FOCUS ON SURFACE FINISHING
( From left ): Daniel Gabriel , Head of Stamping-Laser Processing and Programming ; Florian Friedrich , Technical Managing Director ; Michael Beck , Managing Director Production , Autz + Herrmann and Stefan Sauter , Sales , ARKU .
storage systems . “ We are experiencing significant growth in these areas ,” outlined the manufacturer ’ s technical managing director .
The company primarily processes steel and stainless steel along with aluminium on occasion and , less frequently , brass . The processed metal sheet includes large formats .
“ We are very good with sheet thicknesses from 0.5 to 8mm ( 0.02 to 0.31 inches ) but we can also work with material thicknesses of up to 20mm ( 0.79 inches ),” Friedrich added .
Closing gaps in the process chain
However , before unveiling its new “ sheet metal unlimited ” claim to the market , Autz + Herrmann first had to do its homework .
“ We have discovered that our broad portfolio reduces procurement complexity for our customers . But this also means that we had to close several gaps in the process chain ,” continued Florian Friedrich . In addition to laser inscribing and the foaming of seals , deburring and edge rounding were also identified as specific gaps . In the past , these two procedures had played a relatively minor role .
“ We are very familiar with the parts and where they are used ; we know what has to be rounded and what doesn ’ t ,” Friedrich explained . By contrast , highly polished sheets cannot be deburred by machines as this would impair the surface . A vibratory finishing machine was available for smaller parts . The cut edges on other workpieces were reworked in the punchlaser combination machine using a special deburring tool in the form of a ball . However , this procedure also has its limits .
The market , said the manufacturer , was not entirely aware of this process .
“ We had to explain things to some new customers because we did not explicitly include edge rounding in our portfolio ,” said Friedrich .
After processing with the EdgeBreaker ® 6000 , the workpiece ( below ) looks significantly better than before the operation ( above ).
Since 2021 , Autz + Herrmann has also been working with the Laserhub platform , where edge rounding is a standard requirement . This is what prompted the Heidelberg sheet metal specialists to purchase an EdgeBreaker ® 6000 from ARKU .
Flexible deburring
ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH , based in Baden-Baden , Germany , developed its EdgeBreaker ® 6000 deburring machine specifically to meet the requirements of laser cutting sheet metal companies . The system is therefore focused on flexibility . The EdgeBreaker ® 6000 can handle a range of requirements with its processing capabilities : deburring , rounding and surface finishing .
“ The heart of the new deburring machine is the rotary brush system . This can achieve optimum rounding on the edge of the sheet metal : the brushes contact the sheet metal in various directions , delivering an exceptionally consistent finish on the inner and outer contours of the material . A radius of up to 2.0mm ( 0.078 inches ) is possible ,” ARKU told ISMR .
In addition to the rotor and its brushes , the system also includes a grinding belt and a finishing belt . The finishing belt is designed to ensure an attractive surface finish which is often required for highquality , stainless-steel sheets .
The rotary brushes of the EdgeBreaker ® 6000 are designed to ensure consistent edge rounding results .
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