The latest Laser Line Ultra machining centre from Walter Ewag is designed for the laser ‘fabrication’ of cutting tools, including spiral tools from 0.4 to 3 mm diameter, and made from hard/ultra-hard materials such as WC, PCD, CVD-D and CBN.

Walter Ewag’s Laser Line Ultra can be applied to cutting edge preparation, post-sharpening, chip breakers and cylindrical margin fabrication, as well as to the laser modification of ground cutting tools. Complex micro-geometries can be lasered thanks to the machine’s eight-axis kinematic concept and the use of an industrial laser source that emits pulses in pico-seconds.
By way of example, a four-flute PCD end mill can be produced from a cylindrical blank with its primary and secondary clearance faces machined at both the tip and circumference. The corners at the edges are protected by a chamfer and, as with all lasered spiral tools, the result is a smooth and uninterrupted interface between PCD and WC.
Laser processing removes material in line with thermal-based mechanisms, and because the Laser Line Ultra uses ultra-short laser pulses and appropriate laser machining parameters, the resulting pulse is so short that there is insufficient time for a significant amount of heat to conduct into the cutting tool, meaning there is negligible heat-affected zone. Indeed, carbide drill bits that are laser-fabricated by the machine can subsequently be coated (by the PVD process) with a single layer of TiAlN or AlTiN alloy, and the coating processing method is the same as that applied to ground cutting tools.
The company has worked closely with two of Switzerland’s foremost surface technology companies to ensure successful coating, and together they have used a number of inspection methods to validate the process.
For further information www.walter-machines.com

Technology company ANT AG now offers a novel solution for a continuous suspension cutting processes using the ConSus abrasive mixing unit. With this technology, water abrasive suspension (WAS) can now also be used in the manufacturing industry. The suspension jet enables a more efficient cutting performance and a lower user load compared with conventional water abrasive injection systems (WAIS), reports the company.

In contrast to three-phase WAIS with water, abrasive and air, WAS systems work with a two-phase blasting tool. The cutting jet consists only of water and abrasive with a precisely adjustable flow rate. This suspension is created by the interaction of a main stream and a bypass stream.
Before the WAS arrives at the remotely handled cutting nozzle, it is put under high pressure. The high energy creates a cutting jet in the nozzle which exits at nearly twice the speed of sound. This efficiency is considerably higher than in the injection process, where turbulent mixing losses occur due to the contained air. In addition, due to the smaller nozzle diameter, the jet is more focused and cuts even the hardest materials precisely.
ANT’s ConSus (Continuous Suspension) system is operated at working pressures between 500 and 1500 bar. Compared with conventional waterjet cutting processes, the ANT suspension jet operates at less than half the pressure and, depending on the desired cutting performance, twice to three times the feed rate. The user receives thin kerfs without hardening or material deformation.
For further information https://ant-ag.com

Sutton-based Designplan Lighting Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of robust lighting solutions for demanding environments, has invested in a Trumpf TruPunch 3000 to replace two older turret punch machines supplied by another machine provider. The move has led to a plethora of important benefits, not least a significant increase in productivity, a reduction in the amount of manual labour required, fewer secondary operations and lower noise levels.

“We had two older turret punches that began causing problems, particularly in terms of reliability,” says production engineering manager Rob Aldred. “In addition, as we started adopting more bespoke work, the number of tool changes became prohibitive to achieving the levels of throughput required.”
When one of the machines stopped working altogether, the decision was made to call time and invest in a better resource. However, there was a caveat.
“We didn’t want a like-for-like solution, we wanted to move forward and bring in a machine that could increase productivity and reduce our second operation work,” explains Aldred. “To make sure we got the right machine, we looked at all the major players and Trumpf came out on top, not just for flexibility, speed and efficiency, but for our entire wish list.”
Installed in May 2019, the machine has been set to work producing main bodies for the company’s light fittings, along with internal metalwork such as gear trays and brackets.
“In particular, the new Trumpf TruPunch has taken a big bite out of our studding and bushing requirements, and this will continue as we move through parts, while noise levels have reduced dramatically,” says Aldred. “Overall, we are two or three levels up on where we were – across all aspects of our punching operations.”
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com

The Ventis-3015AJ from Amada is the first fibre laser cutting machine to feature the company’s LBC (Locus Beam Control) technology, which improves both processing quality and productivity in stainless steel and aluminium. The machine also features a newly developed, high-brightness fibre-laser oscillator with single diode module (4 kW).

On conventional fibre laser cutting machines, energy density reduces as material thickness increases, leading to a lack of efficiency and the need for de-focusing the beam. Conversely, the use of LBC Technology, which is said to be a world first for the laser-cutting market, offers flexible beam pattern control matched to each application, while retaining high-efficiency cutting and high energy density. De-focusing is therefore no longer required. In short, LBC Technology can freely manipulate the laser beam to create an infinite number of locus patterns that are advantageous to cutting performance.
For manufacturers of conventional fibre-laser systems, the only way to negate the loss of energy density is to increase the power output of the laser oscillator, but this comes at a cost, both in terms of purchase price and greater electricity consumption. In contrast, the new Ventis, with its specially developed, 4 kW single diode module oscillator and LBC technology can reduce electricity bills by 30%, says Amada.
LBC technology can operate in three primary modes: productivity mode, quality mode and kerf-control mode. The most notable gains from integrated LBC technology are available on stainless steel up to 20 mm thick, and aluminium up to 18 mm. Ventis can also be used for processing many other materials, including mild steel (up to 25 mm), brass
(10 mm) and copper (8 mm).
For further information www.amada.co.uk

A contract to supply metal bread baskets for the Eiffel Tower’s restaurant was the catalyst for a laser-cutting company to invest in Radan sheet-metal CADCAM software.

Vincent Glatre, plant manager at Métal Industrie, says: “The proprietary software with our laser cutter couldn’t solve the complex programming required for these components, and generated more knockouts than parts on the sheet.” The company urgently looked at several software systems, and the first tests with Radan’s nesting module enabled Métal Industrie to meet the order’s deadline.
“Beyond the immediate resolution of our nesting issue, we immediately saw a 10% reduction in cutting times, thanks to program optimisation,” says Mr Glatre.
He says that since then, Métal Industrie has strengthened its software step-by-step to make it a productivity tool every bit as valuable as a new machine.
“In the early days we used the software that came with our machines, which was fine for simple cutting and common issues, but as we took on increasingly complex work we needed Radan’s automation features, which were capable of optimising the nests, to save costs on raw material and increase productivity.”
Like many companies, Métal Industrie originally prepared its quotes on internally-developed spreadsheets. However, the company simplified procedures by integrating Radan’s Radquote software, which mastered all the required technologies while also supporting other data necessary for accurate and functional costing, such as analysis and transport.
“Its full flexibility means we can adapt it to the specific needs of each customer,” says Glatre.
For further information www.radan.com