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