search

Magazine for Sheet Metal Processors

Compact powerhouse

The new 2D laser cutting system, named TruLaser 2030 fiber and built by TRUMPF, combines the advantages of a compact unit and the performance and power of a higher series of machines.

High output from a compact system. The TruLaser Series 2000 from TRUMPF offers exactly that. Intuitive controls, minimal space requirements, and quick and simple installation are its distinguishing features. In addition, this machine, powered by the TruDisk solid-state laser, very rapidly cuts thin sheet metal in particular. The machine’s enhanced dynamics and the motion unit with gantry drives also contribute to high­productivity. Numerous functions such as the one-cutting-head strategy and an op­tional nozzle changer have been adopted to achieve shorter non-productive periods.

High productivity and reduced non-productive periods

Standard equipment for the TruLaser 2030 fiber is the TruDisk 3001 with three kilo­watt laser power, the four-kilowatt version TruDisk 4001 is optional. The machine offers, therefore, the advantages of solid-state laser cutting. Its strength is found in sheet metal thicknesses up to twelve millimeters, where it is highly productive. It also offers the flexibility to process thicker materials.

The TruLaser 2030 fiber can be combined with the LiftMaster Shuttle, an automation component for loading and unloading.

At three kilowatts of power it can cut mild steel up to 20, stainless steel up to 16 and aluminum up to twelve millimeters thick. At four kilowatts, the boundary is raised to 20 millimeters of stainless steel and mild steel as well as 16 millimeters in aluminum. Non-ferrous metals are also handled by this line. Depending on the laser power se­lected, the system can cut copper and brass sheet at up to six or eight millimeters. All the materials and thicknesses can be separated with a single cutting unit. That saves setup time, since it eliminates the need to change out lenses or cutting heads. The collision protection built into the cutting head and an automatic nozzle changer with space for as many as eight nozzles reduce the non-productive time even more.

Anyone who wishes to boost the machine’s performance capacity further can later com­bine it with the LiftMaster Shuttle, an automation component for loading and unloading. In various configurations, it opens up additional growth perspectives for the production capacity and is available for retrofitting. A further option, in order to use the system to full capacity, is integrating the TruDisk laser into a laser network.

The operation is easy, intuitive and with dialog-based prompts.

An optional, additional outlet can be built into the TruDisk. It can thus power not only the TruLaser 2030 fiber, but another machine or a robot cell, as well. This saves the procurement costs for a second laser and makes it economical to approach laser welding, for instance. If the TruDisk 3001 ispositioned outside the machine’s case, it can supply as many as two additional systems.

Space-saving and easy to operate

The key components for the machine – including the switchgear cabinet, compact dust removal unit, and the laser itself – are integrated into the machine’s frame as the stand­ard configuration. This makes the TruLaser 2030 fiber very small in size and thus saves space. Including the pallet changer, the footprint is a mere 7.8 by 5.9 meters. The work area is easily accessible, both from the rear and from the front. Large windows, and the LED illumination in the machine’s workingchamber, offer good overview of the entire working area, at full safety from the laser beam.

Additional properties of the TruLaser 2030 fiber simplify the work – especially for those new to laser cutting – since operation is easy, intuitive and with dialog-based prompts. The controls step the operator through the program and, while doing so, explain the individual steps. As a consequence, only a minimum amount of operator training is required.

Ideal as the entry model or as an enhancement

The TruLaser 2030 fiber, thanks to the properties mentioned here, is the ideal choice for both job shops and in-house production operations that require only a single machine and which largely cut thin sheet metal from one to twelve millimeters thick. The system is also interesting for companies that already own laser cutting units and wish to expand their capacities in thin sheet processing. In both cases, the customer also has the capability to cut sheet metal up to 20 millimeters thick whenever needed.

Thanks to its optional automation features, the machine can be either a replacement unit or a complementary investment for customers already working with automated machinery. Companies that want to make their entry into laser cutting and who are anticipating growing utilization and demand in the future will also find a more than satisfactory solution here. This is because they can start with more modest investments and then retrofit automation equipment at a later point in time.

Any questions?

Contact us: MastersofSheetMetal@trumpf.com

This article was first published in autum 2015.

You might also be interested in this:

• 

  “If only everything worked just this perfectly!”

  Edlund, a renowned maker of commercial kitchen equipment, now has the new TruLaser 2030 fiber in operation. Nathan Howard, manufacturing foreman, tells us in an interview what excites him about his first laser cutting machine. read …

Recommend | Print | Create PDF