FOCUS ON COIL PROCESSING formed ,” explained Marc Schweizer , Business Development Manager , fischer group . The new system offers several advantages for production . For example , changes to blank cutting with the coil laser system only require a small adjustment of the software .
“ If we were stamping , such a change would be a much larger project ,” outlined Schweizer . In addition , waste is minimal because the parts can be better nested on the “ virtually endless ” coil . With stamping blanks , on the other hand , there is always a certain margin , and that is wasted material . “ Ultimately , the coil-fed laser blanking line offers us a high degree of flexibility ,” confirmed Schweizer .
After being welcomed by ARKU managing director , Dr . Jochen Kappler , visitors to the TecDay were able to find out more about the technology during the presentations . Johannes Decker , Sales Manager , Coil Lines , ARKU , explained why levelling before laser cutting is so important .
“ Every coil has certain defects that you want to remove ,” he said . In the simplest case , it is the coil curvature but , depending upon the supplier and quality , there are also other defects . The coil curvature and other bends in the sheet metal indicate residual stresses that impair further downstream processes .
Preparing sheet metal for processing
To prepare sheet metal material for further processing , sheet metal workers should level it in the best possible way . In the ARKU leveller , rollers plastically deform the sheet metal with the bend becoming smaller and smaller towards the outlet .
“ The size of the levelling rollers ultimately determines which material can be levelled on the machine ,” explained Decker .
The highlight of the event was a trip to Achern to visit the fischer group and watch the operation of a coil laser system live . Image : fischer group .
Oliver Müllerschön , Head of Specialised Sales , Laser Blanking , TRUMPF , presented the coil-fed laser blanking line in more detail . The Ditzingen-based machine manufacturer sells it under the name TruLaser 8000 Coil Edition .
“ The benefits for users are higher productivity due to the elimination of pallet / sheet changing times , lower material costs and less material waste ,” he emphasised .
“ TRUMPF has calculated that the purchase prices for coil material are around 15 per cent lower than for sheet material . In addition , material utilisation is improved by 20 per cent thanks to optimal nesting .”
As the sheet metal on the coil is “ virtually endless ”, the parts can be nested more easily thereby reducing waste . Image : TRUMPF Group .
Ease of installation
The installation of the coil laser system itself does not involve any major modifications . For
In ARKU ’ s levelling and deburring centre , visitors watched levelling and deburring machines in action . Image : ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH . example , no pit is required ; the system is built on the existing shop floor level . A bridge serves as a buffer station between the levelling and laser cutting processes . This buffer is needed because laser cutting takes place on a stationary sheet metal part .
“ We deliberately avoid cutting sheet metal ‘ on the fly ’. This allows us to [ make ] precise cuts ,” confirmed Müllerschön . During this time , the levelling process continues at minimum speed , as marks would be created on the sheet if it stopped .
Following its successful TecDay , ARKU Maschinenbau provided further information on coil processing specifically for laser cutting companies at its InfoDays Levelling + Deburring . Visitors were also able to view the company ’ s latest levelling and deburring machines for sheet metal parts and parts handling . The in-house exhibition took place at ARKU ’ s facility in Baden-Baden , Germany , from 22-26 April 2024 . n
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About ARKU
ARKU Maschinenbau GmbH was founded in 1928 as a family-owned company . It is a global specialist in roller leveller and press feeding technology with nearly 60 years of experience . It offers an extensive range of high-capacity and precision levellers , as well as deburring and edge-rounding machines plus parts handling solutions for levelling and deburring machines .
With its headquarters in Baden- Baden , Germany , and ISO-certified facilities in Cincinnati ( USA ) and Kunshan ( China ), the company operates in more than 30 countries worldwide . ARKU also offers toll processing services in its three levelling and deburring centre locations .
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