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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-CA link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Dear Metal processing friends<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>></span>Due to the HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) and reflective nature of SS, you might want to also look at AWJ (Abrasive Water Jet), which is slower and generates a wider kerf, but has zero HAZ and doesn't care about reflectivity. Usually, AWJ cut parts are stacked MANY deep since AWJ is more efficient as the parts get thicker.<br><br><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>If you want lower cost production, CNC punching is the way to get as a half-way point between laser cutting and a custom made blanking tool. CNC punching can make holes up to 110mm and can make circles using a small curved tool. A decent tool shop will have more than 1500 punches of various shapes and sizes that can be used in combination. Remember that a decent FANUC will have 2 stations that can rotate the tools any number of degrees. There is no HAZ though there is a burr on one side.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>If you pressing the parts afterwards, the burr can be placed selectively not to bite in to the form so it de-moulds easily. The same applies to stainless steel which has been laser cut. There is a small hardened burr on the underside and it is usually worth selecting which way up that burr faces when pressing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>There are different water jetting methods but it is more expensive than lasers in my experience and much slower. Even with water and grit it is not competitive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:36.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><br><span style='color:#1F497D'>></span>Another option is plasma cutting, often cheaper than laser, it has a wider kerf than laser, but is a cheap system to maintain and run. <span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>There are several plasma systems one of which is high definition giving (for our purposes) enough resolution for anything to do with a stove. It should only be used if a CNC punch can’t do that particular shape (and a punch with multiple strokes can do a <i>lot</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>If anyone would like to have SS or other parts sourced from South Africa where ample production capacity exists let me know and I will connect you to one of several production options.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Regards<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Crispin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:36.0pt;margin-bottom:0mm;margin-left:0mm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>New Dawn Engineering<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>