Corry Contract Inc.
 21 Maple Ave.
 Corry, PA 16407

Subject:  The new 2007 Block Etching feature is saving $6,840.00 annually on our CL-5 laser

Hello P.E.P. Technology,

Thank you for implementing the new Block Etching feature.  

How we calculated the $6,840.00 annual savings in our etching operation.  When we scribe numbers and text on our parts we use nitrogen gas.  To cut the part geometry we use oxygen.  

Previously, we would scribe a part with nitrogen, the machine would stop and we would manually purge the nozzle and begin the cutting cycle with oxygen.  The cycle would repeat for each part on the sheet. 

The new 2007 Block Etching feature allows the machine to “etch” a specified number of parts or the entire sheet as one block.  Once the etching cycle is done we purge manually just as before, but only once.

In case you are wondering, our older CL-5 requires the operator to manually turn a valve to purge the gas.

Having the Block Etching feature allows the laser operator to do other tasks (unload steel trucks, move materials, run a press brake near the laser-cutter, etc.) while the nested plate is being cut.  Without Block Etching, the laser operator would have to remain at the machine to purge the gas between each cycle.

Thus far, our 2007 labor savings ($12/hour) have been approximately $2850, or $570 per month. Looking at a year’s worth of savings – that is $6840 in shop floor time saved by one software feature.

Of course, there are additional gas savings in that there are fewer purges resulting in less usage of the gases.

We simply have no way of measuring the gas saved as of now.

 Sincerely,

Tom Sekelsky