Thin Cuts, Fat Earnings

This machine was recently launched at TRUMPF’s In-Tech 2010 exhibition in Germany and is currently undergoing field trials. It will be available in the UK early next year.

In fusion cutting of stainless steel up to 4mm thick, the TruLaser Fiber, achieves feed rates up to three times faster than on its CO2 counterpart. This reduces the table time by up to 45% and decreases the cost per part significantly. And the new machine cuts not only construction steel, stainless steel and aluminium cost-effectively but also non-ferrous metals such as copper and brass. This expands material flexibility for the user.

The core of the TruLaser 5030 is a fiber-guided TruDisk solid state laser with an output rating of 3kW. With the 2D laser cutting system, users can process sheets measuring 3000mm x 1500mm. To keep processing time to a minimum and increase the flow-rate of parts, the TruLaser 5030 Fiber relies on proven features from the CO2 laser version e.g. the single cutting head strategy for all sheet thicknesses.

As the complex beam guidance system of the CO2 machine is substituted by fiber guidance on this new machine, the TRUMPF development team was able to accommodate new construction ideas. The result is an exceptionally compact and streamlined machine which reduces its footprint by a substantial 20%.

In addition, thanks to its flexible beam line, the solid state laser can be site independently of the machine. And perhaps even more importantly, the machine and solid state laser are both developed by TRUMPF so they are optimally combined and the user only requires one point of contact for all support issues.

In principle, the TruLaser 5030 Fiber can cut the same sheet thicknesses as the CO2 machine but the differences lie in the quality of finish and the productivity of different sheet thicknesses. The 1.03µm wavelength of the solid state laser makes it possible to cut thin sheet at speed, using fusion cutting and nitrogen and also achieve high part quality.

When fusion cutting construction steel there are no decisive differences over the range of thicknesses between the two laser technologies. However, from a sheet thickness of about 4mm, the advantages of CO2 lasers for fusion cutting become important, particularly in relation to part quality.