| In terms of finish carpentry, a common situation to | | | | capability probes the surface of the beam, indexing |
| use a cope is when two shaped pieces, like | | | | its position in space. Next, the torch moves to a |
| mouldings, are joined at an angle. If you want a | | | | starting point and then "fires" its flame following the |
| professional-looking joint, an elaborate curved line | | | | path prescribed for the cope. |
| must be cut in each section so the pair of ends fit. If | | | | Just how does a coping robot know what path to |
| a piece is is to be joined directly to the side of the | | | | cut? In the first few years of coping automation, a |
| other, it calls for one to to "cope" one piece so as to | | | | machine operator had to enter cutting instructions |
| match the other piece. | | | | into the machine's CNC control. So the process |
| When it comes to structural steel, the typical cope | | | | wasn't fully automated and the chance for a |
| need not be quite so particular as it must be with | | | | data-entry error still left the coping operation |
| exposed millwork. Yet, the principle is similar to the | | | | vulnerable to mistakes and rework. |
| wood scenario. Coping a beam assures it can be | | | | That limitation has been overcome. Today, |
| fixed to an intersecting column (or another beam) by | | | | sophisticated "on-board" computer programs can |
| eliminating a part that could be an interference. The | | | | download information from design software |
| amount of material removed and whether or not it is | | | | programs like Tekla or Strucad. These control |
| taken from the "top" or "bottom" will depend on the | | | | programs "figure out" the optimum cutting sequence |
| specifications of the detailed connection. Coping in | | | | in mere seconds and send the sequence to the robot |
| structural steel generally involves removing both a | | | | controller. That eliminates the one last aspect of |
| part of the flange and the web. | | | | beam coping that was subject to human mistakes. |
| For structural steel fabrication, beam coping is done | | | | More recently, a significant advancement occurred. |
| manually utilizing a cutting torch. This can be a fairly | | | | High-definition plasma cutting was combined with |
| time-consuming and error-prone process, so it is | | | | advanced industrial robot technology. This invention, |
| carried out by fabricators with a lot of experience at | | | | named PythonX, is able to cut out very precise cope |
| layout and cutting. The "beam coper" begins by | | | | cuts, again, using proprietary software that translates |
| transferring the dimensions and curve of the cope | | | | part design information from engineering software |
| from part detail prints, onto the beam. The contour | | | | like Tekla, but the capability of the robotic arm, and |
| of the cope is sketched in chalk. After that, the | | | | the power, precision and cutting speed of plasma arc |
| coping technician employs an oxy-fuel torch, moving | | | | makes it practical to carry out all fabricating cuts. The |
| along the chalk line he has just drawn. After the cut | | | | plasma system performs full cross-cuts, miter cuts, |
| is complete dross and rough edges are ground off, if | | | | bolt holes, slots and even piecemarks and layout |
| necessary. | | | | marks. Now, this system functions as much more |
| Errors in this manual process are often particularly | | | | than a beam coper. It is also a bandsaw, beam line, a |
| costly. If mistakes yield a cut out of spec, the coped | | | | burning center and an embossing unit - all in one. |
| beam may have to be scrapped. | | | | Because of the savings in material handling, |
| These factors made steel beam coping an area | | | | floorspace and queue time this technology offers, |
| ready for automation. Machinery builders developed a | | | | other makers of fabricating equipment, for example |
| means whereby the beam is rolled into a "cutting | | | | Voortman, are quickly working to come out with |
| box". There a CNC torch with integrated probing | | | | their own versions of this "beam coping robot". |