Working With Hardox

[widow_twanky]

Any tips on working with Hardox.

I havent worked with it before but I am assuming that its not that much different to normal steel.

I assume that drilling isnt that easy and its worthwhile using special drills.

As far as cutting is concerned I was thinking along the angle grinder route. I was wondering if there is a need for any specific type of blade or if this is not the right way to do it.

Andy

[grant_ploughbot]

Working With Hardox

Youll find 90% of people end up cutting it with an angle grinder, it just eats the teeth off a bandsaw.
Drilling/milling isnt too bad, just cut nice and slow with lots of coolant. Best to get some nice cobalt dril bits.

[swanaldo]

Working With Hardox

i used a 1mm stainless steel cutting blade on my 4 1/2 inch angle grinder. its thin and you have to be careful not to break the blade but works a treat.

[tunna]

Working With Hardox

Plasma cutter every time,


Der Boyz

[widow_twanky]

Working With Hardox

Pasma cutter!!

Id only just convinced myself to pay out for an angle grinder.

I had originally thought Id use my junior hacksaw!!

Andy

[tunna]

Working With Hardox

if your near Walsall anytime give me a call ,would be happy to cut it for you,

Der Boyz

[mattan]

Working With Hardox

Watercutting works fine too

[maddox]

Working With Hardox

Lasercutters dont want to work with it, because the surface coating SSAB uses on it.

[johnny_boy]

Working With Hardox

Laser cutters dont want to work with it, because the surface coating SSAB uses on it??
The coating is a primer paint, thats all. Lasers go through it without any issues, as does plasma, gas and waterjet. Are you sure you know what you are talking about Mario?

[maddox]

Working With Hardox

Yes I do know what Im talking about.
Its not that lasers cant cut it, its the chance the laser will be damaged.
Lasercutters (the people operating the lasers) dont want to cut painted or coated materials as the gasses by the evaporating paint can coat the laserhead. Any matter not transparent to the laserlight on the laserhead leads to overheating of that head. Meaning if it goes wrong, its mayor ££££££.

Also, lasers have a certain spectrum, not all lasers are good in cutting all the materials. Can you imagine the problems if the paint or coating is very reflective or absorbing in the cutting lasers spectrum?

When a laser is set to cut , it moves with a certain speed determinated by laserpower, material, thickness of the material and the wished for accuracy.
With a coating reflecting or absorbing part of the lasers energy, you can end up with a cut to wide, or worse, not have a burntrough, and that gives a nice volcano effect. Almost garantied a dead laser.
Why do you think the start of a cut is a hole a bit wider than the cutting line itself?
To be sure there is burntrough.

[johnny_boy]

Working With Hardox

Mario you must be talking about some weak lasers. You can cut 25mm thick Hardox with or without paint. It is better with paint otherwise the steel can rust. The only difference is the speed of the cut. Also, laser cutting machines are gas assisted which blow away any gases produced and protect the cut steel surface from oxidising. I can only assume that the volcano you speak of was produced a long time ago, or someone was cutting something they should not have been. Anyway with respect to the thicknesses used to make robots I donet think even the weakest laser would have a problem cutting it, with or without paint. Anyway, if it is really troubling anyone, simply wire brush it off, after all it is only a powder paint primer anyway.

[maddox]

Working With Hardox

Im talking lasers, weak or powerfull (4kw is small) and the possibility of damage due the paint. Not the fact that those cant cut Hardox. These can easely.

Also, Im very well aware that good lasercutters do that in an inert atmosphere filled chamber, mostely argon. And that that keeps the steel from oxydizing.
But all that argon doesnt avoid problems associated with lack of burntrough. Again, good lasercutting machines are so automated that its just putting the plate in and the laser does all the rest, calculating cuting speed on self analysed data and such.

And yes, wirebrushing ALL the paint off is a possible way to deal with the issues. But its easier to let it be watercut.

Over here, in Flanders and the Netherlands we didnt find a lasercutter willing to cut hardox or anything else with paint on.

[leorcc]

Working With Hardox

http://www.jlsteel.co.uk/pdf/hardox_workshop/techsupport_16.pdfhttp://www.jlsteel.co.uk/pdf/hardox_...support_16.pdf

Actually:

http://www.jlsteel.co.uk/resource_centre.htmlhttp://www.jlsteel.co.uk/resource_centre.html

Great place for Hardox information, both on properties and usage.


(Message edited by leo-rcc on April 03, 200

[johnny_boy]

Working With Hardox

JL Steel are an excellent source for information and help, they can also supply parts. Look for them on the

[grant_ploughbot]

Working With Hardox

Thats where we all go for hardox thanks to gary cairns