Patent ID: 6886251
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: B21D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of making steel I-beams comprising: sending web fabrication information to a web cutting station indicative of web sizes needed for webs for the steel I-beams and indicative of a web discharge sequence in which the webs are to be discharged from said web cutting station, said web discharge sequence corresponding to a job priority; cutting steel plate at said web cutting station to form the webs having the desired web sizes; transporting the webs from said web cutting station to a beam station in accordance with said web discharge sequence; sending flange fabrication information to a flange station indicative of flange sizes needed to make flanges for said beams and sending to said flange station a flange discharge sequence in which said flanges are to discharged from said flange station in correspondence with and based upon said web discharge sequence; cutting steel stock so as to form said flanges having said flange sizes; transporting said flanges to said beam station according to said flange discharge sequence so as to match said flanges with an associated one of said webs; and welding said flanges and said web together to form beams at said beam station.