FACE TO FACE
of sheet skeletons and help reduce overall reworking , such as grinding of microjoints ,” explained Matt Wood .
Other technologies on display include a dual gas system on a 9kW laser machine that uses compressed air as a shield to focus the oxygen through the cut . It can reportedly save up to 60 % oxygen usage when cutting thick mild steel , illustrating AGIC ’ s eco philosophy .
New AMADA LBC Flash Cut technology is also demonstrated on a 6kW VENTIS 3015 AJe laser cutting system . AMADA has developed a way of cutting holes without moving the cutting head but by manipulating the beam ; a huge time-saver for manufacturers who do a lot of perforated part cutting or cut thousands of small holes in sheet metal .
AMADA ’ s Locus Beam Control ( LBC ) technology , unique to the VENTIS-AJ Series , manipulates the laser beam motion , managing beam patterns during the cutting process . The geometry of this pattern is variable for each thickness and material to be processed . The power of the beam no longer needs to be diffused to cut any materials which , AMADA told ISMR , means very high processing speeds and cutting quality .
In a laser technology technical corner , customers can interactively engage with beam shape and laser power to uncover the effects on sheet-metal cutting .
Innovation Site 01 : Welding and combi technologies
“ There is more of a focus on welding now at AMADA . In the past , we had our 3kW FLW ENSIS robotic welding system . At AGIC , we have now expanded that line-up to three different robotic welding systems : the 6kW FLW ENSISe ; the 3kW FLW Le ( with smaller welding head ) and the FLW 1500 MT ( a handy welding system with a cobot ). This spans the
A small demonstration part bent by the 60-ton , 1.3m robotic press brake at AGIC .
AMADA ’ s Tablet HMI for the EGB 1303e press brake .
high-end , middle and lower entry segments of the market ,” outlined Matt Wood .
The 6kW FLW ENSISe at AGIC features a TAS ( teaching assistant system ) to ensure that the weld position is correct for the cutting head . This previously manual fine-tuning job used to take around 15 minutes at the start of a new job ; the new AI-TAS can do this in just under two minutes . Developed in partnership with Tokyo University , AI-TAS uses artificial intelligence and over 100,000 comparison images to determine whether part positioning is correct and make the appropriate adjustments . At AGIC , this system is displayed with the new AMADA machine control .
“ The FLW Le ( 3000 ) mid-level system has a smaller cutting head so it can get into smaller boxes to do internal welds . Our demonstration at AGIC shows a tube being welded onto a box with no rotating table needed . FLW 1500 MT ; the entry-level handy welder system linked to a cobot , is already sold in Japan but is not available in Europe yet ,” Matt Wood told ISMR .
A tooling technical corner showcases a part-removal assistance tool for combination machines that makes a small punch to force material up from the skeleton and aid part removal . Like the soft joint , punch tools make a small hole next to the sheet-metal part to lock it securely in the sheet skeleton . A new bridgeforming tool also locks the part into the sheet .
Innovation Site 02 : bending and automation
Innovation Site 02 at AGIC focuses on bending and bending automation . Four fully electric drive ( EGB ) press brake systems are on display here ( two were showcased at the EuroBLECH exhibition in Hanover last year ). A
single servo motor on each side of the pressbrake handles both the high-speed approach and high-tonnage bending . The EGB pressbrake series goes up to 130 tons .
“ In the future , all low-to-mid-tonnage press brakes will be electric drive . All our
Above : The EGB1303 ATCe electric pressbrake model with automatic tool changer .
punch press machines are currently electric and we use fibre laser engines on our laser cutting systems . We currently use a mixture of hydraulic and hydraulic hybrid ( HRB ) drives on the press brakes and will introduce more electric models over the coming years ,” confirmed Matt Wood .
“ The move to electric press brakes is a significant change . There is an active crowning system on the new electric press brake consisting of two servo motors in the lower beam that can adjust the beam , depending upon where an operator is bending on the machine . A fully interactive demonstration of this is at AGIC , with digital dial gauges to portray the crowning process ,” he added .
The heart of the EGB press brakes is a patented motor gearbox design which is
96 | ismr . net | ISMR October 2023