Yamazaki Mazak has announced a record year in 2016 for sales of laser machines in the UK. The company says that this has been driven by a combination of new products and the recent formation of a dedicated UK laser sales team. Growth has been witnessed across a variety of sectors, with particularly strong performances in construction and general subcontracting.
Ian White, general manager for laser sales in the UK, is confident that the sales growth can be continued this year. “We have a number of new products to launch into the UK market, including a world-first with the introduction of Direct Diode Laser (DDL) technology, the Super Turbo-X 3015 Fiber, a fibre-laser version of the CO2 range, and new laser automation systems.”
With regard to the laser automation mentioned by White, the company has now introduced Quick Cell (pictured), which is available in six-, 10- and 14-pallet variants.
Quick Cell is capable of significantly faster processing speeds in comparison with the original design: loader/unloader travelling speed is 54 m/min, while elevating speed is 8 m/min. Furthermore, sheet change time is around 60 seconds, depending on sheet size. It is suited to unmanned laser-cutting operations, with the next operating pallet being prepared during processing. The new pallet is loaded as soon as the cutting process is complete, with the used pallet moved to the stocker.
Designed by Japanese industrial designer Ken Okuyama, Quick Cell can be used with Optiplex CO2, fibre and DDL machines, and Optiplex Nexus CO2 and fibre machines.
For further information
www.mazakeu.co.uk

Bicycle aftermarket component manufacturer, Hope Technology, has installed a 4 kW BySprintFiber 3015 laser-cutting machine at its factory in Barnoldswick to help relieve its existing BySprint CO2 laser cutter (installed in 2015) of ever-growing workload.
“We use relatively thin materials, such as 2 mm stainless steel for brake discs and up to 6 mm aluminium for some sprockets,” explains production manager Lindley Pate. “For thinner gauges, compared with an equivalent CO2 source, the fibre laser produces components three times faster. It has made a fantastic difference in helping us to meet the sheer volume of orders.”
The machine is equally capable of handling much thicker material. Hope often processes 12 mm thick aluminium tooling plate to produce fixtures for other machines on the shop floor.
A further advantage of fibre-laser cutting, according to Pate, is the high quality of cut using exclusively nitrogen as the cutting gas: “The as-machined edges on stainless steel appear polished, so brake discs for example need no edge finishing. They go straight to heat treatment.”
Pate added that other factors in favour of fibre-laser cutting over CO2 are more consistent accuracy, less machine maintenance and more economical running costs, both in terms of the amount of electricity used and the lower requirement for cutting gases. There is now no need to use any helium gas, which runs all the time on a CO2 laser machine, resulting in a further significant saving.
The bike components cut on the BySprintFiber are mainly brake disc blanks from 410 stainless steel sheet in the soft condition.
For further information
www.bystronic.co.uk