CNC Information | CNC Videos

Archive for the ‘CNC Lasers’ Category

A powerful 5.2kW laser cutting/profiling system, when fitted with an automatic load/unload system, can increase by up to 50% with typically only an extra machine investment of 20%

A leading supplier of sheet metal working equipment, Bystronic UK, will be exhibiting a wide range of equipment from its extensive portfolio of products at the forthcoming MACH 2008 exhibition. Among the exhibits will be five products previously unseen at an exhibition in the UK. Two of these were launched as recently as late 2007.

* CNC laser cutting and profiling – the Byspeed 3015 machine will be equipped with a powerful 5.2kW resonator and the all new ByTrans automatic load/unload system.

ByTrans has been specifically designed for those companies that produce predominately medium to large size batches with a limited selection of raw materials.

It is a portal system providing vibration-free handling of the cut sheets and the choice of model is dependent on individual requirements and space constraints.

Bystronic told manufacturingtalk.com that production can increase by up to 50% when a laser is equipped with ByTrans, for typically an extra machine investment of 20%.

* Compact design – the ByVention 3015 laser has a compact design, which makes it the smallest laser cutting machine for full-sized 3m x 1.5m sheets, claimed Bystronic.

The machine requires just 6m x 6m of floor space and therefore customers can utilise even the smallest of spaces.

The control cabinet and the system’s laser source are integrated in the machine frame and form a single unit.

Additionally, the cooling unit and the used air filter have been combined in a compact, powerful unit.

The ByVention is equipped with an innovative Bystronic designed materials flow concept, which makes all parts instantly available and ensures flexibility when using various sizes of material and partially used sheets.

Cut parts are continuously and automatically transported from the cutting area and are immediately available to the user even during the cutting process.

The removal area is fully accessible; therefore removal of cut parts is simple and convenient.

The machine is offered at a fixed price with the cost including the Bysoft CAD/CAM software package, commissioning and basic training as well as the two year warranty and preventive maintenance.

Thanks to the ‘everything included’ concept, the customer knows exactly what the investment cost is.

* Water jet cutting – the ByJet Pro, launched at the end of 2007, is Bystronic’s latest waterjet cutting system to meet the stringent demands in parts production without causing thermal effects in the material.

The machine is encapsulated for a cleaner and low-noise working environment and the new ergonomically designed shuttle table maximizes machine productivity.

The system on show will be equipped with four independently driven slim Z-axis cutting heads and this, when combined with the shuttle table concept, positioning/cutting speeds and axes dynamics, is said to be able to produce up to five times as many parts per unit time.

Additionally, the efficient programming software, Bysoft CAD/CAM, and the control and monitoring of the cutting processes by ByVision, ensure that non-productive time and material usage are kept to a minimum.

* press brakes (brake presses) – of two new press brakes to be shown, the Bystronic Beyeler Xpert press brake is said to deliver the highest repetition accuracy on the market.

This machine features an extensive and expandable database which is available at the touch of a button.

The control panel, with its intuitive user guidance, allows for ease of programming and operation.

Pressure reference (PR) bending technology, with hydraulic-dynamic crowning, continuous compensation of the side frame deflection, pressure control and protection of the tools against overload ensures maximum angle accuracy to satisfy the highest of bending demands.

In addition a Bystronic AFM EP 31-100 press brake with a bending length of 3150mm and a press capacity of 100 tonf (1000kN) will be on show.

The machine provides an economical and flexible press brake requiring minimal set-up and programming times.

With its 2D visualisation of the bending cycle and hydraulic crowning system the AFM EP range is the perfect introduction into CNC press braking.

* Software forum – there will also be a software forum where the range of Bystronic software will be demonstrated.

At previous exhibitions this has attracted great interest from visitors.

* CNC punch press – in addition to its own range of products, Bystronic UK is a supplier of the Pullmax range of punching machines.

The latest Pullmax 520 CNC punching machine, equipped with automatic load/unload facility for unmanned production will be on show.

The machine is capable of handling sheet sizes up to 2500 x 1250mm and has a tool capacity of 200 with a 20 station auto-indexing.

In addition there is the facility to press flanges up to 75mm.

Commenting on the company’s presence at MACH 2008 Bystronic UK’s managing director, Dave Larcombe, said: ‘This exhibition is going to be one of the most exciting for Bystronic and visitors to the stand with so many new products on show.

The message we are conveying is clear, Bystronic offers an optimal solution for every manufacturing application’.

He added: ‘We are in constant close contact with our customers.

With our very open approach and by listening to our customers, Bystronic is able to understand their requirements and produce and supply products to satisfy their needs’.

* Price deals on the MACH stand – where companies are having to come to terms with increased interest rates, Bystronic is addressing this issue by offering a number of fixed price deals and special price package deals to visitors to the stand.

Further details will be available on the stand.

Larcombe concluded: ‘This pricing system was introduced with the launch ByVention laser and has proved popular amongst customers.

The pricing includes delivery, assembly, start-up and training, software, maintenance contract and in the case of press brakes, standard tooling’.

Bystronic UK at MACH 2008, NEC, Birmingham, UK, April 21-25, Hall 4, Stand 4610.

Sheet metal working subcontractor has added a fifth CNC laser profiling machine with better cutting speeds and sheet loading systems and providing extra flexibility

UK sheet metal working subcontractor, Evenwood Industries, has purchased another Trumpf TruLaser 3530 2D laser cutting system. The machine will allow the company to ensure that it is able to meet future demand, as well as providing capacity to take advantage of new business opportunities. ‘We have four lasers currently, and this new machine mirrors one we bought last year,’ said Stewart Maudsley, Joint managing director of Evenwood.

With their better cutting speeds and sheet loading systems, the new machines give us extra flexibility to meet our customer demands going forward’.

He continued: ‘We now have two identical machines sitting side-by-side.

The two machines together can perform ‘lights-out’ operations and this means we can eliminate our requirement for a nightshift, with obvious benefits.

De-nesting is done off-line the following morning and the parts can then flow efficiently through the plant during the day’.

The company has a long association with Trumpf, extending back to the early 1980s when Evenwood acquired its first CNC punch press.

‘We did consider other makes and models but to be honest, the TruLaser 3530 was the best fit for our business and the best machine for the type of components we produce,’ added Maudsley.

‘Our oldest Trumpf laser machine is still going strong, despite working 24 hours a day for the past 12 years’.

Installation of the TruLaser 3530 2D was completed at the end of November 2007 and the machine has been set to work producing mostly mild steel flat components of 2-15mm thick.

* Additional axis – on the TruLaser 3530, Trumpf has mounted an additional fast, 300mm travel Xp-axis on the Y-axis gantry.

This superimposes a high speed 300 by 1500mm cutting zone on top of the normal X-axis travel of 3000mm.

The effects are particularly marked when machining thin sheets (up to 3mm) featuring many positioning points/contours.

Control software automatically records the most effective processing approach, taking the geometry of a part into consideration and guiding the respective axes.

Trumpf told manufacturingtalk.com that its ‘pierce-on-the-fly’ technology was another influencing factor for Evenwood, which produces plenty of thinner gauge components with hole/slot features.

Typical industries supplied by Evenwood from its 10,000m2 facility include the major OEMs in the UK off-highway sector, but the company also services other industries in the transport sector.

Batch sizes range from 1- to 100-off.

‘We have an excellent working arrangement with Trumpf,’ concluded Maudsley.

‘Regular investment is critical to a company such as Evenwood Industries.

The new TruLaser 3530 will become an essential part of our manufacturing process, significantly improving our reliability, quality and efficiency.’ Request a free brochure from Trumpf….

Tier One automotive supplier has invested in a ‘latest generation’ high-speed laser cutting and work handling equipment to ensure low cost, consistent quality and dependable product delivery

Sheet metalworking specialist PAB Coventry has invested in the ‘latest generation’ high-speed laser cutting and work handling equipment from Prima UK. PAB supplies pressings, assemblies and bracketry to some of the world’s leading motor manufacturers. PAB’s managing director, Mark Brazier, said: ‘Ongoing ‘cost down’ pressures from customers mean that manufacturing accuracy and fast throughput are crucial to our continued success.’ Brazier said that PAB operates a range of power presses up to 500 tonf (5000kN) capacity, as well as 5-axis and 2-axis laser cutting equipment..

‘Around 80% of our work is produced from up to 3mm steel raw material, so 2D laser cutting is central to our operations.

Repeated equipment breakdowns started to have a negative impact on our own ability to meet customers’ demands.

It therefore became essential to find a replacement machine that could deliver speed and accuracy with low unit part costs’.

Brazier and his laser systems manager, John Laud set about an exhaustive evaluation of the market, ultimately ‘benchmarking’ several suppliers on a series of 10 components in various materials and thicknesses.

PAB said its findings resulted in choosing Prima UK’s Platino model equipped with an automatic work handling system.

‘The fact that Prima could tailor the system to our precise requirements and offer us excellent local support provided an unbeatable package,’ said Brazier.

The Prima Platino has cutting speeds of 140m/min and head acceleration of 12m/s2 to serve a 3m x 1.5m bed.

The machine has a 4kW laser that can cut mild steel components up to 25mm thick.

As well as exhibiting high dynamics the Platino, said Prima to manufacturingtalk.com, has exceptional precision.

It has been achieved through a fixed workpiece design and the use of advanced flying optics.

Consequently, it will consistently maintain positional accuracies of 0.03mm across its entire work area, along with a repeatability of 0.03mm.

The machine’s productivity and performance are also enhanced by off-line programming capabilities, optional nesting software and an in-built anti-collision safety device.

* Operating with ‘lights out’ – The Platino installation has a 30 tonne capacity, 10-storey, work handling tower unit, for full ‘lights out’ operation.

Laud explained: ‘We normally run two shifts per day, with unattended operation overnight and at weekends.

Typically, we’d expect the machine to process around 100-off 2m x 1.25m sheets per night’.

The Platino is equipped with a number of fail-safe devices, which ensure that the machine automatically shuts down if it runs out of raw material or encounters a problem.

After three attempts to restart, it will switch itself off and email a nominated operator to notify them of the situation.

The installation also provides remote internet access, which not only allows key operating parameters to be interrogated and adjusted, but also enables changes to the production schedule to be made ‘on the fly’, without the need for an operator to return to site.

Brazier said: ‘The Platino’s speed and versatility have helped us to offset steady increases in raw material costs over recent months.

It provides significant cycle time reductions across the 500 different laser cut components we currently produce on site.

It also uses around 30% less power than the machine it superseded, even though it is equipped with a 4kW laser compared to the original’s 2.5kW unit’.

These advantages not only helps to minimise running costs, but also supports PAB’s accreditation to the ISO14001 environmental management standard, said Prima.

In parallel, the work handling equipment’s ability to keep the laser running virtually ’round the clock’ means significantly reduced piece part costs and a fast return on investment.

Laud commented that during PAB’s benchmarking exercise, his team was impressed by the reliability of the Prima work handling equipment’s operation.

Laud continued: ‘This has been borne out in practice, with the tower unit requiring only scheduled maintenance since its installation and commissioning’.

Further features helping to streamline PAB’s production include the following.

* Automatic and programmable control of the equipment’s focal position.

* Rapid lens changes enable instant switching between material types and a wide variety of sheet thicknesses, without adjustment.

The consistent quality delivered by the Platino underlines the company’s recent certification to TS16949, the automotive sector’s quality standard based on ISO9001:2000.

In addition, the overall increase in throughput has enabled PAB to reduce its raw material stockholding.

The laser cutting installation also provides further capacity to support PAB’s continued growth and product development particularly in the aerospace and defence sectors.

* Continuous improvement – ‘We believe that a culture of continuous improvement is a prerequisite for any company looking to remain competitive in today’s tough market place,’ said Brazier.

‘Investments like the Platino fully support that by enabling us to tackle more complex, higher value parts paving the way for our continued growth’.

* About Prima Industrie UK – Coventry-based Prima Industrie UK Limited draws on the established track record of its Italian parent organisation, Prima Industrie, a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of laser cutting machines and automation solutions.

Prima UK provides sales, installation and servicing for a wide range of new and pre-owned 2D and 3D cutting machines that are used by customers in industries as diverse as aerospace, automotive, marine and electrical equipment manufacture.

* About PAB – with a customer list that includes such well-known names as Aston Martin, Jaguar, Ford, Land-Rover and Prodrive, West Midlands, UK-based PAB has established a strong reputation as a tier 1 supplier of pressings, assemblies and bracketry to some of the world’s leading motor manufacturers.

Founded in 1986, the 60-strong company relocated from Rugby five years ago and is a sister organisation to Coventry Powder Coating Limited.

Fabricator said that laser-cut holes in cut-to-length tube always have the correct profile and are positioned correctly, so fit-up for welding is quick, easy and accurate

Frank Klucznik of fabrication company IAE said that: ‘The benefit of automating the manufacturing process is that laser-cut holes made in the cut-to-length tube are always in the right place and always of the correct profile to make assembly prior to welding quick, easy and accurate. The logistics are also much simpler, with the minimum possible movement of material using cranes rather than fork lifts.’ IAE has used the steel fencing that secures its two adjoining sites in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, to show its expertise by having ornate, mesh and palisade styles enclosing 26 acres on the Mossfield Industrial Estate.

In addition to producing industrial fencing and gates, IAE makes a wide range of agricultural and equestrian products.

It has a 7 acre distribution area warehousing GBP 4.5 million of stock.

IAE was founded ounded in 1969 by Frank Klucznik (Snr), a former prisoner of war who settled in Leek after the Second World War, IAE is a third generation family business.

In the two decades that followed his late father’s retirement David Klucznik, IAE’s chairman, has pushed through an ambitious programme of expansion and, together with son Frank, IAE’s general manager, has transformed the company’s manufacturing processes.

In its move away from traditional methods the 520-employee company has acquired CNC sawing and CNC tube laser cutting and profiling using equipment supplied by BLM GROUP UK.

IAE has also installed robotic welding cells in the recently completed 65,000ft2 manufacturing facility at Longton.

The site also provides covered storage for more than 2500 tonnes of raw material, which is moved throughout the building on eight remote-controlled cranes.

IAE took delivery of its first BLM machine, a TS71 CNC saw, in the mid-1990s and it is still in use at the company’s nearby Cheadle site.

‘It was a big investment at the time,’ said Frank Klucznik, ‘But we currently sell 3000 gates a week on just one line and each gate has seven bars.

Even then, it was a lot of tube and a lot of cuts needing to be made.

After that, my father pushed for the lasers and we bought an LT652 tube laser some five years ago.

It did everything we expected it to do and we kept putting more and more work through it.

We moved to 12-hour days, then 24h operation, and even worked weekends, until we bought our second laser’.

* Tube-cutting laser – IAE’s second BLM Adige tube laser is a larger LT712D model.

It was installed six months’ ago and sits alongside the LT652 tube laser and a new BLM TS72 CNC saw in the new manufacturing facility.

The LT712D LaserTube is the latest version of machines that have been sold around the world for the past 15 years or so.

With a capacity up to 152mm diameter and maximum tube lengths of either 6.5m or 8.5m, the LT712D features automated product handling throughout the entire sequence of load, measure, feed, cut and unload.

Similarly, the TS72 CNC saw is able to cut four different programmable lengths out of the same stock and unload the cut tube into four separate locations.

The system integrates brush deburring, in-line measuring, washing systems and collecting devices.

The TS72 has a capacity of 8-102mm OD with a choice of cutting length of 1.5m, 3m or 4.5m.

* Hot dip galvanising – all IAE products, from gates to cattle grids, are hot dip zinc galvanised inside and out to prevent corrosion.

This takes place in a 100m by 20m building on the Longton site that houses a tank containing 310 tonnes of molten zinc.

When it was first filled back in 2002 zinc cost around GBP 650/tonne; today it is around GBP 2000/tonne.

However, the switch to laser cutting and profiling has enabled larger vent holes to be cut in individual components, said BLM to manufacturingtalk.com.

So more of the molten zinc drains back into the tank after hot dipping.

The resulting saving on each item dipped may not be much, said IAE, but taken over the entire product range and given the numbers produced, the cost savings are significant. Request a free brochure from BLM-Group UK….

• BLM-Group UK: contact details and other news

Manufacturer of tooling inserts has invested in a wire-EDM machine tool to broaden the variety of inserts offered in polycrystalline diamond and natural diamond materials

Rugeley, UK-based Hamilton Lichfield has invested in an AC Progress 2 wire EDM machine from Agie Charmilles in Coventry. The Progress 2 wire EDM machine is equipped with a PCD module to manufacture a variety of PCD (polycrystalline diamond) and natural diamond cutting tools. Hamilton’s customers operate in the precision automotive, aerospace, oil/gas sectors and use the diamond tooling to machine a range of materials that include the following.

* MMC (Metal Composites).

* Carbon fibre reinforced plastics.

* Non-ferrous metals.

* Ceramics, wood, etc.

The types of tools manufactured by Hamilton Lichfield include the following.

* PCD slot drills and end mills.

* PCD wear components.

* PCD twist drills and reamers.

* Natural and synthetic diamond dressing tools.

Workshop manager at Hamilton Lichfield, Kevin Bains, said: ‘We are under pressure every day to supply our customers with the optimum tooling solution.

On time delivery and guaranteed quality and performance of the tool are critical success factors – so advanced machine tool technologies that help us reduce lead times (job setup and machine cycle times) are really important to us’.

To illustrate the use and versatility of the Progress 2 EDM machine an example, sent in a report to manufacturingtalk.com, outlines the machining sequences required to manufacture a PCD-tipped milling cutter.

In this working example the Progress 2 machine is used to machine the PCD inserts/tips and the tool shank and tip seats made from tungsten carbide.

* Job setup and preparation – PCD tips – Hamilton-Lichfield receives a customer’s tool drawings and/or a detailed description of the use and application of the tool.

From this the geometries of the tip seats on the tool shank and the PCD cutting tips are generated.

The cutting contours of the PCD inserts are created using Agie’s EASYCUT facility.

The cutting technologies are selected using TECCUT – or if the job is a repeat job – the technologies are retrieved by the operator using the WORKMODEL facility.

The PCD disk is clamped in the Progress 2 EDM machine and automatic measuring cycles using 3D SETUP.

* Machining – PCD tips – the contours are machined using 0.25mm wire.

Typical machining time is 5 min employing one main cut.

The PCD tips are then removed and the PCD disk is unclamped.

* Job setup and preparation – tool shank and tip seats – there are two separate machining operations involved for machining of the tool shank and the tip seats.

Both operations use 3D SETUP to ensure accuracy and fast setup.

* Machining shanks and tip seats – the tool shanks are machined (horizontally clamped) with one cut (cutting the shaft to the required length).

Typical machining time is 5 min and 0.25mm wire is used.

Symmetrical tip seats (x 2) are machined (vertically clamped).

Typical machining time is 20 min with one main cut using 0.25mm wire.

* Final operations – the PCD tips are induction-welded into the tip seats and a final cutting contour is machined onto them to achieve the exact angle.

The tips are then polished using a diamond lapping machine.

Said Steve Sylvester, managing director at Agie Charmilles: ‘Speed, process reliability, accuracy and versatility are the hallmarks of GF AgieCharmilles EDM technology.

Precision manufacturers producing high-accuracy complex parts from hard-to-machine materials should check out what our technology can do for them.’

CAD (Computer-aided design)
Geometry authoring tool that involves software and sometimes special-purpose hardware. Current packages range from 2D vector based drafting systems to 3D solid and surface modellers.

CAM (Computer-aided manufacturing)
Considered as an NC programming tool wherein 3D models of components generated in CAD software are used to generate CNC code to drive numerical controlled machine tools

CNC (computer numerical control)
Refers specifically to a computer "controller" that reads G-code instructions and drives the machine tool.

CAD/CAM part programming
The computer calculation and creation of a toolpath based on part geometry information created in CAD.

Canned cycle
A predetermined machining sequence used to simplify programming.

Data
Information processed as the basis for calculations.

Database
Computer storage that holds data and is searchable

Detail Drawing
A drawing of a part giving a complete and exact description of its form, dimensions, and construction

Dimension
The desired measurement of a part

Documentation
A CAD process in which a part design is converted to a computer file or hard copy for reference and storage purposes.

Drawing Exchange Format
DXF. A standard storage format for personal computer-based CAD/CAM platforms

Driver
That portion of the electronic package that receives the stepping sequence from the translator and provides the switching of the windings in the stepper motor.

G-Code
Common name for the programming language that controls NC and CNC machine tools

Geometric Modeling
A modeling process in which a designer creates lines and text that represents the shape of a desired part. Geometric modeling is the first step in CAD.

Geometry
The measurement, properties, and relationships of the lines and points of an object that make up its shape

M Code
A code used to signal an action from a miscellaneous group of commands. M codes change cutting tools, turn on or turn off the coolant, spindle, or work piece clamps, etc.

Machine Control Data
Manufacturing instructions defined in CAM and enacted on a CNC machine.

Machine Control Unit
A small, powerful computer that controls and operates a CNC machine

Machine Tool
Powered mechanical device, typically used to fabricate metal components of machines by machining

Machining
The selective removal of metal or material

Numerical Control
The use of computers and special program instructions to execute the sequence of machining operations to make a part.

Part Program
A series of numerical instructions used by a CNC machine to perform the necessary sequence of operations to machine a specific work piece.

Personal Computer
PC. A computer designed for an individual user and commercial software. Desktops, laptops, and notebook computers are PCs.

Plotter
A large printer used to print blueprints. These output devices support vector graphics, unlike dot matrix and laser printers.

Post Processor
A software link in the CAD/CAM chain that communicates instructions from CAM to a CNC machine

Preliminary Blueprint
A design representing the rough dimensions of a specific part

Primitives or Primitive
Basic shapes such as cubes, spheres, cylinders, blocks, and cones that are combined in solid modeling to create a model of a part.

Prototype
The original test model of a part

Raster Image
A form of graphics in which closely spaced rows of dots form an image on a computer screen. Also known as bit-mapped graphics.

Ramping
The process of controlling the pulse frequency to accelerate or decelerate a stepper motor. Ramping increases the ability to drive larger loads at greater speeds by slowing the first series of pulses allowing the motor to overcome inertial loads and reduces overshooting by slowing the motor down more gradually than an unramped motor.

Scanner
A computer device that converts hard copy drawings into digital form

Software
The coded instructions, formulas, and operations that structure the actions of a computer

Solid Modeling
A type of geometric modeling based on solids in which all visible surfaces of a part are shown. In addition, solid modeling describes interior volume, mass, and weight.

Sub-Program
Acting as a part programming shortcut, a part program sequence that is called on as needed. Also called a subroutine.

Surface Modeling
A type of geometric modeling based on geometry only, in which all visible surfaces of a part are shown regardless of volume definition.

Step Angle
The angular increment the motor shaft will turn each time the windings (coils) are energized. The angle is specified in degrees. For a 200 step per revolution motor the step angle will be 1.8 degrees.

Step per revolution
The total number of steps to rotate the motor shaft 360 degrees. For CNC, 200 or 400 steps per revolution are usually used.

Stepper motor
A device that translates electrical pulses into precise mechanical movement. The output shaft may deliver rotary or linear motion.

Title Block
A portion of a blueprint that contains information such as the company name, part name, part number, designer, scale, and material.

Tolerance
A blueprint specification indicating an unwanted but acceptable deviation from a given dimension

Toolpath
The series of coordinate positions that determine the movement of a tool during a machining operation.

Translator
An electronic device that converts pulses into the correct switching sequence, which will operate the motor one step for each pulse received.

Unipolar
A bifilar wound motor. The current flows only in one direction through each winding. Normally there are two winding per bobbin and eight bobbins per motor. Usually is a 5, 6 or eight wire motor. One or more common leads are used per winding. Has less torque than a bipolar stepper motor but is simpler to drive. Bipolar stepper motor- just two windings. The electronic controls reverse the current alternately between the coils. This motor has more torque but requires more electronic controls.

Vector Graphics
A form of graphics that uses geometric formulas to represent images. Vector graphic images are more easily manipulated than raster graphics when dealing with CNC.

Wire Frame Modeling
A type of geometric modeling in which the edges of a part are represented by solid lines

Working Drawing
A drawing of a part providing data for manufacturing

X-Axis
An axis that is left or right. All movement left of a zero point is minus (-X), all movement right of the zero point is plus (+X).

Y-axis
An axis that is at right angles to the X-axis and intersect the zero point of the X-axis. All movement further away from the zero point is plus (+Y). All movement closer than the zero point is minus (-Y).

Z-axis
An axis that is vertically perpendicular to the X-Y zero point. All movement above the zero point is positive (+Z) while all movement below the zero point is (-Z).

Makino Introduces SurfaceWIZARD(TM) Wire EDM Technology
Provides superior surfaces for variable shape and thickness partsAUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN: Makino is proud to announce its latest Wire EDM technology development, SurfaceWIZARD(TM), which virtually eliminates witness lines.SurfaceWIZARD is the newest control technology development from Makino’s EDM R D. This technology provides exceptional surface quality in applications where the part…

Laser machining technology uses high intensity laser beams of varying widths for a variety of applications such as slotting, cutting, and creating holes. It can be used in fabrication of different types of materials such as metals, plastics, vinyl, glass, marble, and graphite. Other materials that can be fabricated using laser machining include nylon, ceramics, carbon fiber, composites, soft rubber, and thin metal foils.

Laser machining systems are used in conjunction with computer numeric control (CNC), which makes it ideal for use with thin walled tubing, boasting beam widths down to .0005′. In this process, the machining operator uses computers to control machine tools for manufacturing complex and intricate parts in metal and other materials.

A laser machining process involves the use of conventional as well as fiber optic beam delivery systems, which allow precision positioning while cutting metal or other materials. It is used to cut burr-free parts that are required in a number of industries such as aerospace, automobile, shipping, and others. The process is fast, efficient, and can be repeated any number of times depending on production volumes. It is used to create grooves that are cut to a specific depth with one pass of a laser beam without severing any material from the work piece.

Laser machining is used for producing a knurled or roughened surface on hard materials such as metals and fragile materials such as ceramics and glass. The technology is also used for marking material surfaces. In the process a high intensity laser beam is passed through a stencil of a mirror and onto the area of the material or work piece that is being marked.

Research is underway to develop advanced laser machining techniques that will allow the production of microscopic devices for use in medical industry. This will help in fighting deadly diseases such as cancer in the near future.