Page 32 - MetalForming-Jan-2018-issue

FABRICATION
Laser Cutting:
System Capabilities and Ease of Use Continue to Advance
Cutting heads with automated adjustments, intuitive user interfaces and advanced systems for newcomers are just some of the recent innovations.
BY JOE JANCSURAK, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Fabricators looking to step up their game may want to consider the precision, efficiency and ver- satility of these advance laser cutting options shown at FABTECH2017. For more FABTECH innovations, watch for next month’s issue.
An example of high-tech flexibility is seen in the 3-kW Ensis 3015 RI fiber- laser cutting system from Amada Amer- ica, Inc., Buena Park, CA. The system blends beam-modulation technology to automatically match material thick- ness with the power and speed of a rotary index to efficiently transition from flat sheet to tube or pipe cutting. This switch between flat-sheet cutting and tube or pipe cutting is accom- plished in less than 2 min., and the system’s ability to process round,
square, rectangle, C-channel and angle iron provides users with extreme ver- satility. The beam-modulation tech- nology allows for a continuous variable beam across every thickness of material without having to change lenses, while ensuring fast throughput. As the mate- rial thickness increases, so, too, does the diameter of the laser beam and the width of the cut, enabling easy removal of finished parts.
Amada America: www.amada.com/america
Cutting-Edge Innovations by Prima Power
The Platino fiber-laser cutting machine from Prima Power, Arlington Heights, IL, in 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-kW con- figurations, features a cutting head with integrated adaptive collimator.
The adaptive optics automatically manage the focus position and focus radius diameter of the head, equipped with a single focus lens and suitable for all laser-cutting needs.
System innovations also include the optical precision control, which diag- noses differences between the real and theoretical positions of the focusing beam, and then shows them on the graphical user interface of the control system. Two knobs located at the front of the cutting head can be used to per- form corrections. A capacitive sensor keeps the distance between the nozzle and the sheet constant. The system
30 MetalForming/January 2018
www.metalformingmagazine.com