What’s a plate processing machine—and what can it do?
In our industry, having the right tool for the job is everything. Working with steel requires precision, so it’s important to choose the correct machine for the task. This is especially true for structural projects, which require a range of capabilities from cutting to milling and more. Wouldn’t it be great to find a tool that can do it all?
Meet the plate processing machine
If you’re working on a structural project, it’s time to meet a plate processing machine. It’s essential machinery for all structural projects. Why? This cool tool has both drilling and marking capabilities and is used to cut out steel slate parts that go on all structural beams and connections. It’s capable of:
- Plasma cutting
- Oxy fuel cutting
- Marking
- Milling
- Thread tapping
- Countersinking
- Drilling
- Scheduling and buffering
Making unmanned production more accessible and efficient
In steel fabrication, the use of automated machines at some stages in the process can allow economies of scale which improves efficiency in project timelines. The plate processing machine is one such tool and can be utilized with the ease of one-button automation. An operator can schedule projects and put them in a sequence, thereby calculating how long each one will take.
This allows operators to plan and schedule the projects for the most efficient output. And with a large table, operators can utilize different “zones” for cutting, allowing for multiple projects to be on the go at once, increasing productivity. Different zones can be loaded and unloaded while one zone is being worked on for maximum efficiency. And it’s easy to check the progress of each project on a dashboard!
Using automation with intelligence
A plate processing machine also helps reduce the risk of human error. It does automatic tool path calculations for milling and more, all in one program. A touch panel even provides suggestions, which helps reduce the need for the operator’s in-house knowledge. A plate processing machine can not only be programmed to be automated during working hours, but overnight as well. This helps increase productivity and reduce staffing hours for the machine.
Quality is paramount
As Butte County’s premier steel fabricator, quality is important to us here at Metal Works. We pride ourselves on having a state-of-the-art 65,000 sq. ft. fabrication shop, chock full of the most cutting-edge technology and machines like the plate processing machine. It’s just one of the many things we have to provide the highest quality products for our clients.