Many metal fabrication hobbyists are dissatisfied with the quality of the products that they make using analog turret punching equipment. This article discusses how such people can benefit from having a CNC turret punch for their work.
Prompts to Sharpen Punching Tools
Some punching defects can be traced to dull tools. This is because more force is needed to punch a hole using a tool that has lost its sharpness. That added effort increases the amount of heat generated during the fabrication process. Intense heat can cause the material to deform once it sticks to the turret punch as the punch moves up from the material. CNC turret punching machines automatically monitor the sharpness of the punching tool. You will therefore be alerted to sharpen the tool in case it has become dull. This will prevent the defects that result from using a dull tool during your fabrication projects.
Hover Height Adjustment
A fabricator has to set the hover height (how far the turret punching tool has to rise between punches) in order to optimise equipment performance. However, many hobbyists are unable to determine the best hover height for different material attributes, such as material thickness. This inability can result in defects that occur when the incorrect hover height is used for thin materials whose feed rate is high. The material may warp or distort as the punch moves slowly to create holes in the sheet being fed onto the workstation. A CNC turret-punching machine automatically adjusts the hover height so that all the possible defects are avoided.
Easier Equipment Setup
Modern CNC turret punching equipment is also easier to set up than the analog systems that existed before. The new equipment has a graphic screen that prompts the operator to enter specific parameters so that the machine can start working quickly. Such a feature makes it possible to reduce or eliminate many of the mistakes that would cause fabrication defects. For instance, an operator would forget to set the machine to leave a margin at the edge of the sheet during the punching process. Such an omission would result in a tear on the edge of the material if a hole were drilled too close to the end of the material.
Upgrade your turret-punching machine to a newer CNC version so that you start producing defect-free components. Consult fabricating professionals for help in selecting the most appropriate CNC turret-punching machine for your needs in case you have limited experience in evaluating fabrication equipment.