FACE TO FACE
We will be showcasing several new products at the Blechexpo exhibition in Stuttgart this October
sales purchase , there needs to be physical contact . It is an essential part of the journey .
We have done a lot of virtual events ( our Virtual Tech sessions ) in the last year – between June 2020 and June 2021 we held 101 online events . We covered 13 topics in three different languages with attendees from 36 countries and 5580 registrations ( with an average registration to attendee rate of 50 %). Around 2790 people attended , in some way , one of our virtual Tech sessions . This has widened our reach considerably and kept awareness high .
In September , we were excited to welcome our first LIVE group event in 18 months back to our XP Center in Belgium for Smart Factory LIVE . We created three LIVE factories – Cost-Effective , Automation and XXL where attendees could experience live LVD ’ s Industry- 4.0 – Smart Factory technology in action showing how we are able to speed up the complete process flow .
It was great to see a group once again in our XP Center . Virtual meetings and more digital sales and marketing activities are now part of the mix , but nothing beats meeting our clients face-to-face .
ISMR : What is your strategic and technical focus for the company ?
MF : Innovate , innovate , innovate ! This is one of our major strategic focuses . Just because something is done a certain way , does not mean there isn ’ t a better way to do it . Automation is a classic example of this . For years , the way you had to teach a robot inside a robotised bending cell was always a restricting factor to the wider adoption of automation , as well as the cost . Now , this has changed dramatically with programming and software changes .
We will be showcasing several new products at the Blechexpo exhibition in Stuttgart this October . This includes the Phoenix 20kW fibre laser machine , the Ulti- Form automated bending cell and the latest CADMAN 8.7 software version , which enables users to integrate ancillary operations into the sheet metal flow ( such as deburring and tapping ).
More recently , we 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 Cost-Efficient
20kW fibre laser cutting
LVD will be displaying its Phoenix FL 3015 fibre laser cutting machine with new 20kW power source at Blechexpo in Stuttgart , Germany from 26-29 October 2021 ( Hall 1 , Stand 1713 ). The powerful 20kW Phoenix FL p 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 .
fibre laser cutting system . In early 2020 , we introduced the new MOVit range of automation systems for laser and punching applications . So , the last couple of years have been quite busy for us .
We will continue to challenge conventional thinking and keep innovating , as our technical focus . That means continuing to develop new technologies , bending automation , higher laser powers , software solutions and automation systems over the coming year .
From an operations perspective , we will continue to bring the values of the company locally to customers by setting up new global subsidiaries such as LVD Mexico and LVD Vietnam . Our latest new subsidiary is LVD Vietnam and we have plans to open other subsidiaries in the near future .
ISMR : Which issues are of prime importance for your customers right now and how are you addressing these issues for them ?
One of the big challenges for our customers is keeping up with those lead times , plus material supply issues and material costs . Scrap or reworking erodes their margins . Process automation is the key .
There continues to be a global shortage of skilled sheet metal workers , even in countries with lower labour costs . Machines and software need to relieve this burden . If
Speed of process flow and getting parts right first time are becoming more and more important
28 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR October 2021