Page 30 - MetalForming September 2014

The Road to
Plasma-Cutting Automation
Fabricators note several reasons for considering the move from manual plasma-arc cutting (PAC) to automated cutting. For Mike Wagner, owner of Cornfield Customs Hot Rod, Loveland, OH, the reason to automate was simple: his customers deserved their quality cut parts at a reasonable price. His mission was to deliver.
Wagner, a builder of hot rods since 2006, specializes in pre-1950 Ameri- can-made cars.
“We mainly like the 1926 to 1932 Fords,” he says. “We build the chassis
Dirk Ott is vice president, global plasma automation brand, Victor Technologies, St. Louis, MO: www.victortechnolo- gies.com.
inhouse, design all of the suspension setups, and fabricate most of the cus- tom sheetmetal.”
Hot-rod enthusiasts turn to Corn- field Customs for custom-built frames, frame and sheetmetal modification, turnkey cars, suspension systems, welding and fabrication, and CNC PAC. The bulk of Wagner’s plasma-cut parts include frame, chassis and suspension brackets and tabs for hot-rod assem- blies including four-link rear suspen- sions, front-end mounts and motor- mount kits.
“Customers often specify my hand- cut parts,” says Wagner, “but I didn’t feel I could charge them for what it actual- ly took to cut the parts. If, for example, I’m cutting brackets by hand and then
Mike Wagner, a builder of hot rods since 2006, spe- cializes in pre-1950 Ameri- can-made cars. “We mainly like the 1926 to 1932 Fords,” he says. “We build the chassis inhouse, design all of the suspension setups, and fabricate most of the custom sheetmetal.”
I need to clean them, you’re talking two to three hours for a set of brackets. I can’t charge $150 or $200 for a set of brackets when customers can buy them on eBay for less.”
Purchasing the Right System
Wagner had reached his tipping point, but facilitating the transition to automation required a number of deci- sions. First, purchasing the right type of automated PAC setup required a com- plete understanding of how his appli- cations would apply to automation—in dollars and cents. High-precision dual- gas cutting systems cost tens of thou- sands of dollars, often accompanied by an equally expensive controller. While these setups provide very high
A hot-rod parts shop invests in its first air-plasma cutting system to deliver quality parts at a reasonable price.
BY DIRK OTT
28 MetalForming/September 2014
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