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Endless Variety Of Laser Cut Parts
L.E.F. has eight laser cutting machines producing parts from materials ranging from carbon, stainless, inconel, hastoloy and aluminum to other specialty metals plus plywood, acrylic, plastics and composites. Cutting thickness varies depending on materials, ranging from .001" through 1-1/4". Once the parts are cut, L.E.F. offers turn-key products and services including etching, forming, welding, assembly, powder coating and machining (i.e.: drilling, counter boring and threading). When Ron LaPelle, president and general manager, established L.E.F. in 1987, it was the only “laser service bureau” in the area. Now, several area fabricating shops compete for laser cutting services. LaPelle stays a step ahead by continually increasing services and capabilities. Today they employee four programmers/inside sales people to assist with part designs from prototype to production runs from blue print, artwork or CAD interface with nearly any format. Choosing a Laser L.E.F.’s first laser was small by today’s standards, but it laid the groundwork for company growth. In addition to other lasers, L.E.F.’s expansion included the purchase of fabrication equipment such as press brakes, robotic welders, a machining center, and various machining and production equipment. “Our original laser was a 1500 watt with a 5' x 8' (60" x 98") cutting table. Since then, we’ve added a laser just about every two years,” says LaPelle. “We’ve retired some and added others.” That first laser has been modified for special jobs, including cutting tube, channel, angle and contour formed parts, and still produces parts today. Each year the type and quantity of work flowing through the shop is analyzed to determine which laser will join the L.E.F. family. Consideration is given to the size of the machine, power, productivity and reliability. In 2002, the decision was made to go after the market for thicker, precision cut materials, particularly stainless, inconel, hastolloy and aluminum alloys. That prompted the purchase of the Whitney PlateLASER that cuts up to 1-1/4" mild or stainless steel with a positioning accuracy of ±.001", and a processing accuracy of ±.005" to ±.015" depending on material type and thickness. Expanding Customer Base John Baker, sales manager at L.E.F., explains, “Since we’ve added the PlateLASER, we’re targeting customers that use thicker stainless and aluminum products. With the PlateLASER, we are more competitive by eliminating secondary machining processes, and holding closer tolerances than plasma and other cutting methods.” Expansion of the stainless cutting capability remains the main purpose of the PlateLASER at L.E.F., but right now it is cutting quite a bit of carbon steel from 3/16" up to 1". Producing parts with tight tolerances at high cut speeds is key to capturing new business. The Intelligent Laser Control (ILC) with the Material Parameter Library (MPL) makes it easy to shift from one material type and thickness to another. The cutting and piercing speeds, assist gases, gas pressure and the lenses used are all specified by the software. With 6000 kW of power, the PlateLASER cuts carbon, stainless, nickel, alloys, aluminum and specialty metals considerably faster than other machines available today. Rick Nacke, operations manager, says, “The PlateLASER has performed admirably and reduced cut production times by 25 percent to 50 percent on large, long run, high quantity jobs.” Grills and Parts A glance around the L.E.F. shop at any given time emphasizes the wide variety of parts produced for nearly any purpose you can imagine. L.E.F. parts production ranges from metal art, jewelry and signage to industrial and OEM component parts and sub-assemblies. Materials vary, thicknesses vary, and size of parts range from small, intricate pieces for designer artwork to large parts for a number of heavy-duty crane assemblies and hitches for goose-neck trailers. And the list is about to expand again. The PlateLASER worktable can accommodate 80" x 160" plate, weighing up to 4,600 pounds—allowing for large part production. L.E.F. is also the sole manufacturer of the Coastal Gas Grills line. These are heavy-duty gas grills, ranging from the large, wheeled Coastal Supreme to the Hoss tailgate model designed to take-along. Parts for the grills are laser cut from 304 stainless steel on the PlateLASER, formed, and welded at the Tulsa plant. Assembly is completed and the finished tested products are boxed for retail dealers. “All at L.E.F.” L.E.F. also produces a complete line of Coastal Grill stainless accessories. Sticking with Laser “We’ve looked at other cutting processes to add to our capabilities,” explains LaPelle, “but we’ve elected to stay with lasers and offer more fabrication services for our customers. We offer turn-key products—we can deliver parts, sub-assemblies or the whole product.” The possibilities are endless. (Used with permission from Whitney Metal Fabrication News, March 2003) Home | All Applications | PlateLASER | PlateLASER Applications |
