FOCUS ON FIBRE LASER
Hypertherm produces the HyIntensity™ Fiber Laser which uses a low-maintenance solid-state laser source to generate a laser beam that is delivered through a fibre optic cable to the laser head . The glass fibre transfers the beam , with a beam quality tailored for cutting metal .
Its product line includes cutting systems , in addition to CNC motion and height controls , CAM nesting software , robotic software and consumables .
Above and left : Kimla laser cutting systems .
Polish manufacturer , Kimla , has innovation at the heart of its company , demonstrated in both its control systems and machine tool production . More recently , this was highlighted in its laser cutting machines with linear drive technology .
“ Linear drives can double the speed of laser cutting machines ; this is because mechanical drives have limitations due to the heat generated via friction and part wear . Linear drives , however , exhibit no friction and magnetic fields do not wear , resulting in a machine that can be two or even three times more efficient than standard drive systems ,” Kimla told ISMR .
Its Extremecut linear flatbed laser is designed to enable quick and efficient cutting of any shape out of sheet metal . Its hybrid fibre laser system can cut sheet and tube ( 6m or 12m ) and automatically unloads the tubes .
“ Fibre lasers are three to four times cheaper and three times more efficient ( in terms of cutting cost ) than CO 2 lasers – this is especially true for thin sheet ,” it added .
For marking and cutting of small and large contours on mild steel , stainless steel , aluminium , copper and brass ( up to 20 mm ), Kjellberg Finsterwalde offers its compact fibre laser systems ( the XFocus range ). In addition to cutting thin sheet , the systems can be combined with a plasma cutting unit or used separately and can be adapted to all common guiding systems .
Kjellberg ’ s XFocus 4000 is a compact system with a 4,000-Watt fibre laser source for cutting and marking thin sheets of mild steel , stainless steel and aluminium with all common guiding systems that are suitable for plasma cutting . The laser system can be operated on the same guiding system with a plasma cutting unit , either in change mode or separately . The fibre laser XFocus series are complete all-inone solutions for cutting and marking material of up to 20mm thickness .
Belgian sheet metal machinery specialist , LVD Company NV , displayed its Phoenix FL 3015 fibre laser cutting machine with new 20kW power source at Blechexpo in Stuttgart , Germany , from 26-29 October 2021 .
The powerful 20kW Phoenix FL cuts up to 2.5 times faster than a 10kW fibre laser with rapid processing of a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials and material thicknesses up to 40mm . It features LVD ’ s Touch-L user interface for easy operation , programming and nesting . The 20kW fibre laser source is available on Phoenix 3015 , 4020 and 6020 models .
“ It pierces and cuts thick materials at rates faster than most plasma cutting systems with straighter kerfs and the ability to cut holes half the thickness of the sheet , with the processing efficiency and accuracy of fibre laser cutting ,” said LVD .
Additional options include a 10-station automatic nozzle changer ; CADMAN-L programming software and MOVit modular automation systems from the MOVit Compact Tower to full tower and warehouse automation systems .
“ We also added a new tube cutting machine , TL8525 , to our product portfolio to process larger-diameter tubes . In the past year , we also introduced a new Strippit PL combination punch-laser to the market as well as the new YSD LaserONE fibre laser cutting system . In early 2020 , we introduced the new MOVit range of automation systems for laser and punching applications ,” LVD told ISMR .
Cutting operations with Mazak ’ s Optiplex Nexus 3015 Fiber .
LVD also produces the Electra and Lynx fibre laser cutting systems .
Yamazaki Mazak , which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019 , was established in 1919 in Japan as a manufacturer of straw mat weaving machinery . Today , it is a leading machine tool manufacturer with a product portfolio which includes multi-tasking centres , CNC turning centres , machining centres and laser processing systems as well as automation . It specialises in laser cutting technology , particular fibre laser cutting systems , CO 2 lasers and , more recently , direct diode laser ( DDL ) technology .
Mazak ’ s OPTIPLEX 3015 Fiber offers stable cut performance and greater throughput for applications using a range of metals . It incorporates Mazak ’ s Intelligent Technology to directly increase the productivity of the end-user by allowing the machine to optimise
LVD ’ s 20kW Phoenix FL 3015 fibre laser cutting system .
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