The ability to respond quickly…..
It’s all about capabilities
All of our production equipment falls into two categories: Hard Tooling and Soft Tooling. To understand the difference visit Shims and Wedges: Understanding Hard vs. Soft Tooling
When the requirement is for any kind of plate fabricating, shims, leveling plates, base plates, etc., the ability to respond quickly depends on having the raw stock on hand and having the right equipment for the job.
Plasma Burning
The most versatile way to make shims, leveling plates, base plates or anything out of flat plate. Capabilities range from 1/8” think to 2”. Cutting speeds up to 150 inches per minute on 1/8” thick plate.
Plasma is fast, very flexible, and reasonable cost per inch makes this a practical option for fabricating plates going into steel construction.
Laser Cutting
The go to for tighter tolerances and/or thinner stock. Laser also delivers cleaner cuts, usually with no dross whatsoever. Lasers can regularly hold accuracy to .008” and can hold to .005” with slightly slower speed. They also service very well with material as thin as 1/32”.
The downside compared to Plasma cutting is to hold the tolerances the speed is reduced to approximately 60 inches per minute and the consumables cost per inch including electrical use is higher.
Turret Punching
Turret punching utilizes a rapidly turning turret that houses specific stamping shapes. (Note the white circle) Rather than punch the entire shim in one stroke each tool cuts a specific section. A shim may require 5 or more “hits” for the piece to be done.
The advantages are:
- The variety of stamping punches available allow for any shape to be produced.
- The shape can be reproduced to whatever quantity is desired. This is especially important with smaller runs where the cost of a hard too is prohibitive.
- Because there are no consumables the cost per piece is reduced significantly.
With most Made to Order requirements time is of the essence. The customer needs to know the parts will be fabricated correctly, but equally important is they are delivered on time. The systems shown above give The Steel Supply Company the ability to deliver consistent, dependable cost estimates, and keep your project on schedule.
For standard items The Steel Supply Company keeps a wide and deep inventory available for same day shipping.
Call or Email with your RFQ today !
631-253-8736