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.

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.

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, 2008)

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

Thats where we all go for hardox thanks to gary cairns :)

We were fortunate, some time ago we bought 4 sheets of 4mm Hardox from J&L for £50,(delivered):mrgreen:

Der Boyz

yep thanks gary lol

So anyone have any hardox kicking around? ;)

SSAB Representative Johhny Boy has concerns about the mis-representation of the company products ...
Im going to take the liberty of cutting and pasting Johnny Boys post from Fan Fic and copying them here...

Yes I do work for SSAB.
I would like to help if I can.
There is so much bogus information on this website that I thought I had better get involved.
Examples such as
1) the primer paint on Hardox will not kill you
2) There is no such thing as 1mm or 2mm or 4.8mm Hardox plate in the UK
3) Spark erosion cutting is not the best or cheapest way to cut Hardox...this rubbish advice goes on and on.....
If you have any questions regarding Hardox please let me know. I cannot promise to answer your questions quickly but if I can get to a computer I will give you an honest answer.
Good Luck

The examples 1) 2) and 3) are contradictions to posts on this website. There are at least another 50 more ridiculous claims about Hardox. I do not want my product to get a bad name because of ignorance.

I wish to try and allay his fears and assure him that in general the information given out by us based on our experience of using the stuff is valid.

point number 2 is easy to dismiss.. Leo explained the odd sizes posted in Fan Fic ... they are Ummm ...Fictitious!:).

point number 3 on spark erosion ... nobody suggested it as the best cheapest or easiest way to cut Hardox ...just a possible alternative.

point number one ...I cant find any reference on the Forum to this.

Woody.

I believe point one came from a discussion Dave moulds brought up a while back.