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Combined sawing and drilling: What are the benefits?
Back-to-back drill saw line
One of the greatest leaps forward in automatic structural steel processing was the introduction of the back-to-back drill/saw combination layout. Stand-alone automated CNC drilling and sawing machines have existed for a while, but placing Voortman's beam drilling machines with a sawing machine in a back-to-back configuration provides many advantages like increased productivity and efficiency, all on a small footprint.
Increased productivity & efficiency
The most obvious advantage of a back-to-back (or close-coupled) drill/saw line is increased efficiency and productivity. The entire raw profile only needs to be measured once, processing in one operation and increasing throughput. The exact specifications on both machines are known and communicated with the control software, which also can take into account the saw blade thickness and distance between the saw blade and drill for absolute precision. Operations are ordered to produce the highest productivity and shortest movement paths during processing. Finished products can be sorted based on length, product name or further processing requirements.
High productivity on a small footprint
Another advantage of a back-to-back drill/saw line is a reduced footprint in your factory and direct material routing. With only one infeed and outfeed that both machines use, logistics are simpler in your workshop with only one loading and one unloading position, limiting the use of the crane or forklift.
The right measuring system
Important to consider in a close-coupled drilling/sawing line is the type of measuring system, the logistics and sorting of products and the handling of short products. Voortman has two efficient measuring systems that can be used for a combined drilling/sawing line - measuring rolls and a gripper truck.
The choice of a measuring system depends on the particular requirements and constraints of the workshop it needs to be installed in. The type of production itself is an important factor, as measuring systems can be better suited for series production, short products or different types of profiles. Voortman has extensive experience with production databases and can advise on the mix of measuring systems required for a particular production database. Optimizations can be made for footprint, autonomy, processing time, minimum product size and bundle sawing.
Back-to-back saw drill line with measuring rolls
Back-to-back saw drill line with a gripper truck