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process. In cutting two-in. steel with oxy-fuel, you ^ would need to put the flame on the sur- face for about 30 seconds before hitting the cutting oxygen jet to make the pierce. Whereas with the LASOX Differential Pressure Gauge For Seawater Applications Mid-West Instrument's Model 120 Series "FilterMinder" piston type differential gauge is specially designed for seawater applications. " For protection. * the 120 gauge JjM^ri& materials include aluminum bronze •m^HHV or monel. ^^^BflAr process, because the laser heats the sur- face instantaneously to the ignition tem- perature, as soon as you turn the laser on, you can turn on the gas stream and start piercing," explained Gabzdyl. In January 2001, Gabzdyl and O'Neill were invited to present their findings on LASOX at a meeting at Caterpillar in Peoria, 111. "We turned everything on its head. We explained that the laser is not the important thing, it's actually the gas that does the trick. This astonished the laser community there, because they tend to be very laser-centric people who feel that the laser is always the most important thing," recalled Gabzdyl. "It definitely caught my eye," said Cahill, referring to the presentation. Later that Benefits Include: • Range: 0-5 PSID thru 0-100 PSID (0.3 bar to 7.0 bar) • Accuracy + 5°o full scale ascending • Weather resistant construction standard • Working pressure 5000 P.S.I.G. (340 bar) Over-range protection to rated working pressure Dial size: 2-1/2", 3-1/2". or 4-1/2" round Shatter resistant lens For more information contact: Mid-West Instrument "Best Value In A P Instrumentation" 6500 Dobry Drive • Sterling Heights, Ml 48314 Tel: (586) 254-6500 • Fax: (586) 254-6509 Web Site: www.midwestinstrument.com E-Mail:sales@midwestinstrument.com Circle 295 on Reader Service Card in the Industry) M A PERFORMANCE D ESIGNED WIPER S YS T E M s B. Hyempjih and Co. Ltd. '/,. * incorporating Hepworth Marine s u b s i d i INTERN ATIONAI Window Wiper Technologies Inc. Hepworth House, Brook Street, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8NF Tel: +44 (0)1527 61243 Fax: +44 (0)1527 66836 Email: bhepworth<&b-hepworth.com Website: www.b-hepworth.com Circle 264 on Reader Service Card j Marine Deck Hardware |i / and Equipment • ANCHORS: • SO to 60,000 Lbs - New and Used Stockless - Danforth - L.W.T. - Halls - Snug Stowing • CHAIN • 3*" to 5' ft - New and Used Stud Link - Cast Steel - Grades 2 and 3 - Oil Rig Quality for Moorings, Towing, Barge Handling, Ship's Replacement • WINCHES WINDLASSES CAPSTANS • Vertical or Horizontal Hand, Electric. Diesel. Hydraulic or Repowered to your specs • HATCHES WATERTIGHT DOORS MANHOLE COVERS SCCJTLES PORTHOLES • All Sizes New or Reconditioned • PANAMA CHOCKS - DOUBLE BITTS SINGLE BITTS CAST STEEL CLEATS AND KEVELS • GIGANTIC AI1 S'7es Available. New & Used INVENTORY • FENDERS PNEUMATIC • NEW & Nx For Rent or Sale USED / IN STOCK\ ,A" SJ^s NOW V, New & Used Call *• in th« Watt Coast SERVING Toll-Free • Ea" c°«« // THE MARINE 6 OIL INDUSTRIES (800) • Th* Gu" J> FOR OVER 35 YEARS WE ARE DIRECT FACTORY DISTRIBUTORS G IMPORTERS U/ATERMAN SUPPLY CO., IMC PO BOX 556 WILMINGTON. CA S0748 PH: (310) 522-9698 F AX (310) 522-1043 Circle 341 on Reader Service Card Now more than ever, Skookum signifies value in today's cost-conscious world. You've known us for quality rigging products since 1890. Our compre- hensive block, fairlead, sheave and alloy forging lines have met the chal- lenges of the most demanding appli- cations around the world. And in the process, we've proudly taken part in the shaping of American history; from salvage operations at Pearl Harbor and construction of the Grand Coulee Dam to Md| San Francisco's BART and the space shuttle. Whatever your applications, we're committed to serving you with the finest in standard and custom engineered products. For further information contact your nearest dealer or call us at: 503/651 -3175 Skookum PO Box 280, Hubbard, OR 97032 FAX 503/651-3409 ® SK66KOM Blocks & Rigging AN ULVliN COMPANY 1-800-547-8211 • www.skookumco.com Circle 320 on Reader Service Card 80 evening, Gabzdyl, O'Neill, Cahill of Bender Shipbuilding and Penn of Alabama Lasers had discussions with the view to establishing this process in the shipbuilding industry. In February 2001, Cahill pulled together the team of Bender Shipbuilding, Alabama Laser and BOC Gases, and wrote a proposal to the National Shipbuilding Research Program, (NSRP). "The proposal got selected and we moved forward. Less than a year after we started real work on it, we were using LASOX in produc- tion. We went from the laboratory to production at almost lightning speed," said Cahill. Penn, who serves as president of Alabama Laser agreed. "What we brought to the equation was taking LASOX out of the lab and making it work on the industrial floor. There's a big difference in doing something once in a lab and doing it a thousand times on the industrial floor," he said. "I've been working with lasers for 30 years and every now and then I see a quantum leap and LASOX fits into that category." Penn continued: "An important aspect of LASOX that isn't often mentioned is its ability to do intricate detail even on thick plate. We've been able to cut webs that just can't be achieved with other methods. The LASOX process supplies just enough heat to drive the reaction and a lot of that heat energy is removed through the kerf. Plasma cannot do the square cuts that allows you to do com- mon line cutting with feature detail and a minimum heat for the part with a min- imum amount of distortion, those fea- tures alone solve certain categories of problems. This is a tool to give you more capability, not a tool to displace other technologies. It gives someone that is going to invest a million dollars in a laser system with a new tool. It allows him to cut thicker plate without having to go out and buy a plasma or oxyfuel system and making a lot of redundancy and using up a lot more floor space." According to Pat Cahill of Bender, "LASOX is going to completely change the way people look at lasers as a cut- ting tool," said Cahill. "We're saving hours and hours of machine shop time because we're able to cut holes that are of machine quality. In the past we would cut the blanks out with an oxy-burner and take them to the machine shop and drill them." "LASOX has an almost zero kerf angle, an inch and a half material with less than one degree of a kerf angle. So you have a straight edge. It has almost no top edge melting at all." Turn to page 89 for updates on the latest Welding and Cutting Technologies Maritime Reporter & Engineering News