Automated Unloading System for Laser Tube Cutting

Trumpf Inc. has debuted an automated unloading system for its laser tube-cutting machines. Machines equipped with the “automated unloading interface with longitudinal belt conveyor,” as Trumpf officials describe it, can convey cut tubes automatically to a system that then sorts the parts or delivers them to the next production step for further processing.  The automation solution, designed to prevent errors and reduce operator workload, is available for Trumpf’s 5000- and 7000-series TruLaser Tube laser cutting machines.  

“Laser tube cutting involves a high operator workload, which can be very challenging for many companies,” says Burke Doar, Trumpf Inc. executive VP. “Our solution helps companies tackle the shortage of skilled workers while also improving capacity utilization. The result is higher productivity and greater competitiveness.”

High-productivity TruLaser Tube machines normally require a production worker to be available at regular intervals to remove and sort cut tubes. And, cut tubes tend to be large and unwieldy, thus workers often are reluctant to take on this job. The automated unloading system helps solve this dilemma.

In machines equipped with this automation, laser-cut tubes automatically are deposited on a belt conveyor, which transports the parts to the automation system’s safety enclosure. Here, a separate machine known as an integrator—a robot or other handling device—retrieves the parts. None of the automation obstructs or limits the open concept of the laser cutting machine. Users still are free to unload parts manually, an option that proves advantageous for small batch sizes and intermediate products. The automated unloading system also features a digital interface that transfers all relevant information about the parts to the integrator.

See also: TRUMPF Inc.

Technologies: Cutting

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