With three Omax 80160 JetMachining Centers, cutting possibilities abound at Pal-Con Ltd.
By Lisa Rummler
Until about two years ago, Pal-Con Ltd., Stephensville, Texas, serviced and rebuilt regenerators for the natural gas and electrical industries.
In 2007, though, following a move into a 75,000-square-foot, state-of-the-artmanufacturing facility, the family-owned company took its business a step further and began manufacturing the Pal-Tex Regenerator in house.
“It's a big heat exchanger,” says Randy Thompson, COO at Pal-Con. “It looks kind of like a radiator on steroids, and it has fins [made] of a thin material.”
These components are made of 0.015-inch 409 stainless, and they have high spots and low spots, which presented challenges in terms of being able to cut them properly.