Amada has launched its Ensis 6225AJ fibre laser cutting machine into the European market. With the ability to process 6.2 x 2.5 m sheets, the new machine is available in 6, 9 and 12 kW variants, with all powers able to cut up to 25 mm mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium.

Being able to process larger sheets, or multiple sheets in a large cutting area, leads to several benefits, such as more efficient material utilisation and higher production flexibility. Previously, Amada Ensis fibre lasers were available in 3 x 1.5 m and 4 x 2 m variants. Now, the series has been expanded to incorporate 6.2 x 2.5 m capabilities.

Utilising Amada’s established variable beam control technology, first released in 2014, the Ensis 6225AJ automatically adapts the laser beam mode (not just the focal position and spot size) to each material and thickness combination. This technology also allows the beam mode to be changed between the pierce and the cut, providing a high-power density beam shape for high-speed piercing, then instantly changing to the optimal beam shape for providing high-speed, high-quality cutting. Notably, a single lens can process all materials and thicknesses.

Amada has also added several new laser integration system features to the Ensis 6225AJ that provide more autonomous functionality, rather than relying on the operator to carry out certain checks.

For instance, the i-Nozzle Checker automatically checks the nozzle condition and changes it in conjunction with the standard 16-station nozzle changer if damage is detected, thereby removing any subjective operator decision. This system also incorporates automatic beam to nozzle alignment, significantly reducing start-up times and processing issues.

For further information
www.amada.eu

One of Kent’s fastest growing precision engineering specialists has completed a £1.5m investment drive with the installation of a new EHRT FlexPunch machine. Employing over 100 people at its factory in Hythe, HV Wooding has taken delivery of the new technology, which comes equipped with three CNC controlled axes that virtually guarantee perfect accuracy on production parts destined for the electrical switchgear, data centre, electric vehicle and energy markets.

The latest cell represents a £400,000 spend and offers an immediate 40% increase in punching capacity, which will enable greater flexibility and faster lead times. It follows a concerted investment programme that has seen the acquisition of a high-speed Bruderer BSTA 25H press, Bystronic Xpert 80 press brake and a Trumpf TruLaser 3030 laser cutter which can produce thin gauge laminations and busbars for use in electric cars, lorries, buses and commercial vehicles.

Matt Lacey, sales and marketing manager at HV Wooding, says: “Since the pandemic has eased and we’ve got back to a more normal trading environment, we’ve seen monthly sales increases of 15-25%. This is being driven by our ability to take on complex projects from prototyping through to volume production, embracing multiple manufacturing methods such as wire erosion, laser cutting, presswork and tooling, assembly, and electroplating.”

He adds: “These capabilities make us a very attractive proposition for companies involved in developing new components for electrification and we wanted to cement this position with the £1.5m investment in four different but complementary technologies. Our quality team has been really pleased with the parts produced on the new FlexPunch and we’re looking forward to taking on more projects that utilise its accuracy, repeatable quality and speed.”

For further information
www.hvwooding.co.uk

Waterjet cutting machines are a popular choice for fabricators that desire speed and efficiency when cutting a variety of materials. If the quality of the waterjet is lacking, issues like noise control and poor cutting accuracy will hamper production outcomes. This is the situation that Össur Sporting Solutions was experiencing using a waterjet with a robotic arm purchased from another company to trim prosthetics parts. However, after connecting with WardJet in 2015, the Iceland-based company discovered WardJet’s tailored waterjet system approach and has since purchased five machines.

After initial discussions with Össur, it was clear that the company needed a waterjet solution that met specific business objectives, and at the same time addressed the issues resulting from its previous waterjet system, which included accuracy, footprint and noise.

Using a gantry-based motion system greatly improved Össur’s path accuracy versus the previous robotic arm. Furthermore, eliminating the secondary hand finishing of parts saved valuable time, making the total production process more efficient overall.

With regard to footprint, using a standard WardJet motion system as a starting point, X-Y travel was decreased to 1.0 x 1.0 m, ensuring the size of the machine is as compact as possible. This configuration keeps the overall system footprint smaller than the robotic arm solution.

Össur also implemented a high-speed, dynamic water-level control system which sets the water level to follow the Z-axis motion of the cutting head automatically, keeping the part and waterjet nozzle continuously submerged 25 mm underwater throughout its full 610 mm range of travel. Cutting underwater keeps sound levels below the threshold of necessary ear protection.

For further information
www.wardjet.com

Bart Kroesbergen, managing director at steel service centre Joop van Zanten is a visionary who states that within 10 years the company’s entire production will be automated.

“To achieve this, we have to break with standards and need courageous partners who can join us on the extraordinary journey towards Industry 4.0,” he says. Messer Cutting Systems became the right partner for that journey.

“We wanted a supplier capable of delivering the full range of specialised machine equipment,” says Kroesbergen. “This includes state-of-the-art technologies for laser and plasma processes, as well as software and material handling experience.

The core of the solution is the software and 4.0 intelligence that links everything together. In workshops, a team with ERP manufacturer Ridder, the ISD Group as supplier of the 2D/3D CAD software HiCAD and Messer Cutting Systems with digitisation solutions from MesserSoft defined the integration of the various IT solutions.

Another important part in the digitisation process are two new machines with the latest cutting technology: a Messer PowerBlade 6500 with laser, 6 KW bevel head, drilling unit with 24 tool changers and LNC nozzle changer; and a Messer OmniMat 6500 with 2* HiFocus 360I, Skew Delta plasma bevel head, OmniScript and drilling unit with 24 tool changers.

With the fibre laser technology, powerful drives, precise linear guides in both longitudinal and transverse directions, and a multi-faceted bevel head, the PowerBlade is equipped for a wide range of applications, while OmniMat is a large CNC cutting machine with a heavy-duty structure and multi-axis control that is suitable for applications that include oxy-fuel, underwater or dry plasma.

“Both machines meet all our expectations for easy handling, low costs and high reliability,” concludes Kroesbergen.

For further information
https://uk.messer-cutting.com/

Yorkshire Laser & Fabrication (YLF), a Wakefield-based subcontractor specialising in fine-limit CNC sheet metalwork, has invested £2.2m in the latest high-specification Amada machinery to help increase throughput and quality. New machines installed in the past two years include an Amada ENSIS 6 kW fibre laser with ASLUL-3015 automation tower, and an Amada EML-2515AJ punch/fibre laser combination machine. The company also uses a range of AMADA software suites, completing its transition to a completely exclusive Amada shop.

Clearly seeking more uptime from the company’s laser-cutting capacity, the Amada ENSIS-3015AJ 6kW fibre laser with ASLUL-3015 automation tower arrived in 2020.

“The machine has been fantastic; exactly what we hoped for,” declares Matthew Orford, technical director at YLF. “It’s been very robust and the uptime we’ve been getting is excellent. Sales have been really strong this year, to the point where we started to outsource some of our laser cutting. I didn’t want to install another laser and keep running an old punch. It made more sense to gain the flexibility available from a punch/laser combination machine, so we bought the EML.

The fully electric Amada EML-2515AJ combination punch/fibre laser with RMP- NTK automation arrived at YLF in May 2021.

“We have lots of parts with louvres, forms and countersinks, and we can process these much faster than on our previous punching machine, which has now gone,” says Orford. “The EML has demolished our cycle times. Batches of parts we were previously punching in 40 hours now take 10-12 hours. And the quality of the finish – from what was a very good machine before in the Amada Vipros King – is like night and day.”

For further information
www.amada.eu