easier, it does not need a big ceiling to deal with tall mechanical presses,” explained Finn. “The only place you need a high-capacity crane is where the coil handling is.”
While he is pleased with the cur- rent speed and capabilities, he sees future improvement. He anticipates the day when laser power will be even more economical. “Our laser gantry system is designed for the integration of a 10-kW laser. We are serious about someday building a laser-cutting system that will go faster than a mechanical press,” said Finn.
Expanding Power, Precision, and Speed
Companies like Amada are still
The ENSIS system from Amada will cut plates as thick as 1”, but can adjust to cut ‘traditional’ thinner materials as well.
and advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) to reduce weight and improve fuel economy. Laser die-blank- ing is solving the problem of micro-fractures often seen in these harder materials when cut with die- blanking presses. “These micro-fractures increase the likelihood of a split during the subsequent draw process and this potential for defect is simply not present with laser cutting,” he explained. Aluminum is another material automakers are looking at adopt- ing that a 1-µm fi ber laser can easily cut. The versatility of the laser system is also evident in the small footprint of the factory. “The facility is
improving the 1-µm fi ber laser. “We will begin selling in the USA later in 2014 our ENSIS fi ber technology that not only processes thin materials very fast—which has been the strength of fi ber lasers—but also to process thick plate with the same speed and quality that higher wattage CO2 machines can do,” said Hillenbrand from Amada. He
believes this is revolutionary. “We are now cutting plates as thick as 1" mild steel with a 2-kW fi ber laser with quality comparable to a 4-kW CO2 laser,” he said. The fi rst installation in the ENSIS-3015AJ system adjusts the beam confi guration automatically to cut different types and thicknesses, replacing the old method of manually changing out the cutting lens. Trumpf is also improving the capabilities of its solid-state lasers. The company is now offering its TruLaser 5030 fi ber with its new BrightLine fi ber function that cuts stainless steel up to 1" thick. The
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