| For structural steel suppliers - those who cut, weld, | | | | typically required on many steel beams. None of |
| shape and create joists, trusses and beams for high | | | | these operations can be performed by a beam drill |
| rise building, industrial facilities, power plants, | | | | line. |
| convention centers - the definition in automation in | | | | In summary, while a beam drill line boosts productivity |
| the last decade has been the CNC beam drill line. A | | | | of drilling bolt holes, it doesn't automate any of these |
| beam drill line is a machinery system that uses a | | | | other tasks. |
| conveyor to move a steel beam or "girder"into | | | | A radically different fabrication method has come to |
| position, then drills holes - namely bolt holes - in | | | | this industry from the plate fabrication trade that |
| multiple locations along the steel piece, according to | | | | performs drilling operation as fast and as precisely as |
| the instructions provided in an engineering drawing of | | | | the beam drill line, but brings this same level of |
| what the end product is to be. | | | | automation to all the other cutting and engraving |
| An automated beam drill line is a big productivity | | | | tasks performed on steel beams. The new method |
| boon, compared to the conventional way of making | | | | uses high-definition plasma cutting to thermally cut |
| numerous measurements on the bare beam to mark | | | | through or scribe the beam. |
| it according to the paper drawing instructions, then | | | | This technology is similar to the beam drill line in that |
| drilling the holes manually - typically using a heavy | | | | the structural section is transferred into the plasma |
| duty drill press. This, of course, was an all manual | | | | torch vicinity, the digital drawing file is loaded into the |
| process. | | | | plasma machine's PC-based control system, and the |
| The modern beam drill line can digest the digital | | | | cutting torch tip touches the workpiece to figure out |
| drawing file, figure out where the holes are to be | | | | (and remember) exactly where it is in 3D space and |
| placed, "probe" the beam using positioners, sensors | | | | what all of its various features are. Then the plasma |
| and the drill head itself, then drill through the steel at | | | | torch goes to work making not only bolt holes, but |
| impressive speeds using super-hard carbide drill bits | | | | notches, slots, copes and trim cuts . . . the complete |
| and cooling fluids. The bolt holes are made in very | | | | list of features customers demand of structural steel |
| little time and most of the human effort is getting | | | | suppliers. |
| the steel workpieces on and off the line and | | | | The automated plasma cutting machines can produce |
| downloading the drawing file into the machine's | | | | all these needed features, going from one side of the |
| control system. | | | | beam to the other side. When it's done, all the |
| That's a huge advantage over the "old fashioned" | | | | needed operations are finished - there's no need to |
| method, but there's one catch, and it's a big one. | | | | transfer the finished beam to a downstream process. |
| THERE ARE OFTEN QUITE A FEW MORE | | | | In a way, the new plasma technology is a |
| MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS THAT MUST BE | | | | "full-service" suite for structural steel suppliers. |
| DONE ON THE STEEL BEAM. Cutting various shapes | | | | Different versions of these plasma machines are |
| (for example copes, notches, bevels) into the beam, | | | | coming on the market, with a variety of capacities |
| trimming off the end of the section to get it to the | | | | and prices. One thing seems for certain, though . . . |
| specified length, and "burning" different characters | | | | the best days for beam drill line technology are in the |
| and symbols into the section are additional operations | | | | rearview mirror. |