The J & B hydraulic clamshell grab .
straight parts . We had to make all the bevels by hand to prepare the components for internal welding of the grabs . The time-consuming manual operations caused a lot of work and tied up too many resources ."
Bevel cutting with Industry-4.0 functionality
J & B grabs are used by many brands and crane types . Examples include E-Crane ; Sennebogen ; Hitachi ; Liebherr and more .
The company produces between 80 and 120 grabs per year with capacities ranging from 1m ³ to 45m ³. For cutting the sheets , the company was looking for a new modern machine with bevel function for weld seam preparation . The goal was to purchase a modern plasma bevel machine with Industry- 4.0 functionalities .
So , in addition to the flame-cutting machine , a complete solution was required including digital planning and time recording of cutting jobs , connection to the nesting software and connection to the existing ERP system .
" We wanted to make our cutting department fit for the future with a machine that cuts all welding preparations and is connected to our software solutions ," explained Edgar Joustra , Managing Director , J & B Grijpers .
The J & B horizontal profiling grab .
Bas Sanders van Well , Business Unit Manager Benelux , Messer Cutting Systems , recalled : " We came into contact with J & B Grijpers through GEHA Laverman in Zaandam . J & B Grijpers had outsourced cutting work there . When we heard that J & B Grijpers was looking for a bevel cutting machine at a fair price with powerful software , including installation from a dependable supplier with strong service in the Netherlands , we got in touch immediately ."
Making the choice
After initial discussions , a team from J & B Grijpers visited the European plant of Messer Cutting Systems in Groß-Umstadt ( Hesse ). The aim was to assess the cutting and machine performance of a MultiTherm in comparison with an ELEMENT . The ELEMENT delivered results that matched its requirements .
“ The ELEMENT has been working in Utrecht since June 2023 with a cutting area of 3000mm x 6600mm . It is equipped with the Bevel-S plasma bevel unit in combination with a Q 3000 plus power source from Kjellberg and an ALFA oxyfuel cutting torch . It is completed with a cutting table from Beuting , including a filter unit ,” explained Messer Cutting Systems .
Added to this is the latest version of
FOCUS ON PLASMA CUTTING
ELEMENT plate processing
The ELEMENT cutting machine is a flexible all-rounder from Messer Cutting Systems .
“ It is safe , efficient , can be automated , is versatile and can be expanded with hardware and software from a single source . The ELEMENT is suitable for all common cutting and additional processes , for series tasks with continuous use as well as special tasks where the focus is on perfect cuts ,” explained the cutting specialist .
“ Whether cutting complex contours , holes or bevels for weld seam preparation : specially developed for use with the ELEMENT platform , the Bevel-S plasma bevel unit can be used very flexibly . It enables precise bevel cuts in the angle range from + 45 ° to -45 °. With rotation of ± 540 ° and high acceleration , the machine can be used efficiently . The torch height is automatically and precisely controlled by the arc voltage during the entire cut ,” it added .
The ALFA oxyfuel torch allows nozzle change without tools , which eliminates the need to align the torch and drastically reduces set-up times . The cap unscrews easily , exposing the nozzle for easy inspection or replacement . Material is utilised more efficiently as the ALFA effectively cuts to , and along , the edge of the plate .
“ The OmniWin 2023 CAD / CAM software from MesserSoft is a simple , clear and fast design . The nesting software adapts intelligently to the machines and requirements . It takes care of all the cutting tasks involved , tailored to order-based production with CNC-controlled , flame-cutting machines ,” concluded Messer Cutting Systems .
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