FEATURE ON PROFILING

Elevating production with 2D laser cutter

What advantages can a laser cutting machine provide? Simone and Luca Guida, long-time clients of Prima Power at their Turin-based family business Guida Srl, have a few things to share. Their latest investment is an 8kW Platino Linear 1530 fibre laser, Prima Power’s newest addition to the market.

“Prima Power involved us and other producers in developing this machine,” explains Simone Guida. “We provided a list of suggestions, including a 3m front opening, which were integrated into the design. This highlights Prima Power’s responsiveness to its customers’ needs.”

Prima Power’s Platino Linear 1530 laser cutter, with its 8kW fibre power source, handles 3000×1500 mm metal sheets within a compact design. The arrival of this machine improved Guida’ production and workflow efficiency.

“The Platino Linear 1530stands out for its flexibility, thanks to its fully unrestricted front opening, which is essential for swift sheet loading,” says Simone. “To maximise productivity, we’ve integrated two automatic towers with 46 cassettes, significantly enhancing our competitiveness and opening up new market opportunities.” 

Adds Luca: “We build machine parts, guards, panels and cabinets, as well as packaging solutions and furnishings. This diversification ensures a constant workflow without interruptions to production. With the introduction of the Platino Linear, we expect a significant boost in our production capacity, thanks to its unmatched speed and flexibility.

The machine allows us to achieve remarkable precision, even with thicker materials, and has substantially increased our speed: we’ve doubled our cutting speed compared with before”.

Another significant advantage of Platino Linear is its linear motors, which reduce the need for maintenance to practically zero.

More information www.primapower.com

Amada showcases latest laser innovations

A the recent 27th edition of the EuroBlech exhibition in Germany, Amada presented its wide portfolio of solutions, includingnew lasers and features for increased profitability.

For instance, the ultra-high-acceleration three-axis linear drive Regius-3015AJe, utilising Amada’sVariable Beam Control (VBC) technology for stepless laser beam shape alteration, has a 26kW twin-module Amada fibre laser engine to show new processing possibilities in the mid-to-thick material range. Changing the beam shape almost instantaneously between piercing and cutting allows operators to use the correct beam properties during all stages of laser processing.

Also on show was the new 9kW Ventis-3015Aje, which has similar performance to 10-12kW solid-state lasers thanks to Amada’sLocus Beam Control (LBC) technology and 9kW single-diode module engine. Easy processing of various thick mild steels, high-speed aluminium processing and the LBC Flash Cut system for ultra-high-speed small hole processing will benefit customers. The manufacturing cell at EuroBlech featured a compact double tower storage system with 34 shelves, increasing lights-out possibilities.

Another machine on show was Amada’s new ENSIS-3015AJe with VBC technology. The 15kW single-diode module engine gives the highest laser beam quality in the sector, says the company. According to Amada, its Fiber Silky Cut system provides stainless steel cutting possibilities comparable with CO2 lasers – useful for those in the medical and food sectors. At EuroBlech, the machine was combined with a single automation storage tower, a new TKII part removal system with increased picking capabilities and a label printer, allowing the automatic application of part identification before component removal. 

More information www.amada.eu

Fabweld Steel installs Accurl laser cutter

Shropshire-based Fabweld Steel Products (FSP) has bought a 15 kW Accurl fibre laser cutter
to increase its production capacity and scope to boost growth. The new machine replaces
the firm’s 3 kW fibre laser, which handled 95% of products at the Telford factory.
“Going forward, the increased speed, capability and capacity will quickly put us on an
upward trajectory towards our full potential,” says FSP managing director Wayne Carter.
The process to decommission the 3 kW laser, remove it, install and commission the Accurl,
train staff and get up to full production capability, was completed at the end of October.
Milton Keynes based Axe and Status Machinery supplied the new Accurl laser. Managing
director Steve Thomas says: “Our objective is to supply quality and reliability at a
competitive price, which allows customers to remain competitive. We have enjoyed a long-
standing relationship with FSP and are pleased to be part of their ongoing expansion plans.”
FSP specialises in the design and manufacture of access covers and other fabricated steel
products for the construction industry, including non-structural and structural applications.
The company is an accredited Real Living Wage employer and is committed to improving
sustainability by investing in green technologies. For instance, a large solar panel system
now powers the factory and the firm’s nitrogen generator. Also in place is a double-fast
electric vehicle charging system, which is available for community use when the factory is
not open at weekends.
More information www.axestatus.com

Cobots transform laser marking operations

Laser marking and engraving is critical for unique part identification (UID), compliance and branding. However, capacity constraints and labour shortage issues can create serious throughput challenges. To increase output and improve profit per part, forward-thinking manufacturers are transforming their laser marking operations with advanced robotic machine tending. Foba Laser Marking + Engraving now works with Flexxbotics and Universal Robots to help companies achieve high throughput and marking quality.

Laser marking is a critical stage of the product value stream in many manufacturing processes. Bottlenecks can cause serious delivery problems and mistakes can render the product unsellable. By introducing collaborative robot (cobot) automation with lean manufacturing principles, manufacturers can improve laser marking processes to maximise throughput, assure quality and reduce waste. 

“Connecting robotic machine tending with our Foba laser marking solution using Flexxbotics provides even greater ROI,” states Jeffrey Kniptash of Foba. “It enables autonomous process control to remove bottlenecks and deliver continuous operation.”

The solution can increase the machine-to-man ratio to 10:1 or more and run ‘lights out’ safely. Thus, manufacturers will benefit from additional capacity, high precision, optimal marking quality and improved profit margins, reports Foba Laser.

Flexxbotics includes communication with Foba’s integrated camera system for vision-based inspection, providing closed-loop feedback to the robot for autonomous process control. Foba’s three-stage laser marking process HELP (Holistic Enhanced Laser Process) – which includes part inspection prior to marking, automatic mark alignment and subsequent marking validation – co-ordinates with the robot’s actions. Flexxbotics utilises either the Intelligent Mark Positioning (IMP) or Point & Shoot (P&S) capabilities in the Foba equipment for precise alignment of the laser marker on the customer’s product, along with vision-assisted workflows for accuracy.

More information www.fobalaser.com

Custom waterjet for luxury superyacht builder

A global specialist in yacht refit, restoration and custom build required a specialised waterjet cutting machine to bolster its UK production capabilities. Known for exacting quality standards, the company is renowned for ensuring every project is executed with the highest levels of craftsmanship and precision

After extensive market research and site visits to OEMs and end users, the customer chose Water Jet Sweden. With an array of over 100 machine configurations, each Water Jet Sweden machine is built to order. This ensures that the customer could be confident in receiving a machine tailored to its exact specifications.

The customer opted for the NCP40 model, a premium water-jet cutter which is suitable for both 2D and five-axis 3D cutting. Selecting the larger table option extended the working range to 4.2 m. This choice was driven by the redesigned NCP40 and NCP30 models, which now feature extended working ranges to accommodate the growing adoption of BevelJet60 and AlphaJet five-axis technology solutions. The extended range allows full 3 and 4 m working ranges, even at extreme cutting angles.

For the processing of thick plates, the customer opted for the 6000 bar cutting head. According to Water Jet Sweden, this technology package offers the fastest abrasive waterjet cutting in the industry, providing higher throughput while reducing the processing cost per unit length of cut. Despite the higher initial capital cost, this investment promised a short payback period, aligning with the customer’s need for efficient and cost-effective production.

The NCP40 machine will cut custom plates used in the overhaul and repair of yachts. These tasks range from cutting external structural pieces for the hull to creating decks and aesthetic finishing panels.

More information www.waterjetsweden.co.uk