CNC Laser Profiling Machine

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.'