Cost-effective laser cutter introduced

LVD now offers YSD LaserONE, a new cost-effective laser-cutting machine designed to put the advantages of fibre-laser technology within easy reach of sheet-metal fabricators by eliminating the extras that increase machine cost and complexity. LaserONE is available with a 2 or 4 kW laser power source in a 3000 x 1500mm table size and with optional Load-Assist automation.

Developed to address the market need for a truly low-cost, ultra-practical fibre laser cutting machine, LVD designs, manufactures, sells and services the LaserONE. Engineered and tested by LVD in Belgium to function as a reliable and efficient machine, LaserONE cuts a variety of materials and thicknesses with the flexibility of fibre-laser technology, offers low operating and maintenance costs, and provides a quick return on investment, reports the company.

The machine features a Precitec cutting head with NC-focus, automatic focal adjustment and crash protection, Raycus laser source, Siemens control, and servo motors and drives.

LVD’s YSD LaserONE is equipped with an automatic pallet changer for fast interchanging of the shuttle tables in a cycle time of approximately 30 seconds. An optional Load-Assist automation system offers easy loading/unloading.

For further information
www.lvdgroup.com

Procuring sheet-metal parts efficiently

A contract producer of sheet-metal components says its web shop played a major role in helping the business compensate for a downturn in automotive and mechanical engineering orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based at Luhe-Wildenau, in Bavaria, Trio Metall und Design GmbH provides a complete sheet-metal service from consulting, designing and planning, to manufacturing ‘ready-for-assembly’ components, ranging from single parts and small runs, right through to large quantities. Using the latest laser technology programmed by Radan CADCAM software from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, the company also works with non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass and titanium.

Developed around Radan, Trio Metall’s web shop portal gives its customers 24-hour access to request components, receive an offer, and place the order.

After going live in September 2019, around 500 orders worth more than €500,000 were placed through the ‘Trionline 24’ web shop in its first year.

The system delivers orders digitally to Trio Metall’s ERP system, which transfers them to Radan’s Ordermanager MRP module for production processing.

Completed orders are passed back from MRP to ERP, triggering the subsequent processes for shipping and invoicing. This process means that horizontal logistics are now digitally mapped, alongside the vertical manufacturing operations.

Trio’s workshop features an Amada EML-3610 NT combination machine, two Amada ENSIS AJ3015 laser cutters equipped with storage towers, and number of Amada press brakes.

Christian Weinberg, key account manager at Trio, says: “Our web shop enables us to keep up with the age of digitisation and the ‘Internet of Things’ by offering and making our services and capacities accessible to a global audience. It’s the interface between customers and our state-of-the-art machinery, around the clock, 365 days a year. We reach a number of sectors, as well as a wide range of applications, via this sales channel, which we consider to be extremely important for the future. We’ll continue to develop the web shop and its scope of services, as well as further digitise and automate internal processes, in order to produce parts even more cost-effectively, and stay ahead of the market. ”

For further information
www.radan.com

Kerf makes it easy with Linc-Cut

For manufacturers seeking a cost-effective CNC plasma cutting table that is easy to install, easy to set up and even easier to operate, Kerf Developments says it has the solution with the new Linc-Cut S 1530. Designed and developed by Lincoln Electric, Kerf will be supplying and commissioning the machines in the UK, providing operator training, and offering service, support and spares.

Suitable for cutting mild steel and stainless steel plate up to 1.5 x 3 m, the Linc-Cut 1530 makes high-speed plasma cutting affordable for small fabrication companies, sheet-metal contractors, custom-vehicle fabricators and prototyping specialists.

Parts that customers may want to manufacture on the machine can be input using a variety of methods. The CAD software supplied as part of the turnkey package enables users to draw components, while the system also allows users to import parts in standard file formats such as DXF or DWG. Some 36 standard parametric shapes are pre-loaded into the software, including everything from simple adjustable rectangles through to complex circular flanges, to simplify and accelerate part programming for the end user. Once drawn, the system can nest components with the potential for manual or automated programming for maximum material utilisation and cost savings.

The Linc-Cut 1530 is fitted with the latest Lincoln Electric Flexcut 125 A plasma system, which is said to offer excellent cutting and marking performance with a low bevel angle and high cut quality. Furthermore, the machine is capable of cutting 25 mm steel plate at up to 800 mm/min, and thin sheets in the 6 mm range at speeds beyond 5300 mm/min.

For further information
www.kerfdevelopments.com

Digital summit success for Lantek

Manufacturing IT expert Lantek had another successful year at EuroBLECH – albeit virtual. The EuroBLECH 2021 Digital Innovation Summit, which took place at the end of last year, was the online version of the trade show for sheet-metal manufacturers. Lantek reports that its full range of manufacturing solutions proved popular with delegates at the digital show.

In particular, the presentation ‘Data: The other raw material of sheet metal – challenges and opportunities’, by Lantek area manager José Antonio Lorenzo, was attended by many online visitors.

“Sheet-metal processing is our business and your business – and we do everything we can to ensure that you work as efficiently as possible,” said Lorenzo during his presentation at the EuroBLECH Digital Innovation Summit.

Lorenzo’s appearance was part of Lantek’s contribution to the EuroBLECH virtual lecture series. In the 15-minute presentation, his main points were solidified with short explainer videos. In a live Q&A that followed, Christoph Lenhard, sales manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, posed frequently-asked customer questions to Lorenzo.

In addition to their participation in the lecture series, visitors could also register for personal meetings or connect in real-time with 17 Lantek experts. In these live chats, company specialists answered visitor questions face-to-face and made initial business contacts.

“Interested visitors and customers have embraced this new way of meeting very well,” says Lenhard. “Numerous conversations centred on specific use cases in which our portfolio can be helpful. Many potential clients have realised – through the current crisis – how quickly they must digitise their processes.

“It was a completely new format for all of us, and proved a very good alternative to in-person trade shows,” he adds.

For further information
www.lantek.com

Tube cutter suits Micrometric

Lincoln-based manufacturing firm Micrometric has introduced Coherent’s StarCut Tube system to its range of cutting equipment. The fully automated machine is designed to laser cut, drill and mark tubular or flat metal components, and has found favour among many subcontract manufacturers producing parts for medical instruments requiring extremely high precision.

Despite success in this proven application, Micrometric has found additional uses for its new machine, producing a range of tube components in large volumes as well as finer, more precise parts for sectors other than medical.

Neil Main, managing director at Micrometric, says: “We invested in the StarCut Tube machine as we knew it could deliver the required performance for a range of projects and had a long, low-maintenance lifetime which is necessary for cost-effective operations within our working environment. The machine´s versatility permits us to cut thinner tube than is possible on our other machines, allowing us to extend our capabilities and the range of customers we can service.”

Micrometric has already used the machine to cut, assemble and weld complex medical and aerospace components for companies which produce aerospace filters, automated injection needles, endoscopy components and MRI scanning equipment.

“Thanks to this machine, we can produce parts for many different sectors, including airflow sensors, flexible protective covers, valves for car suspension systems, industrial and medical endoscopy equipment, printing machines, and food production,” says Main. “We’ve always tried to address difficult tasks by investing heavily in our equipment and in staff training. This machine is perfect for customers looking to produce reliable components with extremely precise design criteria, as well as those using materials which are less common than sheet steel.”

For further information 
http://micrometric.co.uk