Know about cutting method for cold roll forming equipment?

This article will explore the cutting methods of the forming machine from the following two aspects.

• What are the cutting methods of cold roll forming equipment?
• How to choose the cutting method of cold roll forming equipment that suits your own needs?

1） What are the cutting methods of cold roll forming equipment?

Mechanical Shearing

• Principle: The mechanical transmission device makes the cutting tools move relatively to shear the cold – bent materials. Common mechanical shearing methods include guillotine shearing and swing shearing. The guillotine shearing cuts materials by the relative linear motion of the upper and lower blades like a guillotine, while the swing shearing realizes the shearing action through the swing of the blade.
• Advantages: Simple structure, low cost, and easy maintenance. It has large shearing force, can cut thick materials, and the cut surface is relatively flat, suitable for occasions where the cutting quality requirements are not particularly high.
• Disadvantages: The shearing speed is relatively slow, and the production efficiency is limited. During shearing, the materials are prone to deformation and burrs and need subsequent processing. Also, the cutting tools wear out quickly and need to be replaced regularly, increasing the operation cost.

Hydraulic Shearing

• Principle: The powerful pressure provided by the hydraulic system drives the shearing tools to cut the materials. The hydraulic system converts hydraulic energy into mechanical energy through hydraulic cylinders and other actuating elements to make the cutting tools shear.
• Advantages: The shearing force is large and stable, and it can easily cut high – strength and thick – specification materials. High shearing precision can be achieved, the cut surface quality is good with few burrs. At the same time, the hydraulic system has good overload protection performance to avoid equipment damage due to overload.
• Disadvantages: The hydraulic system has a complex structure and high cost. It needs to be equipped with a special hydraulic pump station and control system, occupying a large area. Also, hydraulic oil is prone to leakage, and the hydraulic system needs to be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure its normal operation.

Flying Saw Cutting

• Principle: The flying saw cutting device consists of a high – speed rotating saw blade and a feeding mechanism. During the cold – bending forming process, when the material reaches the set length, the saw blade quickly moves towards the material driven by the feeding mechanism and cuts the material at high speed. The rotation speed of the saw blade is usually very high, reaching thousands or even tens of thousands of revolutions per minute to achieve rapid cutting.
• Advantages: The cutting speed is extremely fast, which can greatly improve production efficiency, suitable for large – scale and high – efficiency production requirements. The cut surface quality is high, the cut is flat and smooth, and the dimensional accuracy is high without the need for secondary processing. Also, flying saw cutting can be automated to cut according to the set length and quantity, reducing manual intervention.
• Disadvantages: The flying saw cutting equipment has a high cost and a complex structure, and has high requirements for the technical level and maintenance of operators. The saw blade is prone to wear and damage during high – speed rotation and needs to be replaced regularly, increasing the operation cost. Besides, flying saw cutting will produce a large amount of noise and dust, and corresponding protective measures are needed.

Laser Cutting

• Principle: The high – energy – density laser beam is focused on the surface of the cold – bent material to make the material melt or vaporize instantly, thus realizing cutting. The laser cutting system usually consists of a laser generator, an optical focusing system, a cutting head, and a control system. The laser generator generates a high – power laser beam, which is focused into a small spot by the optical focusing system to produce extremely high energy density, making the material melt and vaporize rapidly. Meanwhile, the cutting head moves along the set cutting path to complete the material cutting.
• Advantages: The cutting precision is extremely high, and very fine cutting can be achieved. The cut width is small, the heat – affected zone is small, and the impact on the material performance is small. The cutting speed is fast, and complex shapes and curves can be quickly cut, suitable for cold – bent materials of various shapes and specifications. Also, laser cutting is a non – contact cutting method, which will not cause mechanical stress and deformation to the materials, and the cut surface quality is good without the need for subsequent treatment.
• Disadvantages: The laser cutting equipment is expensive, and the investment cost is high. The operation cost is also high, including the energy consumption of the laser generator, the consumption of auxiliary gases, and the maintenance of optical elements. In addition, laser cutting has certain requirements for the surface quality and reflectivity of the materials, and the cutting effect may be affected for some materials with high reflectivity.

Plasma Cutting

• Principle: Plasma cutting uses a high – temperature plasma arc to melt and blow away metal materials. During the plasma cutting process, a plasma arc is formed between the electrode and the workpiece, generating a high temperature of tens of thousands of degrees, making the material melt rapidly, and the molten metal is blown away by the high – speed ion gas flow, thus forming a cut.
• Advantages: The cutting speed is relatively fast, and it can cut thick metal materials, especially suitable for cutting non – ferrous metals such as stainless steel and aluminum. The cut surface is relatively flat and the quality is good, and the equipment cost is relatively lower than that of laser cutting.
• Disadvantages: The cutting precision is slightly lower than that of laser cutting, and there is a certain slope and roughness in the cut, which needs to be appropriately post – processed. During the cutting process, a large amount of plasma arc light and noise will be generated, which has a certain impact on the health of operators and the working environment, and corresponding protective measures are needed. At the same time, plasma cutting consumes a large amount of electricity and plasma gas, and the operation cost is high.

2）How to choose the cutting method of cold – bending forming equipment that suits your own needs?

Consider the Material Characteristics

• Material: Different materials have different requirements for cutting methods. For example, common carbon steel materials have a wide range of adaptability, and mechanical shearing, hydraulic shearing and other methods can all be applicable. For non – ferrous metals such as stainless steel and aluminum alloy, thermal cutting methods such as laser cutting or plasma cutting may have better effects because they can better handle the special physical and chemical properties of these materials to obtain better cutting results and cut quality.
• Thickness: The thickness of the material is also an important factor. For thicker materials, such as those with a thickness of dozens of millimeters or more, hydraulic shearing is more suitable because it has a large and stable shearing force and can cut effectively. For medium – thin thickness materials, flying saw cutting, laser cutting and plasma cutting have more advantages. Among them, flying saw cutting is generally applicable to materials with a thickness of several millimeters to more than ten millimeters, and laser cutting and plasma cutting have higher cutting efficiency and quality for materials with a thickness of several millimeters or less.

Based on the Production Scale

• Batch Size: If the production batch is large and high efficiency is pursued, flying saw cutting or laser cutting is a better choice. The flying saw cutting speed is fast and can meet the requirements of large – scale continuous production. Laser cutting not only has a fast speed but also can achieve automatic control, which is suitable for batch production of various cold – bent profiles with complex shapes. On the contrary, for small – batch production, mechanical shearing or hydraulic shearing and other lower – cost methods may be more economical and practical.
• Production Frequency: When the production frequency is high, the stability and reliability of the equipment are crucial. Mature cutting methods such as hydraulic shearing and flying saw cutting have high stability and can adapt to frequent operations. Although laser cutting and plasma cutting have advantages in efficiency and quality, they have higher requirements for maintenance during high – frequency production.

Pay Attention to the Requirements of Cutting Precision

• Dimensional Precision: For products with extremely high requirements for cutting dimensional precision, such as precision instrument parts, laser cutting is the first choice because it can achieve micron – level precision and ensure the accuracy and consistency of the cut size. When the flying saw cutting is well adjusted and controlled, it can also achieve relatively high – dimensional precision to meet the requirements of most industrial products. Mechanical shearing and hydraulic shearing have relatively low precision and are suitable for cutting ordinary cold – bent profiles with low requirements for dimensional precision.
• Cut Quality: If a smooth, burr – free, and deformation – free cut is required, laser cutting and plasma cutting are better. They have a small heat – affected zone, a flat and smooth cut, and do not require secondary processing. The cut quality of flying saw cutting is also good, but there may be burrs that need to be processed. Mechanical shearing and hydraulic shearing are prone to burrs and deformation and require subsequent grinding, straightening and other treatments.

Weigh the Cost Factors

• Equipment Investment Cost: There are large differences in the equipment investment costs of different cutting methods. The cost of mechanical shearing equipment is the lowest, followed by hydraulic shearing, flying saw cutting is relatively high, and laser cutting and plasma cutting belong to the high – investment – cost category. Enterprises need to comprehensively consider equipment procurement, installation and commissioning, and the cost of supporting facilities according to their own economic strength and budget.
• Operation Cost: The operation cost includes energy consumption, tool or consumable replacement cost, equipment maintenance cost, etc. Mechanical shearing and hydraulic shearing have low energy consumption, but the cutting tools wear out quickly and need to be replaced regularly. The saw blades of flying saw cutting need to be replaced regularly, and the equipment has high maintenance requirements. Laser cutting and plasma cutting have high energy consumption, and the maintenance costs of optical elements, electrodes and other components are also high. It is necessary to calculate and compare the operation costs of various cutting methods in detail and choose an economically reasonable method.

Combine Production Environment and Safety Requirements

• Space Requirement: Different cutting methods have different space requirements. Laser cutting and plasma cutting equipment require a large installation space and need to be equipped with ventilation systems and protective facilities. Mechanical shearing and hydraulic shearing equipment occupy a small area. Enterprises need to select suitable equipment according to the production site situation.
• Environmental Protection Requirement: Some cutting methods will produce noise, dust or harmful gases, which will affect the environment and the health of personnel. For example, flying saw cutting has high noise, mechanical shearing and hydraulic shearing have metal dust, and plasma cutting has harmful gases and strong light. Enterprises need to consider environmental protection requirements and regulations and take corresponding protective measures.
• Safety Requirement: There are risk factors in the cutting operation of cold – bending forming equipment, and different cutting methods have different safety risks, so corresponding protective measures need to be taken. For example, laser cutting and plasma cutting need to be equipped with professional protective glasses and protective clothing, and mechanical shearing and hydraulic shearing need to install protective fences, photoelectric sensors and other safety devices. It is necessary to ensure that the equipment has perfect safety protection functions to ensure the safety of personnel.