Significantly greater productivity, ranging from 20-40% depending on the specific application, as well as improved quality, are among the advantages reported by early adopters of GF Machining Solutions’ latest generation of GF Laser Workstation Software.
Furthermore, initial results indicate that customers using the optional software suite supplied with Smartpatch technology, can increase texturing speeds by up to 30%.

These improvements in efficiency and quality are a direct result of the process intelligence that has been engineered into GF Laser Workstation Software 1.8.0’s Smartpatch technology, a patching solution that will enable laser texturing to become a more widely-used manufacturing process.

Laser texturing can be used to apply a myriad of different decorative and functional textures to workpieces by using a laser beam to remove workpiece material layer by layer via a non-polluting, and non-contact process.

The technology is proven to be a sustainable way of applying high quality textures, including complex geometries, to high repeatability, because the process is fully digital. This means that virtually any design, in a digital format, can easily be applied to a 3D workpiece surface.
Furthermore, since the cutting tool used in texturing is a laser beam, issues such as tool wear and breakage are avoided, and mean that laser texturing is a reliable, cost-effective and secure process.

However, challenges do exist with the technology and it is these that GF Machining Solutions has sought to address with its Smartpatch Technology.
For further information www.gfms.com/uk

To help realise its ambitions of being the UK’s leading independent profiling and processing company, the PP Group has consolidated its business interests by bringing its three manufacturing facilities in Salford, Gorton and St Helens, under one roof – a new 110,000sqft facility in Oldham. Moving to its new factory in 2017, the £9m investment included a 36m oxy-fuel and plasma cutting cell from Kerf Developments.

To emphasise how central the Kerf RUM4500g oxy-fuel and RUM4500p high-definition plasma cutting cell has become to the company’s strategy for continued growth, over 400 tonnes of steel is now being processed each month, a figure that equates to almost 40% of the material that passes through the doors of the 100-employee company.

With plasma and flame cutting being central to business activities, selecting the most suitable machine was critical. The bespoke production cell configuration chosen by the PP Group features a 12 x 3.5m bed with an RUM4500p single gantry 400 A Lincoln Electric plasma cutting head (with Ultrasharp cut technology) and a 24 x 3.5m table featuring two RUM4500g gantries, each with four oxy-fuel flame cutting heads – all on a single platform. This single bed configuration has streamlined workflow and improved throughput while the eight oxy-fuel heads have improved productivity by more than 35%.

“Since we installed the Kerf RUM4500 system, the cell has been operating 24 hours a day and 6 days a week,” says managing director Peter McCabe.“If it’s not burning it’s not earning. Our business has grown by 10% in the year since we moved to the new factory and the Kerf cutting cell is a major contributor to this growth.”
For further information www.kerfdevelopments.com

Esab Welding & Cutting Products has optimised the consumables on its iSeries plasma systems for bevelling applications. The new design, distinguished by a more pointed nozzle and shield cap, narrows the torch profile to enable tilting at greater angles, moving the torch closer to the plate to maintain optimum arc lengths without collisions.

The two-piece iSeries tip gets cooled all the way to the orifice, while XtremeLife electrodes feature multiple hafnium inserts for longer life in high current applications. According to Esab, iSeries consumables can save as much as 35% when cutting mild steel and up to 70% on stainless.

To cut a full range of weld preparations, connect the iSeries to the DMX automated plasma beveller. Esab says that the DMX eliminates the need for breakaway crash protection, delivers responsive, accurate positioning and can detect a torch crash without any added components. Moreover, the device automatically resets itself after a collision.
Esab CutCloud, a connected digital system, is now powered by Microsoft Azure IoT. Azure allows for a reliable and secure architecture that sends data from an Esab CutCloud-enabled system directly to the cloud, eliminating the need for an on-site server or large IT infrastructure to gain the benefits of data management.
For further information www.esab.co.uk

Recol Engineering Ltd, a Northampton-based subcontract supplier of metal-based manufacturing solutions, will become Europe’s first user of an Amada ACIES-2515TAJ 4 kW CNC fibre-laser profiling centre, complete with double-tower automation system.

Recol is currently enjoying a period of sustained growth. Moreover, the company’s continuous programme of ongoing investment in the latest manufacturing technologies has never been healthier, as evidenced by Recol’s commitment to automated manufacturing solutions.

“We already own a selection of automated Amada CO2 laser-cutting machines, including the first ACIES CO2, bought when it was released in 2013, and an Amada LC-F1,” explains director Ben Guntrip. “However, we mostly process stainless steel and, for the thinner gauges, we knew there would be gains in both speed and energy reduction by investing in our first fibre laser.”

Guntrip says that Recol is a company accustomed to “industry firsts”, and wanted nothing less for its investment in a new fibre laser. A team from Recol consequently visited Amada in Japan to assess the new ACIES-2515TAJ. Duly impressed, the company placed the order, making it the first machine of its type in Europe and only the second in the world outside of Japan.

The ACIES-2515TAJ 4 kW fibre laser is capable of cutting materials up to 6mm thick, including copper, brass and titanium. Featured is a 300-tool, 600-die automatic tool changer with ID tooling system for complete tool management.

“We will use the machine predominantly for processing stainless steel from 2.5 to 3.0mm in thickness, as this is where we will achieve the most gains, both for ourselves and our customers,” says Guntrip.
For further information www.amada.co.uk

The range of laser cutting systems manufactured by Swiss company Bystronic has been extended with the introduction of a new model capable of processing sheet up to 12 m long by 2 m wide. BySprint Fiber 12020 is able to cut large components or more parts of smaller size, extending versatility and productivity for sheet metal and fabrication shops.The power of the laser source can be 3, 4 or 6 kW to suit the intended applications.

As larger sheets allow more efficient nesting, material utilisation is high, so waste is minimised. Bystronic says that its proprietary BySoft 7software supports the user with intelligent nesting routines. BySoft 7 automatically ensures that sheets are used completely and that as many parts as technically possible are nested. To achieve this outcome, BySoft 7 has countless functions, including various nesting processes.

In addition to having the ability to cut extra-large metal sheets, the 12020 format machine allows several smaller sheets to be processed bypositioning them next to each other on the BySprint Fiber’s long cutting table, extending uninterrupted production time compared with smaller machines.

Bystronic also offers the BySprint Fiber for cutting maximum sheet sizes in metres of 8 x 2, 6.5 x 2, 4 x 2 and 3 x 1.5.
For further information www.bystronic.co.uk