The ART automatic sheet loader allows automation of the production process straight from the pallet, which means there is no operator intervention when lifting from the material stack to the machine. No intervention means lean manufacturing and higher profits.

Most materials and thickness can be handled by the automatic loader. The ART sheet loading system includes an automated scissor lift which automatically elevates a whole pallet of material to table height. This is integrated with the CNC router gantry which includes a powerful lifting arm fitted with automated vacuum cups. While the machine is doing its work, the ART sheet lifter positions the next sheet on the loading station behind the machine’s table. In conjunction with the CNC controller, the arm automatically picks up the material from a designated area and transports it safely onto the machine table. The unit positions the sheet against the side and back stops and then automatically starts the CNC cutting process. With the sheets lifted off the pack using vacuum, there is no damage to sheets or the machine, which can happen with manual handling.

After cutting, the optional pusher bar can also unload the cut panels onto an unloading table or conveyor system. The pusher can also be fitted with a vacuum cleaning head to extract any loose particle from the base board to retain optimum vacuum hold-down on subsequent jobs.

The ART sheet loading system works with ART routers to lift and position sheets up to 6000mm x 2400mm x 50mm. The system only minimally enlarges the floor space occupied. Existing ART CNC router machines can also be retrofitted with the ART sheet loading system.

More info about our range of CNC routers

By David White, Director Advanced Robotic Technology (ART), Brisbane

The question of whether manufacturing has a future in Australia has been hotly debated for some time and media keeps publishing more bad news. Ford Australia recently slashed production to about 33,000 cars a year and laid off 440 employees, which are tell-tale signs that it could soon be padlocking the doors of its plants permanently in Australia. Ford Australia’s demise has long been forecast by some of the industry’s own companies and experts.

However, in spite of negative stories like this, there appears to be a trend developing in recent times to bring some manufacturing back to Australia.

As the cost of doing business rises in traditionally low-cost countries, particularly China, companies are rethinking their offshoring plans. Admittedly, high labour costs and corporate taxes like the carbon tax are major deterrents to putting in new manufacturing plants or keeping manufacturing here.

Yet for some companies, the decision is made easier by the increasing costs of doing business halfway around the world. The realities behind those higher costs include rising wages in Asia as well as the extremely long supply chain and inventory pipeline. Some other issues prompting the swing back to manufacturing locally include the persistent issue of quality control and the lack of qualified personnel to oversee production in remote locations. The problem of intellectual property theft, an ongoing problem in China also drives some companies back to Australia.

This country’s innovative capacity in the advanced manufacturing sector is also in strong demand in global supply chains within the high growth Asia-Pacific region.  Australia’s capabilities tend to be focused on high technology, high value-add, and high-skill manufacturing that uses advanced design, processes, materials and technologies.

Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) has always been – and will be – proud to be a 100% Australian manufacturer with all our ART-brand products, including plasma cutters and routers, all manufactured to the highest standard with advanced design features and latest CNC and automation technologies to make our customers more competitive.

Automated equipment for manufacture

ART, like many of Australia’s specialised automation and robotics system suppliers, is able to deliver innovative and efficient automation solutions for many processing, manufacturing, material handling, assembly and packaging requirements; which is what our industry needs to survive in the long run.

ART invests a lot of resources into developing new features and functionality into our products. Our machines have a lot of high-end features that are focused on productivity and versatility. Many of the functions that we have on our machines are simply unavailable on other machines. For example, we develop our software from front to back. Because our software developers work closely with our mechanical and electronics engineers, as well as our own in-house CNC operators, we have an extremely short development cycle time. This also allows ART to respond to the needs of customers by developing processes to suit their needs. Australian manufactures need to keep ahead of the competition in order to prosper.

Local support

There is another important reason why Australian manufacturing will survive: Local support. As the market is being infused with cheaper imports, it is ever more vital that Australian manufacturers pull together to provide, not only world-class products, but also the necessary support structure that is lacking with many overseas products.

Australia is a long way from the rest of the world. While it is becoming increasingly popular to purchase technology over the internet, a lot of companies are left high and dry when something goes wrong.

ART encourages Australian manufacturers to focus on quality and service. That is where the real value is. When customers invest in a machine or any manufactured product, they are not just buying a piece of hardware. They are investing in the future of their business.

The critical component that sometimes is sadly overlooked is the backup and support that can be provided through a local manufacturer.

Increased productivity

Even though Australian companies are starting to rethink their outsourcing strategies and ask if offshoring really makes sense in light of extremely complex supply chains, quality, intellectual property issues, and higher costs of not only labour but of shipping goods, we still expect to see an increase in imported products due to the strong Australian dollar. This puts increasing pressure on Australian manufacturers to be more efficient.

The challenge is to increase productivity without compromising on the safety and quality of the product or the level of after sales support.

One of the major advantages we have over imported products is the ability to customise to the specific needs of the customer. Almost all of our products are custom-ordered, with sizes and accessories configured to the specific requirements of the customer. Our entire sales process is focused around the needs of the client. That is the only way we can be sure that they get the machine that they need.

In conclusion: Local manufacturing matters.  Australian manufacturing is important because of the strong connection between manufacturing and developing a knowledge-based economy. True we may no longer be as competitive as we used to be in textiles, garments and footwear or mass production given the competition from low-wage economies. But by embracing modern methods of manufacturing, particularly through the use of automation, local manufacturers will be able to boost productivity and help to balance out some of the inherent costs of manufacturing in our country. We can bring manufacturing back into our country if we provide the right service and technology.

Mining in Australia is still booming as a result of soaring demand for commodities from resource-hungry economies such as Indonesia, China and India. Consequently, maximum equipment uptime is essential. For maintenance and repair of equipment which cannot be move to the workshop, Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) now offers a portable, multi-function CNC machining system, providing a broad range of machining functions onsite.

Massively capital-intensive, mining business performance is tied to the availability, maintenance, financing and deployment of assets. Every moment without the right equipment or transportation can have severe effects on productivity and profitability for miners.

Mining is on a precipice of exciting change. Volatile and emerging markets, new technologies, increased customer demands, a dynamic workforce and riveting business model change poise the modern miner to become different, to become smarter. Looking forward, mining companies will have critical choices to make about every aspect of their business. They can either innovate or stagnate.

One important area for innovation is maintenance: Massively capital-intensive, mining business performance is tied to the availability, maintenance, financing and deployment of assets. Every moment without the right equipment or transportation can have severe effects on productivity and profitability for miners.

Repairs often create “double jeopardy” for mining companies as emergency fixes have high costs while the asset is simultaneously down and not producing revenue. Downtime, and the clock is ticking. As a result, it is important to have the right equipment at hand and onsite if a piece of critical mining equipment, which cannot be moved to the shop, is broken. Some workpieces are simply too heavy to be transported to the machine or even too large to be machined on a conventional CNC machine.

Portable CNC plasma cutters

Consequently, the machine has to be transported to the workpiece, which is a very common scenario in industries working with large machinery, such as the mining or oil & gas industries. For these industries, Brisbane-based Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) now offers the Metaltek modular multi-function CNC machining system. This new breed of machine is fully portable and is able to provide a broad range of machining functions in the field and workshop.

Processes such as face milling, drilling, pocketing, bevelling, thread milling, tapping, plasma and oxy profiling as well as surface mapping (probing) and reverse engineering through digitising are all available with this product range.

One of the Metaltek developments is a portable 5-axis CNC weld preparation machine. The machine is fully portable and is able to process both curved and flat surfaces. The latest advancements in portable CNC plasma profile cutting gives customers faster feeds, higher acceleration and advanced motion control algorithms.

Integrated 5-axis 3D torch control

Moreover, innovative 5-axis technology ensures the machine is ideal for weld preparation, allowing bevel/contour cuts up to +/-45° in a single pass, drastically reducing time-intensive afterwork operations. Precise 5-axis motion control enables hole cutting and weld preparation on curved or flat surfaces. Accurate pierce height and cut height are essential for high-quality cutting and long consumable life. Automatic surface tracking along with the ART 3D motion controller enable previously unheard of capabilities in the field.

According to ART Director David White, plasma technology is ideal for all grades of pressure vessels, boiler plates or tubes, which can be cut, edge prepared, ready to be welded.

The portable CNC plasma cutters can be transported to the workpiece, which is a very common scenario in industries working with large machinery, such as the mining or oil & gas industries.

“The plasma cutting process is best-known for its simplicity and its ability to cut virtually any metal,” Mr White explains. “These qualities plus the productivity it yields have made plasma cutting a universally accepted metal cutting process with a range of capabilities and applications. Our new Metaltek range of portable CNC machines are built to the highest plasma technology standards.”

The machine features high-torque servo drives, active dry fume extraction and filtration, intelligent torch height control, monocoque chassis design, auto sensing drill tools and rigid tapping, just to name a few, all developed to increase productivity and performance.

Flexibility and automation

ART’s ProfileShop V3 touchscreen controller combines ease of use with advanced features to automate all cutting settings, resulting in optimum cut quality. The touchscreen controller gives ultimate control over every job and user log-in enables functions suitable to each operator’s capabilities. Users can modify jobs at the machine, start, stop, adjust parameters and more with a touch of the finger.

The optional pendant hand controller gives access to most functions when the operator is away from the main controller, which is often the case using a portable machine onsite.

“We are very excited about our new range of portable CNC machines,” Mr White concludes. “Mining in Australia is still booming as a result of soaring demand for commodities from resource-hungry economies such as Indonesia, China and India. Consequently, machines need to be working 24/7 to keep up with demand. Our portable profile cutters can be very valuable for the mining industry, enabling significant improvements in equipment uptime, which means greater return on capital investment translating to millions of dollars a day increase in production.”

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Contact us for more information:

Email or phone 07 3393 6555

Visit our homepage to find out more about ART and our range of products, including CNC Plasma Cutters and Routers.

metaltek by ART

Modular multi-function CNC machining system

ART brings you the metaltek modular multi-function CNC machining system. This new breed of machine is fully portable and is able to provide an unparalleled range of machining functions in the field and workshop.

Processes such as face milling, drilling, pocketing, bevelling, thread milling, tapping, plasma and oxy profiling as well as surface mapping (probing) and reverse engineering through digitising are all available with this product range.

Why a portable solution?

Repairs often create “double jeopardy” for mining, oil&gas companies as emergency fixes have high costs while the asset is simultaneously down and not producing revenue. Downtime, and the clock is ticking. As a result, it is important to have the right equipment at hand and onsite if a piece of critical mining equipment, which cannot be moved to the shop, is broken.

Some workpieces are simply too heavy to be transported to the machine or even too large to be machined on a conventional CNC machine. As a result, the machine has to be transported to the workpiece, which is a very common scenario in industries working with large machinery, such as the mining or oil & gas industries.

Download multi-function machine brochure

Portable CNC weld preparation machine

ART brings you the metaltek portable 5-axis CNC weld preparation machine. This new breed of machine is fully portable and is able to process both curved and flat surfaces. The latest advancements in portable CNC plasma profile cutting gives you faster feeds, higher acceleration and advanced motion control algorithms.

Innovative 5-axis technology provides the ultimate weld preparation profiling machine. Combined with Hypertherm Hyperformance HPR800xd cutting system results in the highest quality plasma profiling available.

ART's portable weld preparation machine

 

Download weld preparation machine brochure

Read more: Onsite weld preparation for maximum equipment uptime

Advantages at a glance:

• Recondition equipment on-site
• Reduce transport costs
• Minimise downtime
• Save time and money

Applications:

Draglines:

• Cutting out winch floors etc.
• Machining mounting points
• Re-surfacing slewing bearings

Excavators:

• Re-machine repaired track frames
• Re-surfacing slewing bearings
• Gearbox mounting surfaces

Pipelines:

• Pipe cutting
• Hips and mitres
• Weld preparations

Pressure vessels:

• Nozzle cutouts
• Man-way openings
• General weld prep

And many other applications…

Features & Capabilities:

• Horizontal, vertical and inverted operation possible!
• Easy to learn touchscreen controller
• Ruggedised for durability
• Supports industry standard CAD software (Autocad, Inventor, Solidworks etc.)
• Modular design allows for multiple configurations and features
• Sizes up to 10 metres in length
• Easy to transport
• Gantry or cantilever configurations possible
• Milling
• Surfacing
• Drilling
• Rigid tapping
• Thread milling
• Plasma cutting (air and high definition)
• Oxy fuel cutting
• Digitising & scanning (reverse engineering)

About us

Over the last decade, ART has introduced a range of world-beating developments for the CNC cutting industry, which are integrated in this new line of machines. Milling heads, plasma cutting torches, oxy fuel torches, auto sensing drill tools and rigid tapping are just a few of the developments that increase productivity and performance. ART’s ProfileShop V3 touchscreen controller combines ease of use with advanced features to automate all cutting settings, resulting in optimum cut quality. Our new wireless pendant allows for  monitoring of the machine from anywhere in the factory. At ART, we are driven to do better every day.

Contact us for more information:

Email or phone 07 3393 6555

Visit our homepage to find out more about ART and our range of products, including CNC Plasma Cutters and Routers.

SA TAFE has recently invested in an ART SMART Plasma Cutter to train the future generation of sheetmetal specialists and boilermakers and respond to the needs of Australia’s workforce. ART’s local support and service cannot be beaten by cheaper overseas suppliers, they say.

Australia’s manufacturing sector is under extreme pressure, facing a high Australian dollar, relentless global competition, uncertainties over future energy prices and entrenched skill shortages. Manufacturing is dependent on the availability of a skilled workforce which is able to adapt and respond to the significant challenges it faces. These challenges include the shift to higher-level skills driven by the introduction of new technologies and the demands of global competition.

As a result, education and training is of upmost importance to Australian industry, which is why TAFE SA in Adelaide is committed to excellence in training and skills development through engagement with industry, its stakeholders and its local communities. The Institute has over 27,000 students across seven campuses and has a vision to be a world-class leader of learning that equips students with the knowledge and skills to develop and prosper.

SMART Plasma 4000 at SA TAFE

In order to achieve this vision, the Institute is developing innovative pathways to meet career aspirations and respond to the needs of South Australia’s workforce. As a consequence, when the school was looking to extend its sheetmetal and boilermaker program and curriculum, they wanted to incorporate technology that would allow students to create functional cut parts on a machine relevant to this industry.

“We wanted to give our boilermaker and sheetmetal apprentices the opportunity to learn using a CNC machine which industry is using,” Jeff Bryant from SA TAFE, says. “We wanted a machine that is helping them gain a new, critical area of expertise and real-world experience.”

After doing their homework, talking to different local and overseas suppliers and manufacturers, Mr Bryant and his team decided to invest in an ART CNC SMART Air Plasma cutter, including fume extraction. “We were looking for a turnkey system, so we didn’t have to worry about getting additional software on the machine to run it, with different NC codes,” Mr Bryant says. “I wanted something that would just run straight off, something simple and easy to use, but high-tech and standard in industry.”

ART’s SMART plasma cutter fulfils all these requirements, offering reliable plasma technology at a low investment cost, yet featuring a high level of performance and features. The machine is designed to work with most commonly available sheet and plate sizes and thicknesses. Its small footprint suits small to mid-sized shops as found in the sheetmetal and boilermaking industries, where this and similar machines are run, making it a great fit for training purposes.

The large user-friendly touch screen controller runs the latest version of ART’s ProfileShop software, which allows good usability over all machine functions. Mr Bryant likes the software’s simplicity of use and the fact that it gives him control over each job. “After some training, the software is simple to use and is well suited for our training purposes.”

Investing in an Australian-made machine pays off for the Institute. “ART provided us with training and local support, which you cannot get buying a Chinese machine,” Mr Bryant says. “Their service staff are very knowledgeable and supportive, and you get an answer straight away when you call them. I like to have an Australian-made machine, because then you can get parts and spares and the backup and service.”

ART has sold the first SMART XR7000 CNC servo drive cutting table suitable to cut any type of fabric, as needed in the sailing or other industries.

Please see the web site for this machine model at http://www.advancedrobotic.com/smart-xr-cnc-router.html

ART SMART XR7000 CNC SERVO DRIVE CUTTING TABLE

Machine package includes:

• Smart XR7000 – 4 axis CNC SERVO DRIVE cutting table
• ART ToolShop CAD/CAM nesting software
• Extended warranty
• 5HP High speed spindle
• 10 Tool Changer
• 15” LCD Touch screen controller
• Stainless vacuum deck
• Vacuum pump
• Installation & Commissioning
• Onsite training
• Remote on-line machine diagnostics
• Tangential Steered head (Single C Axis)
• Crush cut wheel tool
• Creasing wheel tool
• Pen tool
• Laser digitising
• Fabric roll support
• Fixed clamping modules at each end of deck
• Mobile clamping module under gantry bridge
• Fabric grippers
• Assorted tooling

Optional extras – Available as options, but not included in quoted price.

• Double C axis
• Ultrasonic knife system (requires Double C axis)
• Dust extractor for cutting aluminium, timber or plastics
• Non-perforated stainless deck overlay
• Misting coolant lubricator for cutting aluminium
• Wireless handheld pendant controller
• 3D CAD/CAM design software
• Router bits
• Bevelled and straight knives
• Side clamps for fabric edges
• Roll handling system for queuing up to 5 rolls