FOCUS ON WELDING
CVE uses a TRUMPF TruDisk solid state laser with 1kW power .
TruDisk disc laser .
laser welding is gaining attention in certain applications as it can operate using nothing more than a shield gas
CVE ’ s laser welding system . The new TruDisk generation . does not require an expensive vacuum chamber . This also means that higher productivity levels can be reached .
Alongside machine reliability , traceability is vital to CVE ’ s customer
Traceability is key
“ TRUMPF turned out to be a good choice for the laser – we were particularly impressed with the expertise of its engineering team , which made the integration of the TruDisk 1000 with our system very smooth . As we were fairly new to the laser business , it was good to find a partner with whom we could build trust . Following the successful installation and commissioning of the laser-welding machine , we ’ re now quoting additional systems for the same customer , as well as machines for other clients . The TRUMPF laser has been a really good stepping-stone to a new revenue stream ,” commented Steve Horrex .
Alongside machine reliability , traceability is vital to CVE ’ s customer . The laser-welding system is required to provide full traceability of all weld parameters and process details . This data is then shared with the end user ’ s MES ( manufacturing execution system ). With the TruDisk 1000 , the extensive data captured by the laser ’ s intelligent sensors mean that all important parameters can be monitored in line with Industry 4.0 practices .
The latest-generation TruDisk 1000 works economically in all laser states using a new pulse function with greater energy efficiency and intelligent energy management , TRUMPF told ISMR .
“ Moving forward , the end-user is looking to further introduce new parts to the laserwelding machine ,” confirmed Horrex . “ The tooling , work-holding and automation that we devised facilitates rapid component changeover , thereby future-proofing the system .”
There is little doubting the size of the challenge that CVE has overcome with its new laser-welding machine . Going from a blank canvas to a successfully commissioned system in a matter of months is impressive , notwithstanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic .
“ CVE customers always get the full package , and this now extends to laserwelding machines ,” concluded Steve Horrex . n
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