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Why you should definitely consider coping by milling

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Why should I mill?
Everyone can mill
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MILLING HAS NEVER BEEN SO ACCESSIBLE

AND HELPS WITH WELDERS' LABOR SHORTAGE

The shortage of welders and the traditional way of detailing become causes for bottlenecks. Many traditional connections have extensive welds that emphasize production in the department with the most manual operations, while there is a shortage of qualified welders. We show you how to increase efficiency by reducing the number of welds in your production.

By creating more notches and copes in profiles, beams and columns can fit up more tightly to each other, and allow the use of bolted connections for example with clip angles which require less manual welding. This demountable connection reduces welding hours while enhancing circularity at the same time. Voortman is setting the standard with fully automated milling on its profile drilling and milling machines.

Less labor: a coped and bolted connection

TRADITIONAL

EXTENSIVE WELDING

  • Full end-plate on both profiles
  • Reinforcement plate in main profile
  • Bolting small profile to the main profile
  • Extensive welding needed

LESS LABOR

COPED AND BOLTED

  • Coping (block-out) performed in the small profile
  • Full end-plate on one profile
  • Bolting small profile to main profile
  • No welding needed

EVERYONE CAN MILL

No knowledge required with automatic milling paths

You can create any contour with the push of a button, without limitations or additional knowledge required. Our VACAM Software allows your detailers to do what they do best - constructing - whereafter VACAM does the rest!

  • No expertise needed
  • No programming needed
  • Not dependent on operators

Having explored the benefits of the milling process, you may be wondering what's next. Are you able to work with this? Of course! Unlike other companies, we make it very simple for you.

1
DETAIL IN CAD

As you are used to; construct with your detailing software.

2
SEND TO VACAM

VACAM automatically recognizes the shape of a contour, ensuring that it conforms to the position and material of the part to ensure manufacturability.

3
THE PERFECT MIX

Our milling module automatically defines the best tools and parameters, which results in the most efficient milling path. Voortman Research and Development has conducted extensive testing to arrive at the right mix of templates for each contour, each type of profile. A unique combination of mechanical engineering and steel construction expertise.

4
START

Push a button and get what you want. It has never been this easy.


The output from your detailing software is automatically converted to the correct milling paths. From simple milling contours to the most complex flange removals, our beam milling machines can handle it automatically!

The correct milling path is calculated in advance; your operator just needs to push a button, and the machine starts milling even the most challenging contours.

Perfectly in line with the One-Button-Automation philosophy that Voortman stands for. The machine performs with ease. No additional programming or process knowledge required. Useful for dealing with various operators in different shifts.

MILLING AS THE BEST

Unprecedented stability and short tool lengths really make the difference

Our beam milling machines can mill away 20mm in one pass. Their short tool lengths, combined with rigid frames, enable faster and more accurate milling than comparable machines.
Unrivaled stability during milling is what sets Voortman beam milling machines apart from the rest. The nice smooth quality of the contour and surface that is milled can be seen immediately. Just by looking at the milled profile, you can tell how extraordinarily stable and rigid the Voortman drilling systems are.

Let the heat get into the chips

Sparks will fly during the milling process. Many people believe these sparks harm the milling process, but the opposite is true. In any machining process, you don't want the heat to be in your tools, but rather in the chips. These sparks are just burnt chips.

During milling, we use the full length of our milling tools. This speeds up the process and prolongs their life, allowing us to achieve unmatched quality at reduced costs.

Short tool lengths, combined with rigid frames, enable faster and more accurate milling than comparable machines.

Unrivaled stability during milling is what sets Voortman beam milling machines apart from the rest.

In any machining process, you don't want the heat to be in your tools, but rather in the chips. These sparks are just burnt chips.

One-pass milling
divided into three milling packages

Package 1 | inner contours

This milling package enables the machine to process inner contours.
The following features are supported:

  • Slotted, round and square holes without stitches
  • Large round holes or square holes with stitches

You can choose between roughing or contouring, both with their own set of advantages.
Using stitches (small tabs) makes it possible to produce features faster. You do not need to mill the entire contour. Grinding away only the stitches saves considerable time and wear on your tools, while preventing large pieces from flying around that could cause damage to your machine or worse, your operator.

Package 2 | outer contours

This milling package enables the machine to process outer contours.
The following features are supported:

  • Block-out halfway a flange
  • Partial flange removal
  • Complete flange removal (without web)
  • Flange and web removal (block-out)
  • Knife cut (slotted hole at the start/end of a tube)

VACAM will always ensure that the outside edges of the profile remain intact while milling outer contours, allowing it to be transported to other machines for further processing.

Package 3 | weld preparations and weld access holes

This milling package enables the machine to process weld preparations and weld access holes (rat holes). The following features are supported in I/H profiles.

  • Positive flange bevel
  • Negative flange bevel
  • Positive web bevel
  • Negative web bevel
  • Rat hole shape

The required tooling for Beam Milling Package 3 is specifically designed for Voortman machines. This way, the milling functionality reaches maximum performance on these machines.

REPLACE COSTLY HOURS WITH AUTOMATED PROCESSES

Our machines and solutions replace manual operations. Your employees' jobs change, becoming more interesting and challenging. Production is faster, more efficient, and enables you to carry out more projects with larger profits. Your business will be stronger than ever.

The shortage of technical personnel is a growing problem in the industry. In welding and assembling particularly, the situation is difficult.
What we often get back from the market is that the bottlenecks in production have shifted when our automated production is used. As manual production gave way to automatic production, manual assembly and welding becomes the bottleneck. The department with the greatest need for manpower (read: skilled welders).

The biggest challenge is getting the balance right. For this you can use or combine different innovations besides milling copings and welding preparations.
For example, by combining layout marking with processing more notches and copings in profiles allow you to produce much more efficiently. With the same number of people, your output will increase greatly, but so will your business activities and profits.

You can do several things
to influence the balance

1. Use layout marking to eliminate the manual fit-up operations

With all the plates and profiles laid out, your fit- up is much faster and much more accurate. The full- or partial-contour marking makes it easy to see where the plate needs to go, and also what plate needs to be placed there. It speeds up your production by at least 25 percent, if not more. Improved working conditions minimize human errors and eliminate field back charges. And it's all done automatically! Our VACAM software converts layout marking information directly from DSTV files to outer contours, center points or full layout markings.

2. Opt for automatic assembly and welding

Yes, we have a fully automated welding and assembling machine. It is certainly not for everyone, but it is a solution to relieve your welders of repetitive, large and standard work. They can then focus on more challenging projects. Fully automatic assembly and welding processes require no layout markings, cutting down on workflow time. With the automation of repetitive work, this has a huge impact on your workflow, affecting your productivity.

3. Evaluate your way of constructing

We see that many constructors still rely on traditional detailing. The amount of welding required is extensive. It is time-consuming and expensive. Reducing your welding and the workload on your craftsmen is possible by using different connections. Design steel structure joints in such a way to automate as many operations as possible and to reduce the use of expensive qualified labor.

Processing block-outs and flange removals will help you match profiles perfectly together without excessive welding and a minimized amount of welding plates. In addition, we suggest weld preparations by pre-beveling the ends for better adhesion in a more efficient time frame.

Combining solution 1 and 3 will allow you to produce much more efficiently

With the same number of people, your output will increase greatly, but so will your business activities and profits.

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