SQUEEZING THE COST
OUT OF
STRUCTURAL
FABRICATION
Materials Processed
HSS - Hollow Structural Sections
PythonX plasma cutting makes knife cuts for bracing and any other sort of penetration cut (holes, slots) plus bevel cuts
and cut offs.
Structural Steel Beams
Robotic plasma cutting with PythonX is the most versatile beam fabrication method there
is. AISC-approved bolt holes, copes, slots, notches, miter
cuts, layout & piece marks and weld-prep bevel cuts – the PythonX system makes them all.
Structural Channel
Structural channel is fundamentally a variation of structural beam. It requires the same sorts of cuts, but often requires unusual features like knife cuts, angled cut offs and unusual-shaped cut outs. These were often torch-cut by hand. PythonX makes these features 'automatically.'
Angle
Whether for' clips' or special-purpose pieces, any size angle can be flexibly fabricated with any penetrations or cut offs.
Structural Bar and Plate
Plasma cutting was first introduced to structural fabricators in plate burning centers. But a separate burning table no longer makes when PythonX can perform all
the same functions and process HSS, beam, channel and angle.
HSS - Hollow Structural Sections
PythonX plasma cutting makes knife cuts for bracing and any other sort of penetration cut (holes, slots) plus bevel cuts
and cut offs.
Structural Steel Beams
Robotic plasma cutting with PythonX is the most versatile beam fabrication method there
is. AISC-approved bolt holes, copes, slots, notches, miter
cuts, layout & piece marks and weld-prep bevel cuts – the PythonX system makes them all.
Structural Channel
Structural channel is fundamentally a variation of structural beam. It requires the same sorts of cuts, but often requires unusual features like knife cuts, angled cut offs and unusual-shaped cut outs. These were often torch-cut by hand. PythonX makes these features 'automatically.'
Angle
Whether for' clips' or special-purpose pieces, any size angle can be flexibly fabricated with any penetrations or cut offs.
Structural Bar and Plate
Plasma cutting was first introduced to structural fabricators in plate burning centers. But a separate burning table no longer makes when PythonX can perform all
the same functions and process HSS, beam, channel and angle.
Compare Plasma Cutting To Traditional Drilling and Sawing Technology
If you're very accustomed to drill lines and bandsaws, fabrication using robotic plasma cutting may sound very exotic. But remember, at one time automobiles sounded very exotic to those getting around via horse-and-buggy.
If you make the switch to plasma cutting equipment, you'll probably get used to not having piles of chips and turnings . . . not having to replace drill bits and saw blades. And you could certainly get used to faster processing and being able to make virtually any cut you need on any workpiece you want. This table explains how that's possible with PythonX:
Equipment Capability |
 Plasma Cutter |
Single Spindle Beam Drill Line |
Three Spindle Beam Drill Line - with Band Saw |
| 'Drill' High Quality, AISC - Approved Bolt Holes for Structural Joints |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Cut Out Virtually Any Shape | YES |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Cut Ultra-Accurate Copes | Yes |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Cut Out Knife Connections and Bracing |
YES |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Cut Slots | YES |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Bevel Cuts for Weld Prep | YES |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Make Layout Marks | Yes - any shape |
Limited |
Limited |
| 'Print' Text & Piece Marks (any size) | YES |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Compound Miter Cuts | YES |
can't be done |
Costly Option |
| Slice I-Beams Into T-Beams | YES |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Full Fabricate Stair Stringers, including Tread Layout |
YES |
can't be done |
can't be done |
| Largest Diameter Hole | 24+ in. |
2 in. |
2 in. |
| Processing Speed | Fast |
Slow |
Fast |
| Cut Off a W24x100 Beam | 1 min. 15 sec. |
can't be done |
5 minutes |
| Workpiece Handling is Automatic (load piece and machine does the rest) |
Yes |
No, need to manually flip part |
Yes |
| Requires Tool Changes | NEVER |
Yes |
Yes |
Accepts Tekla, StruCad, SDS/2 files used to Calculate Cutting Sequence |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Price | Middle |
Low |
High |