HGG's SPC 1500-3000 PT/VC cutting machine - Aerospace Manufacturing and Design

Significant time savings and cutting accuracy can be achieved when cutting pipe and vessel heads with the HGG SPC 1500-3000 PT/VC cutting machine which is designed to completely automate layout, marking, cutting, beveling, and grinding profiles from 3” to 118”. By simply importing the customer’s specifications into HGG’s proprietary ProCAM software, the entire tape measure-paper drawing-chalk markup pre-cut practice is eliminated as is the time required to complete those tasks. Customers have realized up to 90 percent reduction in time due to the machine’s FitPerfect technology which was developed especially for pressure vessel and vessel head cutting. Featuring a longitudinal and transversal axis designed to create a perfect circle in one plane, holes can be cut without rotation of the vessel resulting in accurate Perfect Hole. The height axis adjusts the cutting torch to the fluctuating level of the material surface while the AutoFocus robot performs beveling along the cutting path, safeguarding the true dimensions of the hole. The result is a perfect and smooth weld preparation along the fit line of the nozzle hole connection. This is especially beneficial to shops handling thick-walled profiles, where weld volume reduction is key.The SPC 1500-3000 PT/VC machine provides a clean operation using plasma or oxyfuel to perform the programmed cuts and is capable of ink, punch, and plasma marking depending on the application. Difficult-to-cut holes such as hillside holes, saddle set-in holes and hole set-in for pressure connections are cut quickly and easily with the weld prep performed by the patented Autofocus Robot incorporated into the machine. Additionally, by automating the vessel cutting process, production time is reduced which can, in-turn, reduce on-site labor costs by as much as 30 percent. This is good news for shops who are experiencing skilled labor shortages. The machine is simple to learn and easy to use, freeing up personnel to perform other operations such as nozzle fitting and welding. “The SPC 1500-3000 PT/VC machine provides accurate and clean cutting, virtually eliminating secondary operations such as grinding that can result in worker injuries and downtime,” says Brandon Welch, HGG Area Sales Manager US. “Custom features such as powered and non-powered support systems, rollers and extra options on the machine like the pre-heater for thick-walled profiles help to speed up process time and physical labor to cut holes manually on large vessel pieces.”