Lasers and robots to the rescue
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Enabling the laser and robot with a flexible beam delivery system is an articulated arm supplied by Laser Mechanisms.
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Laser Mechanisms also provided an automatic, non-contact capacitive height sensing cutting head.
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As the prime contractor and system integrator CMI provided the overall controls for the two laser cells as well as the conveyor system, which moved and staged parts into and out of the cells.
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Robotic plasma cutting was initially considered, but was ruled out because of the same poor cut quality of rough edges and heavy dross exhibited by the manual plasma cutting.
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Plasma cutting also was unable to produce the small, 10mm to 12mm diameter, holes that comprised 25 percent of the cutting requirement.
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“Staying with plasma would have still required that we also maintain a piercing or drilling operation for those holes,” Williams says.
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A key component of the plant’s newfound success was the implementation of two laser-robotic cutting cells.
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BBK contracted systems integrator, Custom out for the same reasons of cost and floor space.
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A robotic system is about half the size and, in general, is about 25 to 30 percent less expensive than a traditional five axis or seven-axis laser system.”
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The use of an articulated arm provided a fully enclosed and sealed beam path and also allowed flexible integration with a robot.
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“The system was designed so that the robot could access all three sides of the rail and, unlike the previous manual operation, the part could remain stationary during cutting.
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Because there was a relatively simple amount of articulation for the robot, the use of a Laser Mechanisms arm was ideal for this application.”
