LASER, PLASMA & WATER JET CUTTING CHANGING OF THE GUARD In further evidence that fibre laser technology has taken over from CO2 when cutting sheet metal and plate, Bystronic UK has revealed that since August 2015 the company has not sold a single CO2 laser cutting machine in Britain or Ireland. Conversely, fibre laser cutters have sold well. In November and December 2016 alone, orders for 14 were taken. Two of the machines were 8kW, with a further five equipped with a 10kW fibre laser source. Among the latest takers is bicycle aftermarket component manufacturer, Hope Technology, based in Barnoldswick, which has installed a 4kW BySprint Fiber 3015. “We use relatively thin materials, such as 2mm stainless steel for brake discs and up to 6mm aluminium for some sprockets,” explains production manager Lindley Pate. “For thinner gauges, compared with an equivalent CO2 source, the fibre laser produces components three times faster. It has made a fantastic difference in helping us to meet growing order volumes.” The machine is equally capable of handling much thicker material. Hope often processes 12mm thick aluminium tooling plate to produce fixtures for other machines on the shop floor. A further advantage of fibre laser cutting, according to Mr Pate, is the high quality of cut using nitrogen as the cutting gas: “The asmachined edges on stainless steel appear polished, so brake discs, for example, need no edge finishing. They go straight to heat treatment.” Elsewhere, Nottingham-based Goodman Metal Works has recently taken delivery of the UK’s first Prima Power 4 x 2m capacity Laser Genius. The 6kW fibre laser cutter is capable of processing 25mm thick mild steel and 20mm stainless steel. “With a tolerance accuracy of 0.03mm, our new Laser Genius machine provides the flexibility we need,” says managing director Richard Goodman. “In addition, while the quality of our output and the speed of our production systems assists customers, it is critical that we are able to quote competitive prices. Compared with modern systems, our previous laser cutting machine was proving uneconomical in terms of its consumption of electric and gas, while its maintenance costs were continually rising. Now, the use of our Prima Laser Genius machine has considerably improved efficiencies in all of these areas.” Clearly, fibre laser profiling technology is in high demand, a fact also confirmed by Yamazaki Mazak, which announced a record year in 2016 for sales of laser machines in the UK. Mazak says the growth has been achieved across a variety of sectors, with particularly strong performance in construction and general subcontracting – the company’s 6kW Optiplex 3015 Fiber II has proved the stand-out performer. This year, Mazak is looking to introduce a number of new products, including Direct Diode Laser (DDL) technology, the Super Turbo-X 3015 Fiber and new laser automation systems. With regard to the latter, Mazak’s latest Quick Cell laser automation technology is available in three different specifications: six-pallet, 10-pallet and 14-pallet. It offers loader/unloader travelling speeds of 54m/min and an elevating speed of 8m/min, along with a sheet change time of circa 60 seconds depending on sheet size. Over at Amada, development efforts have yielded the just-released LCG-AJ flat-bed laser cutter, which can be equipped with the company’s own 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9kW oscillators. Most models incorporate an automatic nozzle changer for uninterrupted processing, and all are compatible with Amada’s Digital Support System (ADSS), which facilitates the delivery of service support and allows customers to analyse and compare machine performance. Furthermore, LCG-3015AJ machines are fully compatible with Amada’s latest part-picking system, the TK L. LVD, too, has expanded its fibre laser cutting machine portfolio with the introduction of the Phoenix FL 4020 and Phoenix FL 6020, which are designed to handle sheet dimensions of 4000 x 2000mm and 6000 x 2000mm respectively. Available in 3, 4 and 6kW versions, the latest Phoenix models are said to achieve superior cut quality through a cutting-head design that allows automatic adjustment of focus position and focus diameter, known as ‘zoom focus’. Additionally, to achieve the highest speed on every material thickness, focus position and diameter are automatically controlled and adjusted by the CNC. The increasing popularity of fibre lasers in the UK market has led to a boom in business for MSS Nitrogen’s Nitrocube Fiber nitrogen generators, which are based on a modular, plug and play design. Compressed air goes into the system and high-purity nitrogen comes out. Among the growing list of customers is ES Solutions, based in Beeston. Managing director Eric Seymour says: “We purchased the very first MSS nitrogen generator back in 2004. However, the new Nitrocube Fiber is a fraction of the size, far more efficient and saves us a significant amount of money each month. Nitrogen generation is definitely the way forward, especially for fibre lasers.” Of course, laser cutting is not the only profiling technology performing strongly at present; the demand for plasma cutters continues apace. This is evidenced by Ballymena-based Arcon Engineering, which has recently invested in a RUR3500P machine from Kerf Developments that features a Lincoln Electric Spirit 400 Amp plasma unit with Ultrasharp technology. Arcon says that the machine is powerful enough to cut through material far beyond the scope of a laser. In addition, the system incorporates a water reservoir that keeps the cutting torches cool and extends the life of consumables. Also featured is technology that is said to use up to 78% less plasma gas than competitor machines. Elsewhere on the plasma front, Hypertherm has just announced its most significant advance in mechanised plasma cutting ever, with the introduction of an entirely new class of plasma called X- Definition. This new plasma is available for the first time in a 300 Amp system called the XPR300. Finally, from a waterjet perspective, Flow has recently released Compass, a contourfollowing and collision-sensing solution. Compass automatically makes cutting-head height adjustments in real time to allow precision cutting, even if the raw material is not truly flat; the cutting head always maintains the correct stand-off height from the material. It seems whatever the profiling requirement, there is today a host of fast, precise and reliable technologies able to help profiling and fabrication shops achieve genuine competitive gain. 20 <strong>Machinery</strong> <strong>World</strong>, <strong>April</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
For small batch production Just In Time Production Fast automatic tool and gripper changing makes small batches protable Offline = Uptime Bespoke programming software allows fast program generation Low Labour Costs Automated program scheduling reduces labour costs Growing Together with Our Customers AMADA UK Tel: +44 (0) 1562 749 500 Email: info@amada.co.uk www.amada.co.uk TRUMPF 3040 5KW 4000 X 2000 MM WORKING AREA AUTOMATIC NOZZLE CHANGER TOUCH SCREEN CONTROL INSTOCK AND UNDER POWER Machine of the month CALL US +44 (0)1788 552299 EMAIL : SALES@MSSLASERS.COM WEB : WWW.MSSLASERS.COM IN STOCK TRUMPF 3030 4KW IN STOCK TRUMPF 3050 5KW & 6KW IN STOCK TRUMPF 2510 2KW FOR DETAILS OF ALL OUR STOCK MACHINES VISIT:
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