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