90% faster laser cutting

Amada is making its new Clean Fast Cut (CFC) technology available as standard on the company’s 6 and 9 kW fibre laser cutting machines.

CFC is said to be up to 90% faster than standard Clean Cut (CC) and can use less nitrogen when cutting 8 mm stainless steel, for example. The technology was developed at Amada’s R&D centres in Japan and has been tested at the company’s European Laser Technical Centre near Munich.
The gains stem from a new design of cutting nozzle that optimises gas flow dynamics, and the company’s own fibre laser engine with 3 kW diode modules – said to be the largest in the industry.
CFC is capable of delivering benefits to general subcontractors that cut mid-thickness stainless steel and mild steel, as the higher cutting speeds and lower gas consumption give a reduced cost-per-part. Manufacturers needing to weld or paint parts after processing will also enjoy advantages as there is no need to clean the edges, which is necessary when using oxygen to cut mild steel. Food, marine, medical and chemical plant equipment producers will benefit too, thanks to higher productivity in stainless steel processing.
On a 9 kW Amada fibre laser, CFC is effective on stainless steel from 4 to 15 mm thick and mild steel from 4 to 12 mm, while on a 6 kW machine the technology will produce gains on stainless steel from 4 to 12 mm and mild steel from 4 to 8 mm. Below 4 mm thickness, Amada says that its standard CC is very productive. Importantly, CFC is not an optional extra and is shipping now as standard with newly ordered Amada 6 and 9 kW fibre laser machines.
For further information www.amada.co.uk

Fibre laser boosts revenue at start-up

New start-up Staffs Laser Ltd has selected a Trumpf TruLaser 2030 Fiber to help propel the business into the Midlands subcontract sheet profiling market.

Installed at the time of business launch in April 2018 as the company’s sole laser cutter, the TruLaser 2030 fiber is on target to help Staffs Laser achieve a turnover of £800,000 in its first year of trading, way ahead of the £560,000 originally budgeted.
Staffs Laser is the brainchild of Eddie Hopkins, who has been working in the laser cutting arena for the past 15 years.
“At my previous employment we had CO2 laser cutting machines, which are fine but cannot match the speed of fibre on thinner sheet,” he explains. “My old bosses were reluctant to invest in the latest fibre technology, so I decided to leave and start my own business.”
Working out of premises near Stone, located between Stafford and Stoke, Hopkins knew he would have to invest from the outset, and Trumpf was always going to be first choice. I knew Trumpf machines well and consider them to be the market leader. In addition, they provide really good service, which I knew would be key to a new start-up business like mine.”
With limited budget, Hopkins duly installed Trumpf’s entry-level machine, the TruLaser 2030 Fiber.
“Such has been the ramp up in demand that the TruLaser 2030 is already running 12 hours a day during the week, and 6-7 hours on Saturday – in fact, we are struggling to keep up and will soon have to consider running overnight,” he explains.
The company recently achieved a record monthly revenue of £80,000, which is nearly double the figure originally budgeted.
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com

Automated sheet-metal part production

At the recent EuroBlech exhibition in Germany, Bystronic showcased new solutions that in the near future will enable the company’s automated production line for the end-to-end manufacture of sheet metal parts to be expanded with value-added modules for the effective pre-processing of components.

For instance, prior to laser cutting, the latest ByFlex system is able to drill holes as well as deburr, thread-cut and countersink. The integration of these functions allows users to incorporate extra machining operations within the production line for added efficiency. In addition, a labelling function marks the parts with a code that can be scanned at downstream stations for reliable identification.
Newly developed software architecture, called Shop Floor Control System, was also launched by Bystronic for monitoring and controlling a complex production facility, which might involve an automated manufacturing solution such as a production line networked with stand-alone sheet metal handling and machining stations. Laser cutting systems, press brakes, automation equipment and machines from third party suppliers can all be included. The software assumes the centralised control function and helps users to optimise production flow continuously so that throughput and delivery times are met.
Within Shop Floor Control System, each integrated element provides real-time information on the current order status, scheduled maintenance and updates, or any malfunctions. All information is displayed on the control screen, enabling decisions to be made regarding any problems or warnings that arise.
For further information www.bystronic.co.uk

Get set for Expo Manufactura

The most important manufacturing event in Mexico, Expo Manufactura 2019, is set to take place on 5-7 February at the Cintermex venue in Monterrey.

Established for 25 years, last year’s show saw the strengthening of networking activities, while a strategic alliance was made with A3 (Association for Advancing Automation) resulting in a conference day focused on automation and robotics, as well as a 40% increase in the Automation and Robotics Pavilion for the 2019 edition.
Further pavilions set to take their place this year include those for plastics, additive manufacturing and medical device manufacturing. More than 300 exhibitors and 12,500 visitors are expected at the show. There will also be an international conference programme focusing on topics such as Industry 4.0, technological trends in manufacturing, and automation and robotics.
For further information www.expomanufactura.com.mx

FG DDL now available from Mazak

The new direct diode laser (DDL) version of Mazak’s Fabri Gear machine range made its European debut at the recent EuroBlech 2018 exhibition in Germany.

Mazak has fast-tracked the development of the DDL FG to complement the company’s existing CO2 machine, due to the productivity potential that laser users can derive from DDL technology.
DDL is suited to cutting both thin and thick materials, and is also capable of cutting high reflectance material, such as copper and brass. Moreover, the machine is equipped with a 4 kW DDL resonator that can achieve a 20% productivity improvement. This gain is derived from its use of nitrogen, a reduction in piercing time due to a beam-on approach pierce, and an increase in cutting speed thanks to its higher light harvesting. What’s more, the DDL is capable of rapid traverse rates of 100 m/min in the X axis, 36 m/min in the Y axis and 30 m/min in the Z axis. If production is interrupted by an alarm, the ‘Quick Program Restart’ function makes it possible to quickly restart the machine, reducing downtime.
The machine is also equipped with a new 3D head, developed with an independent Z axis and tapping units. Furthermore, new laser light shielding covers have been developed to cover both the loading and unloading sides of the machine.
High productivity is matched by quality of cut, with cutting quality for thick mild steel comparable to a CO2 laser, reports the company.
Mazak says that the Fabri Gear range has long been popular in the construction industry due to its ability to cut round, square and rectangular pipe or tube often used in building projects.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk