Machinery World April 2017

LASER, PLASMA & WATER JET CUTTING
fibre laser cutting supplants co2
In further evidence that fibre laser technology
has taken over from the CO2 laser power source
when cutting sheet metal and plate into
components of simple or complex shape, David
Larcombe, managing director of Bystronic UK,
revealed that since August 2015 the company
has not sold a single CO2 laser cutting machine
in Britain or Ireland.
In contrast, fibre laser cutters have sold well.
In November and December 2016 alone, orders
for 14 were taken, half of which were for highpower
models launched at the EuroBlech show
in Hannover at the end of October last year.
Two of the seven high-power machines were 8
kW, with the remainder equipped with the 10
kW fibre laser source, the most powerful
currently available on the UK market.
As a point of comparison, Mr Larcombe
said, “Of the seven lower-power fibre laser
machines we sold during the last two months of
2016, five were 6 kW, while the other two were
rated at 4 kW and 2 kW. There is still a demand
for the latter, competitively priced fibre models
from manufacturers processing only thinner
gauge materials.”
Nevertheless, he thinks that higher power
fibre laser machines are the future, as they can
cut thicker plate and produce superior quality
edge. The 10 kW fibre source is able to process
25 mm mild steel and 30 mm stainless steel and
aluminium. Fibre also allows reflective
The Endeavour is one of the world’s most
innovative CNC beam line which features 3
new direct drive, 31kw 5,000 rpm spindles
with additional auxiliary axis movement,
high speed positioning, 4 sides scribing and
hard stamping marking unit.
Once a beam is clamped in position,
drilling, milling and marking can be
undertaken simultaneously on all 4 sides of
the beam without any further actions by
operator. Each drilling head moves rapidly
and independently from one programmed
position to another along the stationary beam
for further drilling, milling or scribing.
Machining is therefore much faster
materials to be cut safely. The same source can
tackle 15 mm brass and 12 mm copper, formerly
the province of water jet or plasma cutting
machines.
Even more important, according to Mr
Larcombe, is the ability of the 10 kW source to
cut mid-range thickness materials much faster.
Mild and stainless steels in the 3 mm to 6 mm
range, for example, can be profiled 2.5 to 3 times
faster than with a 6 kW fibre laser, providing a
massive boost to productivity.
tel: 0844 8485850
email: david.larcombe@bystronic.com
Web: www.bystronic.com
the endeavour from ficep
resulting in remarkable increases in
productivity and reductions in production
costs.
Endeavour can be used as a stand-alone
machine in combination with a high speed
Katana CNC saw or a coping unit with
plasma or oxy robotic thermal cutting heads.
When combined with the Katana, a patented
magnetic unloader allows the drilling and
sawing of short piece without operator
intervention.
Andrew Hirst, Managing Director of the
UK’s largest independent steel stockholder,
Barrett Steel Services,, commented –
“We already had FICEP saw drill lines but
we wanted to further
increase our processing
volumes and to meet our
customers requirements.
The Endeavour was
exactly what was
wanted and fits perfectly
into our existing
production lines,
helping us to further
enhance our customer
services and delivery
times.”
tel: +44 (0)1924 223530
email: info@ficep.co.uk
Web: www.ficep.co.uk
expanding
the fibre laser
machine
line-up
AMADA’s latest line-up of LCG-AJ flatbed
laser cutting machines are equipped with
AMADA developed 2, 3,4, 6 and 9 kW fibre
laser oscillators. AMADA were the first laser
machine manufacturer to develop their own
fibre laser source. Manufacturing and testing
takes place at AMADA’s Fujinomiya factory
and incorporates all of AMADA’s extensive
knowledge gained over more than 35 years of
laser machine production.
Offering high cutting speed, low running
costs and the ability to cut copper, brass and
titanium, the LCG-AJ sets a new benchmark for
performance and price at this level of
investment, ensuring optimum productivity
and value.
New machines have been added to the LCG-
AJ line-up in order to make it a comprehensive
range now including 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 kW powers.
The LCG-AJ range has a lightweight Y-axis
carriage with low centre of gravity providing a
30% weight reduction. Most LCG-AJ fibre lasers
incorporate an automatic nozzle changer for
uninterrupted processing and all are
compatible with AMADA’s Digital Support
System (ADSS) which allows customers to
analyse and compare machine performance, as
well as allowing AMADA to provide proactive
service support.
With a positioning speed of 170 m/min, the
fastest in class, they are also low energy
consumers thanks to the efficiency of
AMADA’s fibre laser technology. Using
individual high power diode modules allows
for an exceptionally high beam quality, giving
the end user higher cutting speeds compared to
systems with a lower beam quality.
AMADA’s latest AMNC 3i control ensures
simple operation with its smart-phone type
21.5” screen, including on-screen nesting,
program scheduling and one-touch setup
features.
The LCG-3015AJ machines are fully
compatible with AMADA’s latest, high speed
part picking system, the TK L. This gives high
speed removal and stacking of finished
components, increasing productivity and
minimizing downtime between the cutting
process and the next step of manufacture. All
LCG-AJ machines can be equipped with
load\unload systems for full productivity.
tel: 01562 749719
Web: www.amada.co.uk
22 Machinery World, April 2017