CNC laser profiler speeds cabinet production

George Barker and Company has installed a high-speed automated laser cutting system from LVD to improve productivity and add greater flexibility and capacity to its manufacturing operation.

George Barker designs, manufactures and installs refrigeration units for chilled food, frozen food, specialty display and modular units.

In 2008, the company was awarded the ISO 9001:2000 quality assurance accreditation and is currently being assessed for ISO 14001 environmental standards.

The need to consistently meet high-quality standards and operate more cost effectively, coupled with a strategic group investment plan, has led work study officer, Derek Bower, in search of new sheet metal fabrication equipment.

Bower and his team first considered a CNC punch press to add capacity to existing punching equipment, but soon realised that a laser cutting system would provide greater flexibility in processing the contours for its refrigeration units.

The team researched four major equipment suppliers for six months before selecting the LVD Axel 4020 laser cutting system.

They looked for large table capacity, high-power laser and automated material load and unload.

Aside from product specifications, the team also looked for a vendor with which they could establish a long-term relationship.

The Axel 4020 laser system was selected because of its capacity to handle large sheet sizes up to 4m x 2m and to operate with reduced manpower.

LVD was chosen because of its reputation as a solution provider.

The Axel 4020 is based on a modular design; the machine is standard with integrated shuttle tables.

The shuttle table format allows one table to be loaded while the machine is cutting on the other table, maximising uptime with a changeover time of just 24 seconds.

The team chose to add an automatic load/unload unit to enhance machine productivity by eliminating manual material handling.

The load/unload device handles sheets up to 1000kg and is fully integrated and programmable.

This system option allows George Barker to reduce labour requirements, a critical consideration for Bower and his team.

The laser system also incorporates a number of features that facilitate unattended operation.

A built-in capacitive height sensor automatically maintains a constant distance between the head and the plate, automatically compensating for any uneven material without operator intervention.

The NC Focus provides programmable adjustment of the focal position, eliminating the need for the operator to adjust the focal position.

The selection of a high-power 5kW resonator gives the company the option to cut both thick and thin materials at maximum feed rates.

The high beam quality of the machine allows processing of thin material at speeds up to 40m/min and thick material up to 25mm mild steel with quality surface finishes.

The company currently processes primarily galvanized steel or mild steel in material thicknesses from 0.5mm to 3mm.

The high-speed laser machine combined with the material handling system allows a continuous, even flow of work, achieving a consistent level of throughput and a 50 per cent improvement in productivity.

In addition, the machine's large sheet handling capacity allows for better material utilisation and the nesting of parts, contributing to overall productivity.

Beyond the advantages of automated, high-speed processing, the laser has given George Barker greater flexibility in product design.

Product designs range from half-glass and full-glass frozen food units to medium-sized refrigerated display units designed to be easy to move.

The company's display units are engineered for maximum energy efficiency, display ratio (the ratio between the food display area and the total area the cabinet), modern appearance, merchandising and ergonomics.

The flexibility of the laser system means design flexibility for George Barker is virtually limitless.

Plus, high-quality parts are processed in one operation on the laser.

The quality of the laser-processed parts eliminates time-consuming grinding and finishing operations and adds to a better bottom line with more cost-effective production.

The laser source, CNC, PLC and motors are integrated and interfaced as a complete system to optimise machine performance, offering high speed and reliability, plus low operating and maintenance costs.

As Bower and his team become more familiar with the operation of the laser system, they are finding new ways to maximise the machine's capabilities.

Metal Processes invests in Bystronic laser cutters

Metal Processes, a flat bed laser-cutting sub-contractor, has ordered a Bystronic Byvention laser cutting system and a Bystronic Byspeed laser cutting system.

Bystronic advised Metal Processes to buy the Byvention because of its cutting area of 1562 x 772mm and, when equipped with the 2.2kW resonator, its ability to cut a maximum sheet thickness of 4mm for aluminium, 6mm for stainless steel and 8mm for mild steel.

The machine is operated via pre-defined programs and cutting parameters via a touch screen, making it easy to use.

It features simple and logical operation and users can operate the machine to its full capacity after a short period of training.

When equipped with the 2.2kW resonator, the Byvention requires just 6000 x 6000mm of floor space, which made it the ideal choice for Metal Processes.

John Hayward, chairman and director of Metal Processes, said: 'The production outputs we are achieving per square metre of machine space makes the Byvention a very productive laser-cutting system.

'It is very easy to set up and also very accurate, which is essential to our business.

'A standard laser beam travels all over a 3 x 1.5 metre machine bed, which can affect accuracy depending on the distance travelled by the light beam.

'The beam on the Byvention only has to travel 750 x 1500mm, which makes it accurate.

'In addition, the fact that the Byvention has only two laser mirrors reduces the cost of consumables.' Metal Processes bought a Byspeed laser-cutting centre just months after investing in the Byvention.

The Byspeed is Bystronic's fastest laser-cutting machine and can cut 600 holes per minute, with simultaneous accelerations of more than 4G.

Hayward added: 'Our two Bysprint lasers were six years old and we have had many hours of cutting out of them, having run multiple shifts.

'However, we were conscious that they were costing money to maintain each year and we felt that in this economic climate it was prudent to reduce and even eliminate our variable costs.

'We took the decision to replace both the Bysprint lasers with the single Byspeed laser-cutting centre, which provides greater productivity.

'Having a new machine, with an excellent warranty and service cover, along with a new machine purchased eight months ago (which has the majority of its warranty remaining) made economic sense, drastically reducing our variable maintenance and breakdown costs.' The Byspeed 3015 is equipped with a 4.4kW resonator.

Metal Processes has also bought a wide range of Bystronic press brake tools, which can bend various types of material in thicknesses ranging from 0.5 to 8mm.

Metal Processes has a history of buying Bystronic laser-cutting systems, dating back to 1998.

Two Bystronic Bysprint laser-cutting systems followed in 2002/03 and a Bystronic AFM EP press brake in 2007.

CNC combination machine improves productivity

Amada UK has announced that Hallmark Sheetmetal has acquired an Amada LC2012 C1 laser/punch CNC combination machine with integrated automation - the first of its kind to be installed outside of Japan.

Hallmark Sheetmetal traded-in its existing Amada X1 laser-profiling centre in exchange for the C1 combination machine.

The C1's in-line MP-C1 automated load/unload system offers Hallmark the ability to run unmanned day and night.

Furthermore, the additional punching and forming capability provides the company with the potential to complete parts on a single machine.

Paul Martin, managing director at Hallmark Sheetmetal, said: 'It's no secret that punching is faster than laser cutting when it comes to the use of standard tooling to produce repeat features.

'For this reason we now punch as many features as we can on our C1 to achieve better cost-per-part, while for aesthetic profiling we use the laser, or on apertures for which we have no tool.'
There are other benefits that Hallmark now enjoys as a result of its acquisition, such as reduced consumption of liquid nitrogen and a compact footprint.

The LC-C1 punch/laser combination machine comes with a range of features that include an energy saving single AC servo-drive motor that provides 20 tonnes of variable punching stroke.

Other benefits include: a quick-change nozzle assembly; a quick-change lens assembly; Amada's AMNC windows-based, network-ready control; and a 49-station MPT turret for flexibility and rapid set-up.

The MPT turret also allows the use of 'drop-in' style tapping tools from M2.5 up to M8 in size.

Furthermore, lift-up stations eliminate material marking due to high dies, while a floating brush table ensures punched down-forms do not catch on dies.

Martin said: 'Since it was installed in February, our C1 has been busy helping us tackle a new contract we recently secured from a blue-chip customer.

'The machine's sheet size (the C1 is available in 1270 x 1270mm and 2000 x1270mm bed sizes) and functionality, particularly the three active die stations for enhanced forming capability, have provided the opportunity to improve our margin.'.