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ALL ABOUT EFFICIENCY November 2019
CONNECTION
THE NEW CNC MACHINE:
Keeping the Pipe Fab Shop on the Cutting Edge
Accuracy. Efficiency. Reduced Waste. In the ever-changing world of technology, P1 Group is always looking for ways to work better while increasing the quality of our work. The newly acquired CNC Machine will do just that. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. This means a computer converts the design produced by Computer Aided Design software (CAD), into numbers. The numbers can be considered the coordinates of a graph and they control the movement of the cutter. Before this, dimensions had to be taken manually and then cut with the plasma cutter. With the CNC machine, Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) is able to import the dimensions directly from a BIM model and make every cut in an automated process. This machine is able to make square cuts for grooving, bevel pipe for welding, nozzle pipe, and cut out all o-lets. It can cut from 2” to 36” diameter and up to 1.5” wall-thick pipe. It can take pipe up to 42 feet long. Cutting longer lengths of pipe means less loading and unloading.
“This is the largest labor-saving device we’ve ever purchased for the P1 Group pipe shop. We’ve already increased production by 30 percent.”
It will cut 60” per minute and can put any angle on the bevels. “With this tool, we no longer have to manually take dimensions or punch in dimensions, it is all automated,” Jeremy Price, Pipe Shop Production Manager, explained. “When we put the fittings on, we aren’t measuring to put an o-let hole in, we are just assembling. This makes our fit up time faster and better.” continued, page 2
Smitty Belcher, CEO