Comparative cost and time analysis of selected unconventional cutting processes

Globalni trg in vse večja konkurenčnost na trgu usmerjata podjetja v investiranje v sodobne proizvodne tehnologije, ki so prilagodljivejše in produktivnejše. Nekonvencionalni postopki rezanja so se razvili do te stopnje, da v današnjem času predstavljajo nepogrešljiv tehnološki proces pri izdelavi določenega izdelka. Med najbolj razširjene postopke rezanja tako spadajo plazemsko, lasersko rezanje in rezanje z abrazivnim vodnim curkom. Vsaka od navedenih tehnologij rezanja ima svoje specifične fizikalne in tehnološke značilnosti, ki pomembno vplivajo na izbiro optimalnega postopka rezanja. Te značilnosti so v nalogi podrobno preučene in primerjane med seboj za izbrane postopke rezanja. Preučili pa smo tudi produktivnost in proizvajalne stroške posamezne tehnologije pri rezanju elementov iz konstrukcijskega jekla, nerjavnega jekla in aluminija. Ekonomska učinkovitost posamezne tehnologije rezanja je ugotovljena na podlagi primerjave strukture stroškov. V zaključku pa so predstavljene ključne prednosti in smernice razvoja posamezne tehnologije.Global market and increasing competitiveness on the market, lead companies to invest into modern production technologies, which are more flexible and more productive. Unconventional cutting processes have developed to this extent that they nowadays represent indispensable technological process in the manufacture of a certain product. The most prevalent cutting processes are plasma cutting, laser cutting and abrasive waterjet cutting. Each of these cutting technologies has specific physical and technological features which have important impact on the selection of optimal cutting process. In this paper we have closely examined and compared these features of selected cutting processes. We have also examined the productivity and the production costs of each technology when cutting elements of structural steel, stainless steel and aluminium. Economic efficiency of a certain cutting technology is identified by comparing the cost structure. In the closure we have presented key advantages and development directions of selected technologies