BLM Group says that its Lasertube LT12 is not just a new laser cutting system, but a true convergence of technology and innovation. The goal of the new system is to fill a gap in the company’s Lasertube system offering, which manifested between two products: the LT8.20, which focuses on flexibility and performance, and the LT14, which is dedicated to processing long and heavy profiles.

The LT12 is a solution for processing tubes, profiles and beams, keeping the focus on versatility and productivity. Many times, customers have asked BLM Group for a product larger than LT8.20, but the jump to LT14 was too great both in terms of footprint and performance across the lower range. BLM created the LT12 to give customers the opportunity to process ‘light’ tubes with high performance, but also process larger tubes when necessary. Agricultural machinery is among the target sectors.

BLM Group sees great opportunities in agriculture since the size of square tubes, rectangles and even open profiles (including C, L and H profiles) in this industry are around 300 mm diameter – exactly the size range of the LT12. There are also many structural assemblies in agricultural machinery that would benefit significantly in terms of reduced manufacturing cost. Of course, the new product is also very interesting in light construction architecture, for making canopies or small sheds, with tubes or beams up to 6-8 mm thick and lengths typically longer than the traditional 6 m.

The machine concept is similar to the LT8.20, with a mandrel in the tail and a chuck to support the tube in the cutting zone. BLM Group’s LT12 has an interpenetrating mandrel in the chuck to help minimise scrap without the need for chuck or mandrel movement. The machine features a chain loading system for tubes from 8.5 to 12.5 m. Fully automatic unloading can reach a length of 12.5 m.

More information www.blmgroup.com

Lowa Lighting is implementing its future vision with a smart factory from Bystronic. It is the first such Bystronic installation in the country. Lowa Lighting specialises in supplying commercial, industrial and architectural lighting solutions to the Australia and New Zealand markets. Founded in 2010, the company has its headquarters in Sydney.  

The history of the first Bystronic smart factory in Australia began in 2022, when Lowa Lighting won a contract to furnish the public schools in the state of New South Wales with its environmentally friendly LED lighting solution, replacing the existing fluorescent lamps. 

The first discussions between Lowa and Bystronic began, laying the foundation for the design of an automated system. Once the contract was signed, planning of the installation commenced in early 2023. Under the direction of the Bystronic Solution Centre in Niederönz, Switzerland, and with the support of the local project team, the cross-divisional team implemented the project successfully. The facility commenced operations in March 2024. 

Lowa’s smart factory comprises the following: a ByStar 3015 laser cutting system with 4 kW power; a BySort sorting system; a ByTrans Modular automation system with five towers and storage system; a bending cell with Xpert Pro 150/3100 sheet metal bender and bending robot, connected to the storage system; and a mobile bending cell featuring an Xpert 80 compact press brake.

More information www.bystronic.com

At the recent Tube 2024 exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, Yamazaki Mazak displayed its FT-150 Fiber laser tube processing machine for the high-speed cutting of small-to-medium diameter tubes. Machine control was courtesy of a new tube cutting CNC making its first appearance in Europe.

The Mazak FT-150 Fiber can cut round, square and rectangular pipe with diameters up to 152.4 mm – dimensions typical to the construction, furniture and architectural industries, as well as vehicle body frames.

Mazak’s SmoothTUBE CNC features a new GUI (graphical user interface) that makes the utilisation of the control simple and intuitive. Also, a new HMI (human machine interface) has a number of operator benefits, including easy production scheduling and programming. With the dual monitor it is also possible to run multiple applications simultaneously, such as production status and cutting conditions. The large 21.5-inch screen on both monitors enables checking of the machine status with the touch of a finger.

The FT-150 Fiber can cut a wide variety of materials, such as mild steel, stainless steel, copper, brass and aluminium, and can perform processes that include cutting, tapping and thermal drilling.

Users of the machine can maximise productivity by reducing the requirement for secondary processes such as punching, deburring and hole tapping. Key features include support units for long workpiece materials to prevent sagging during the cut, a tilting laser head that enables accurate bevel cutting and an internal spatter guard which prevents burning of the internal workpiece surface. Among the options is a rotary tool spindle for tapping holes and thermal drilling.

The FT-150 Fiber comes with automatic functions that include auto-profiler calibration and nozzle cleaning to provide a further productivity boost.

More information www.mazakeu.co.uk