LASER CUTTING


consume more power than other cutting lasers, incurring relatively high maintenance and running costs. In addition, they are outperformed by fibre lasers when processing thinner metals, as well as reflective metals. Fibre lasers operate at


approximately 1.064µm and can be found at powers extending well into the kilowatt range – up to 40kW cutting systems are now available. They offer a considerably smaller spot size compared with CO2 lasers, meaning they achieve higher-precision cutting and higher-optical densities at the workpiece. Consequently, they excel in speed, particularly when cutting thinner (<8mm) sheets of mild and stainless steels, as well as when processing reflective metals. Despite requiring a higher initial investment than their CO2 counterparts, fibre lasers offer a compact, highly efficient solid- state design that results in next to no maintenance and a much lower cost of operation.


Sheet metal cutting enters the 30kW era Despite having been an application of laser technology since the 1960s, system and source manufacturers develop the technology further each year. One of the more immediate advancements users can see in cutting systems is the increase in maximum power, to deliver thicker cuts, faster speeds, quicker piercing times, and in turn, lower cost per part. For example, over the past couple of years the number


of companies offering flatbed sheet metal cutters with up to (and in some cases exceeding) 30kW of laser power has grown dramatically. Such systems began emerging around 2019, when Chinese firm Bodor Laser unveiled its first 30kW system. However, the list of companies offering such power has now expanded to also include: Bystronic, Eagle Lasers, Cutlite Penta, Golden Laser, HG Laser, Morn Laser and Penta Laser, among others. In 2022 for example, Bystronic


unveiled the ByCut Star as a successor to its popular ByStar Fiber series. The new 30kW system can reliably cut up to 30mm-thick sheets of mild/ stainless steel, aluminium, brass and copper. However, Bystronic expects it to be used more for achieving higher feed rates at the mid-plate range, from 10-20mm, where it offers dramatically higher cutting speed and edge quality. For example, it can cut 6-15mm mild steel twice as fast as a 15kW system. The machine is therefore primarily targeted at firms working in this mid-plate range, for example those producing equipment for agriculture and construction, as well as general metal service centres and job shops. Trumpf is also well on its way


to wielding 30kW laser power, having unveiled an upgraded version of its TruLaser 5000 series last year, fitted with a 24kW TruDisk 24001 laser. The new system can process sheet metal up to three times more quickly than its predecessor,


which, depending on the material and the application, means it can handle up to 80% more sheets per hour. The previous version was equipped with a 12kW laser, with which users are able to cut sheets of mild steel to a maximum thickness of 15mm when using nitrogen as a cutting gas. In order to cut thicker parts, it is necessary to add oxygen. This leads to the formation of an oxide layer on the cut edges, which has to be removed either


“The number of companies offering cutters with up to (and in some cases exceeding) 30kW of laser power has grown dramatically”


by machine or by hand – a process both laborious and time-consuming. By contrast, the 24kW machine can handle mild steel up to 20mm thick using nitrogen. As a result, there is barely any need for reworking and productivity therefore increases. At the same time, the increased laser power improves the quality of cut parts, especially for medium and high sheet thicknesses across a range of materials. What has enabled the recent


evolution to these higher powers are developments in cutting head technology, which are now equipped with better optics, have better heat dissipation, and are more durable overall (the optics can now be kept incredibly clean during high-power cutting) and offer lower operating costs. Coherent is one such firm


Numerous 30kW flatbed sheet metal laser cutters are now available and generating plenty of interest, as seen here on Cutlite Penta’s booth at EuroBLECH 2022


WWW.LASERSYSTEMSEUROPE.COM | @LASERSYSTEMSMAG


to develop such technology, releasing its new BIMO-FSC3-Z- HP 30kW cutting head in 2022. The head enables high-speed fibre laser cutting of sheet metal – such as mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminium – at thicknesses up to 50mm, while delivering high uptime and reliability in even the harshest industrial environments. It offers height-sensing capabilities and


a large depth of focus, which combined achieve exceptional cutting speeds while maintaining high quality and consistency across very large sheets of metal. Another attractive feature of this cutting head is its high numerical aperture (NA) – 0.15. This makes it particularly attractive to the Chinese market, which according to Coherent is one of the largest adopters of ultra-high power laser cutting. Having a high NA cutting head is very attractive to system builders in this market, as the parameters of the fibre lasers being sold there can sometimes vary from the exact specifications on the datasheet. Even when faced with beams lacking slightly in quality, these heads can comfortably handle between 20-30kW of power, without having a lot of that power dumped inside the head to cause potential damage. Precitec is another firm


offering cutting heads with ultra-high cutting powers. The firm offers its ProCutter 2.0, capable of handling up to 40kW of laser power thanks to its sophisticated cooling concept and extended travel paths. The cutting head works with 1,030-1,090nm wavelengths and offers an NA of 0.18. Again, the high NA means it can handle extremely powerful beams with sub-par beam qualities. The new head will therefore also be advantageous in the Chinese market, where Precitec has seen a lot of demand for extremely high-power lasers from industries such as shipbuilding and construction, where the technology proves advantageous and more economical over plasma cutting technologies. Power increases are just


one way laser cutting has been advanced in recent years. l


To learn more of the latest technology developments in laser cutting, visit:


www.lasersystemseurope.com/ applications/cutting


THE 2023 GUIDE TO LASER SYSTEMS LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE 45


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