FABTECH 2018: Fabricating, Finishing, Additive Manufacturing (Part One)

FABTECH 2018 is North America’s largest collaboration of technology, equipment and knowledge in the metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing industry. This event takes place November 6-8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, where more than 1,500 exhibitors and 35,000 attendees will have full access to special events, presentations, educational sessions and live demonstrations of the latest technology and integrated solutions, along with one-on-one exchanges with exhibitors and networking with industry leaders. There will also be opportunities to attend keynote presentations, discussions on key industry issues that influence manufacturing, and more. You don’t want to miss this!

Here are technical reviews of some of the metal forming and fabrication equipment, finishing tools and systems, additive manufacturing systems and more that will be exhibited to help you navigate the show floor and manage your time while you’re there:

Electric-Tilt Vertical Tilt-Frame Band Saw for Consistent Metal Cutting Control
The 2150 PC3S vertical tilt-frame band saw from Amada Marvel now has a new blade break sensor update, a more rigid column structure for less deflection when tilting and better accuracy, a guide arm that travels on a linear bearing for smooth adjustment and elimination of chattering.

Advanced CNC Press Brake for Sheet Metal Bending
The Boschert-Gizelis G-Bend 3140 CNC press brake from Boschert USA features 6-axis movement, automatic thickness measurement, a wireless angle measurement system, 155 ton capacity and 10 ft bending length.

High Speed, Premium Fiber Laser Cutting of Sheet Metal and Plate
The high speed ByStar 3015 Fiber 10kW laser machine from Bystronic uses powerful ByVision Control to meet the demands of cutting into the thick plate range for high-end performance, with high part output and premium cutting quality.

Air-Cooled Fluid Chillers for Metalworking
The QBE series of air-cooled fluid chillers from Chase Cooling Systems can be customized for resistance welding to lasers to EDM and comes fully packaged with refrigeration system, controls, storage tank, and pump to integrate into existing machinery.

Hydraulic Four-Roll Double Pinch Plate Bending Rolls with Two-Roll Drive
The Sahinler 4R HS plate roll from COLE-TUVE has fully hydraulic four-roll double pinch plate bending rolls with a two-roll hydraulic drive through a planetary gearbox for easier rolling, superior results, and hydraulic adjustments for the rolls and the drop end.

Advanced Bandsaws for Production Fabricators
The C-510MNC Miter Cutting programmable bandsaw from Cosen is equipped with an 1¼ in blade, 5 hp blade drive and automatic material feed to cut angles up to a 60 deg miter at a capacity of 13 in x 20 in.

Job-Based and Item-Based ERP Systems that Fit Shop Needs
The manufacturing ERP suite from ECi Software includes the JobBOSS job-based system to manage expanding real-time data and the M1 item-based system that can be tailored to best suit the individual needs of the user.

Lift Magnet System Transfers Multiple Cut Pieces from Burn Tables at Once
The air-operated Burn Table Lift Magnet System from Eriez features a powerful magnetic circuit design with an extremely powerful and wide magnetic surface area that easily and quickly moves multiple parts or cut-outs up and off of burn tables at once, or lift single sheets or plates up to 3 in thick from a stack to load the table.

Articulating Torque Reaction Arm for Vertical or Horizontal Fastening, Joining and Assembly Operations
The AR-40 Articulating Torque Reaction Arm from FlexArm delivers up to 40 ft-lb of torque reaction through a working range of 4¼ in to 27 in. Tools up to 10 lb and ½ in diameter can be maneuvered with complete freedom of movement without the operator having to support the tool weight.

Affordable Waterjet Applications from Stone to Carbon Fiber
The Mach 200 precision waterjet cutting system from Flow features the all new Pivot+ Waterjet cutting head for bevel cutting and taper control.

How to Manage Precise Temperature Control of High Powered Lasers
The Intelligent Laser Cooling System from Glen Dimplex Thermal Solutions delivers smart technology, improved uptime and a reduced overall footprint that eliminates the need for multiple chillers.

Free Standing Work Station Crane Improves Machine Tending and Assembly Processes
Free Standing Work Station Cranes from Gorbel provide operators with ease of use under load and holding the load where it should stay, with no drift or slide in the aluminum bridge, to make precision part placement easier.

Automatic Vertical Band Saw Makes Straight and Miter Angle Cuts on Structural Shapes
The list of materials ranging from structural steels to high tensile specialty alloys shown on the touch screen of the VT120HA-60-CTS vertical band saw from HE&M Saw displays the recommended blade speed, cutting rates and blade pitch for each type and size of material.

One-Stop Portfolio of Coil Processing Solutions
The extensive range of coil processing systems for pickling, lubrication, cleaning, pretreatment, passivation, coating and lamination from Henkel are specially formulated for high speed, continuous operation, greater cost efficiency and sustainability of manufacturing lines.

Next Generation Portable Measuring Arms
The new Absolute Arm portable measuring arm from Hexagon includes a modular wrist design that allows both the RS5 Laser Scanner and the pistol grip to be completely removed for easy probing in tight spaces.