Three steel coating mass control systems ordered

Steel Dynamics has ordered three zinc coating mass control systems, which use a proven physics-based coating mass model to generate accurate references and control the knife to strip distances.

Steel Dynamics in the USA has placed an order with Industrial Automation Services (IAS) to design, supply and commission three zinc coating mass control systems.

Two systems will be delivered to the Butler, Indiana, plant and the third to the Jeffersonville plant.

Engineering for the three systems will be executed in parallel with commissioning of the Butler systems occurring first.

For control of the zinc coating, IAS will install the system, which uses a proven physics-based coating mass model to generate accurate references and control the knife to strip distances and stripping gas pressure.

During order transitions, advanced signal processing algorithms enable the controls to estimate coating thickness during order transitions within one coating gauge scan.

Resulting control actions minimise the generation of out-of-spec material and the minimised coating standard deviation allows for zinc savings and a typical return on investment within a few months.

The open architecture control system incorporates IAS's easy to maintain graphical programming interface, and takes advantage of IAS's considerable process know-how and local support.

The new control system will operate in concert with existing Sentek coating gauges to provide improved strip coating performance.

IAS will execute engineering design, project management, installation assistance, commissioning and operator/maintenance training from IAS's offices in Pittsburgh, PA., USA and Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Meech introduces Jetstream air knife technology

Meech has introduced Jetstream, an air knife system designed for challenging steel-drying applications.

It is accepted throughout industry that compressed air is an expensive and energy inefficient option for many drying applications Meech International said Jetstream is a drying technology that can cut the costs associated with moisture removal An example is rolled and strip steel production, where the cost of drying steel using compressed air delivered through nozzles can be large.

Jetstream removes the moisture from the steel strips in a more cost-efficient manner than compressed air alternatives and, according to the company, delivers better moisture removal, producing a drier and better quality product.

The basis of operation of the Jetstream system is that high-pressure air is generated at a blower unit, delivered to the air knives via ducting and then discharged from the air knives at a high velocity.

TekSoft to distribute CNC sheet metal software

Under the terms of a licensing agreement Lantek has granted TekSoft distribution rights for Lantek sheet metal software through TekSoft's international VAR network.

TekSoft and Lantek have signed a software licensing and distribution agreement.

Under the terms of this agreement, Lantek grants TekSoft distribution rights for Lantek sheet metal software through TekSoft's international VAR network.

The software for punching, laser, waterjet, plasma and oxyfuel machines will be marketed under the FABWorks name.

TekSoft, a leading provider of CAD/CAM applications since 1981, develops and markets CAMWorks, which is available for machining centers, turning, mill/turn, multiaxis and wire EDM applications.

CAMWorks is a SolidWorks Certified Gold CAM Product that provides state-of-the-art machining capabilities seamlessly integrated into SolidWorks 3D mechanical design software.

FABWorks also provides an integrated interface between the SolidWorks design environment and the FABWorks machining environment.

Parts that are designed in SolidWorks can be automatically unfolded and transferred directly to FABWorks for machining.

The benefits of this agreement were clear to both companies and negotiations were concluded quickly.

"TekSoft has over 20 years of experience in developing and selling CAD/CAM software through a large VAR network.

When they decided to expand their product range to include sheet metal software, they investigated the fabrication systems available in the market and talked to our competitors," stated Alberto Martinez, Lantek's managing director.

"In addition to Lantek's best-in-class CAD/CAM software, our international reputation as a leading software company in the sheet metal industry made their decision an easy one." According to Mike Coleman, President and CEO of TekSoft, "We seek out the best-in-class solutions, we negotiate and we license.

This allows us to provide a full suite of established and proven CAM solutions while offering ongoing enhancements.

The agreement with Lantek enables us to quickly offer our customers a product that is at the forefront of the sheet metal software industry." Coleman also stated that TekSoft is offering FABWorks at a significant discount to its existing ProCAM fabrication customers to encourage them to make the transition.

* About TekSoft - TekSoft develops and markets CAMWorks, which is available for machining centers, turning, mill/turn, multiaxis and wire EDM applications and ProCAM, a stand-alone CAD/CAM product.

TekSoft sells its products through 140 resellers in 40 countries and has an installed base of over 33,000 licenses.

TekSoft is a subsidiary of Geometric Software Solutions Co .

(GSSL), a leading PLM services provider with over 20 years of experience in CAD/CAM/CAE, PDM and MPM.

Based in Mumbai, India, GSSL has business development headquarters in Merrimack, NH, USA, and sales offices in Germany, Singapore and Japan.

GSSL is publicly traded on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India.

* About Lantek - Lantek develops and sells CAD/CAM software for the sheet metal industry.

Lantek CAD/CAM software product range includes punching and cutting software for oxyfuel, plasma, laser and waterjet machines as well as software to drive press brakes, tube cutting machines and production management software.

Lantek is one of the leading software companies in the sheet metal industry with distributors worldwide and branch offices in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, Japan, South Korea, India, and Czech Republic.

Lantek is a recognized provider of sheet metal software with more than 5,400 customers in 76 different countries.

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