FACE TO FACE
The new Boschert Fiber Laser generation .
The three working modes for the robotic bending cell are as follows :
■ Operation as a fully automated robotic bending cell ( e . g . for mass production of repeated parts ).
■ Automatic Tool Change operation only , where the robot automatically builds the tool stations then parks itself at the side . An operator then carries out the bending .
■ Operation as a standard bending machine , by an operator , where the robot stays at the parked position and the operator bends the parts ( e . g . for complex parts , in small batches ).
“ The ROBOBEND 2 system features powerful offline software for programming and simulating the entire robotic cell . It accepts 2D / 3D drawings of the part to be bent and then ( while the system is working ) a trained engineer can program the complete robotic cell offline to get it ready for the next job ,” added Gizelis .
The system is , said the manufacturer , compatible with Industry 4.0 protocols . Direct remote maintenance services are also offered .
Fibre laser cutting
By launching a fibre laser machine , BOSCHERT GmbH & Co . KG is setting a further milestone in the expansion of its delivery programme . With experience gathered from more than 4,000 punch , punch-plasma and punch-laser-machines installed worldwide , the sheet-metal processing specialist has developed a compact solution design which offers a range of practical advantages . The blank sheet is moved in the X-direction with travelling clamping jaws on the roller table , while the “ flying ” laser head travels in the Y-axis .
“ The trend in sheet metal working is strongly towards laser cutting . That is why we have developed our FiberLaser solution . The system is designed for customers who want to cut a part immediately and not wait for an entire sheet to be nested and cut . Some customers need that level of flexibility for their own production . We cannot offer higher than 12mm part cutting capability so it makes no sense to continuously increase the laser power capability on this machine , so we offer up to 4kW power ,” Manuel Lang told ISMR .
Boschert currently supplies the new FiberLaser in two sizes : 3015 with a working range of 1,500 x 3,000mm and 4020 with a working range of 2,000 x 4,000mm . The machines can be optionally fitted with a one- , two- , three- or four-kilowatt fibre laser . This flexibility enables users to machine sheets made from structural steel ( up to six and ten millimetres ), from stainless steel ( up to four , six or eight millimetres ) and from aluminium in various thicknesses ( up to three , four or six millimetres ).
The machine table is easily accessible for loading and unloading and has a flap for the immediate removal of small cut parts . These workpieces can be up to 350mm wide and 1,500mm long . For this purpose , the small parts flap lowers by 20mm followed by a tilting movement through 40 degrees to transfer the parts to a conveyor located underneath . This eliminates the problematic “ uprighting ” of small , cut workpieces , increases process reliability and enables these workpieces to be accessed quickly . Slag and residual waste are
The Compact EVO punching solution . transported via a second conveyor belt to a waste container located on the operator side .
“ Clamping of the blank and leftover metal sheet is solved equally cleverly . The sheet metal is fixed and clamped by up to four clamping jaws guided on recirculating roller bearings . The whole unit travels and positions via a rack-and-pinion drive in the X-axis . Any number of clamping jaws can be used depending on the nature of the blank and leftover metal sheet . The jaws are automatically positioned on the blank by the controller . The laser head can be rapidly controlled in the Y-axis and also via the rackand-pinion drive . The height is also controlled by a capacitive distance regulator to ensure that the fibre laser head is at the optimum height and correctly focused on the particular material to be processed ,” explained Boschert .
The precise cutting system and the practical clamping concept also enable leftover metal sheets as small as 500 x 50mm to be processed , resulting in a very high degree of material utilisation . Under the machine hood is a three-stage safety system . This allows laser processing to be carried out on the materials and thicknesses mentioned without setting up special safety areas . The maintenance opening for the laser head is at the front of the machine , reducing downtime when changing the nozzle and increasing productive run-time .
22 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR February 2022