Thirty years on the shop floor and a course in Prato: laser technical training at Cupples J&J
Cupples J&J Company Inc. processes sheet metal in Jackson, Tennessee, and was the first American company to buy a Cutlite Penta laser system. Today it runs seven of them, including two bevel machines rated 30 and 50 kW.
Chad Mulkey, Technology Maintenance Manager, came to our Prato site for the level 2 technical course. He has more than thirty years on the shop floor behind him. We asked him something we rarely ask an owner: what changes, for the person who keeps the machines running, when you have 50 kW on the floor and an advanced course instead of a support phone number.
What Cupples J&J Company Inc. does
The work they take on
Cupples J&J processes sheet metal in Jackson, Tennessee, with a machine fleet that covers the full thickness range. “We do everything”, Chad sums up. “From thin sheet right through to the heaviest plate: we are equipped for every kind of job.”
Why they were the first in the United States
Where they saw the machines
“Jeff Cupples always keeps an eye on innovation and on new machines. We saw the Cutlite Penta systems at EuroBLECH and at FABTECH, and they caught our attention right away.”
“Being able to cut both thin material and heavy plate on the same machine, at that quality, was something we had not found elsewhere. Honestly? They are the best we have tried.”
How many machines are on the floor today
Seven Cutlite Penta systems are in production today, including two bevel cutting machines rated 30 kW and 50 kW. The first one arrived when there was not a single Cutlite Penta laser in the United States: the kind of decision you make without being able to ask a colleague how it went.
From 2 to 100 mm on the same machine
“Most builders have a niche: they are good at some jobs, but not at everything”, Chad explains. “With Cutlite Penta we can work from 2 mm up to 100 mm, on the same machine.”
“The speed, the versatility, and above all the bevel cut: that really changed the way we work.”
Bevel cutting allows more complex geometries in a single pass and edges that come off the table ready for welding, which means fewer secondary operations downstream. That is why the PLUS series is built around the bevel head rather than treating it as an add-on: on medium to heavy thicknesses the operation after the cut costs more than the cut itself.
Why the plasma left the shop
“When we bought our first 30 kW bevel machine we still had a plasma running. But after the 50 kW machine was installed we retired it. We do not need it anymore.”
What changes above 35 mm
“With 50 kW I cut cleaner and faster, with less scrap”, Chad says. “And the cutting quality beats plasma. The speed is impressive.” That verdict holds for their materials and their thicknesses, not as a general rule: above 35 mm the laser-versus-plasma comparison depends a great deal on what you cut and on the finish the part has to have.
“Once you have tried this kind of power and precision, you do not go back.”
Technical training: more autonomy, less downtime
What a level 2 course changes
Chad took our level 2 technical course, led by Giacomo Bercigli: it is designed for skilled maintenance technicians and its purpose is autonomy on interventions, not showing people how to switch a machine on. “I have over thirty years of experience in this industry. For me, production time is everything”, he says. “With this advanced training I can handle many interventions on my own, without having to call support straight away.”
- Interventions handled in-house, without opening a ticket first
- Less machine downtime on every intervention
- More efficiency and more control over the shop floor
Support on the ground: Cutlite America
Chad also pointed to the growth of the Cutlite America technical team, our operation in Alpharetta, Georgia. For a customer in Jackson, Tennessee, in-house training and local support work as a pair: the course covers what you can solve yourself, the local team covers what you cannot.
What it comes down to, according to the man who keeps them running
Cupples J&J went from a plasma on the floor to seven laser systems, and the verdict of the person responsible for keeping them running is not about one machine in particular, but about the overall result.
“We have tried a lot of systems. Cutlite Penta is on another level: it lets us cut more, faster, with fewer limits.”
The Evo 4 autofocus cutting head and our high-power systems can be seen working in the DEMO area in Prato, the same place where Chad took his course: it is fitted on the FHD series. If you have a drawing and a thickness to test, the fastest way to find out whether the numbers add up is to bring them over.
Frequently asked questions
What is level 2 technical training on a laser machine?
It is the advanced course Cutlite Penta runs at its Prato site for technicians who handle maintenance. Its purpose is autonomy on the interventions that would otherwise require a call to support, and therefore less machine downtime. Chad Mulkey of Cupples J&J took it with more than thirty years of shop-floor experience behind him.
Can a fiber laser replace plasma cutting above 35 mm?
At Cupples J&J it went like this: with the first 30 kW bevel machine the plasma stayed on the floor, and after the 50 kW machine was installed it was retired. Above 35 mm their maintenance manager reports a cleaner and faster cut with less scrap. That is one company's experience on its own materials, not a rule that holds for every thickness.
What is the advantage of bevel cutting on a laser machine?
It allows more complex geometries in a single pass and edges that are already angled and ready for welding, which means fewer secondary operations downstream. At Cupples J&J it is the feature that, according to the maintenance manager, changed the way they work more than any other.
How many Cutlite Penta machines does Cupples J&J have?
Seven systems in production, including two bevel cutting machines rated 30 kW and 50 kW. It was the first American company to buy a Cutlite Penta laser, after seeing the machines at EuroBLECH and FABTECH.
Want to try the bevel cut on your own parts?
Bring us a drawing and a thickness: the trial runs on your material, not on our samples.
