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Parts by the thousand
Six laser cutting machines work at full speed at LCD Laser Cut AG. Each year, a thousand prototypes and short-run series leave its production.
There’s music in the air at LCD Laser Cut AG. Everyone entering the production building in the Swiss town of Densbüren is sure to be greeted by a rhythmic chant, sung by many voices. The instruments in this orchestra are six TRUMPF high-performance laser machines, five of them with two cutting heads. Accompanied by that diligent mantra, they cut round patterns from electrical plates between 0.1 and 1 millimeter thick.
The lasers have plenty to do, since the prototypes for stator and rotor stacks, which LCD has manufactured since 1995, are used in a variety of electric motors and comprise thousands of thin laminates. Once they have been cut, employees stack them into packets before a kiln bakes them to create solid blocks.
Customers throughout Europe
When they exit the production plant in northern Switzerland, the final products often begin a long journey. “To name just one example, we collaborate with major car companies in Europe on the subject of electromobility,” explains Giuseppe Pasquarella, the CEO at LCD. “Many of the cars on display at the most recent IAA contained one of our products or components that are based on one of our products.” International customers from the power generation, medical technology, railroad and automation sectors also put their faith in products made by this Swiss firm.
LCD cuts blanks from thin electrical sheet steel, from 0.1 to 1 millimeter in thickness, and assembles them to form stator and rotor stacks.
Prototypes and pre-production parts
“By and large, we manufacture prototypes and pre-production parts. Customers come to us with their needs and we both discuss and fine-tune the draft before we start making prototypes,” Pasquarella notes. This is work that requires great technical expertise and frequently represents a challenge even for Pasquarella, who holds a doctorate in engineering. Taking shape in his company are several thousand different products each year, with diameters from a few millimeters to several meters. The customers use the prototypes to find the form best suited for their requirements. Once this perfect design has been identified, the customer punches the parts in mass production operations.
The laser as a flexible and productive tool
You will find only TruLaser 7000 machines on the shop floor. This series is made thoroughly convincing by its superb productivity and precision. The two cutting heads and high velocities when traversing along the axes make them true specialists for volume manufacturing and mass production of thin sheet metal parts. Thanks to better cutting results in its specific field of application, LCD gives preference to the CO 2 laser.
The position these machines enjoy among the staff is indicated by the fact that each has been christened with a woman’s name. Why are women’s names used? “These are such marvelous machines that they could only carry a female name!” exclaims Giuseppe Pasquarella with a laugh.
Any questions?
Contact us: MastersofSheetMetal@trumpf.com
This article was first published in autumn 2013.
