Three way innovation

At a European press event in February, Bystronic showcased the latest developments in laser cutting, waterjet cutting and pressbrake technology at its headquarters in Niederönz, Switzerland. Ed Hill reports.

The sheetmetal processing specialist has introduced new equipment and software advances designed to make its machines more flexible and efficient for customers; many of them seen for the first time at last year's EuroBlech show in Hannover.
On the laser cutting front, the trend towards making fibre laser performance equivalent or even surpassing CO₂ lasers continues and with this in mind Bystronic has introduced a 6kW laser source for its BySprint Fiber 3015 and 4020 machines.

The 6kW laser considerably increases the BySprint Fiber's cutting speed in the thin and medium range of sheet metal thicknesses. For example in 3mm stainless steel it is claimed cutting speeds can be improved by as much as 70% compared to a 4kW laser. Bystronic says the speed advantage of the new fibre laser is even greater when compared to a 6kW CO₂ laser, where cutting can be up to three times faster depending on the material and sheet thickness.

The 6kW machines are also equipped with Bystronic's Cut Control monitoring system which detects any tears created during cutting, stops the laser and then repeats the cut again, reducing errors and rejection rates.

The BySprint Fiber 3015 and 4020 machines also have the option of Bystronic's Power Cut Fiber system, which enables substantially thicker sheets of metal to be cut using a fibre laser. Power Cut Fiber means fine cutting quality can be achieved in non-ferrous metals, aluminium and mild steel. In brass it can cut sheets up to 15mm thick, mild steel up to 25mm and aluminium up to 30mm.

Another feature on these machines is Detection Eye which automatically measures the loaded metal sheet before the cutting process begins. Thanks to a camera system on the cutting bridge, Detection Eye recognises the precise position of the loaded metal sheet in a few seconds. The system shortens set-up times and the precise measurement of the metal sheet improves the adjustment of the cutting plan to the loaded metal sheet.

Clustering in the cloud

A key support for more cost-effective production of sheet metal parts is Bystronic's cloud-based ByOptimizer software application. For a flat, monthly or annual fee customers get access to a software package said to be an improvement on its existing PC based BySoft 7 nesting programme.

ByOptimizer enables users to save raw material and shorten cutting times without complex programming knowledge. The software is based on newly developed cluster technology from Swedish company Tomologic. The patented software automatically groups the parts to be cut on a metal sheet so closely that the gaps or waste material is reduced to a minimum. In some cases ‘common line' cutting can be achieved where a number of parts share the same cut edge, leading to maximum material usage and faster cutting times.

ByOptimizer also increases the reliability of the cutting processes. The system factors in all of the elements needed for more efficient cutting such as the geometry of the cut parts, the characteristics of the raw material, and the power of the laser. Information sent to the system's database is processed through more than 300 parameters. It then provides the customer with comprehensive information about the material's behaviour and ideal cutting paths.

Bystronic claims this system can achieve material savings of up to 15% on a standard metal sheet 2m by 1m. In one example a cutting job of 60 parts that previously required two sheets was reduced to one sheet using ByOptimizer saving material and consequently set-up time. To access the cloud based package customers need a PC with an internet connection and BySoft 7 already installed.

Larger laser capacity

Bystronic has not ignored its CO₂ laser offering – it has also introduced the ByAutonom 4020. This machine is available with either a 4.4kW laser or 6kW laser. The main development is the increase in the table dimension – as the model name suggests this machine can accommodate sheets that are 4m by 2m in size.

Bystronic says this increases the machine's productivity because larger metal sheets allow the cut parts to be nested more efficiently and raw material offcuts are reduced. Mario Duppenthaler, product manager laser and automation comments: “The ByAutonom 4020 is of particular interest to users who want to increase their efficiency with a CO₂ laser cutting system in the thin through to the thick range of sheet thicknesses.”

Jet flexibility

Laser cutting may be fast if you want to cut standard 2D parts from metal sheet but it doesn't offer the flexibility that waterjet cutting can achieve in terms of the material that can be cut, the thickness of the sheet and the more complex shapes achievable.

Bystronic's ByJet Flex system can cut metal, stone, concrete, rubber, plastic and laminated materials to complex designs thanks to its two multi-axis cutting heads and the correct combination of nozzle, abrasive and water pressure. The machine operates with two convertible cutting heads, which can make straight or bevelled cuts, depending on the application.

Its newly developed process control supports a broad spectrum of applications with improved integration and quality of cut. Initial and final cuts, fine contours with frequent changes of direction and corners in thick material can be processed with high precision. For example with 3D applications, the new control enables simultaneous 5-axis cutting with two cutting heads and continuous height sensing of the nozzle from the sheet material. The design of the ByJet Flex system means that it can be upgraded or extended with functions such as 3D cutting heads, drill spindles and an adaptable water basin. The modular design allows it to be tailored precisely for customers' requirements to a maximum working area of 10m by 3m.

Small in size, big on speed

Finally on the pressbrake front Bystronic has launched the ‘compact Xpert 40. Designed following a consultation process with some of Bystronic's customers the new machine will enable users to bend small parts faster and more cost-effectively.

The new lightweight design provides the Xpert 40 with fast bending speeds up to 25mm/second. This means that the pressbrake bends small parts up to three times faster than some larger pressbrake models.

Over a bending length of 1m, the Xpert 40 generates a press capacity of up to 40 tons. ByMotion drive control, a new Bystronic innovation, coordinates the precise acceleration of the upper beam and the back gauges enabling bending results with a high degree of repetition and accuracy.

Bystronic
www.bystronic.com