Adding new technology to your fabrication process is both a necessity and a challenge in order to remain competitive. As many of you know, the advent of high-speed Fiber Lasers has made a significant impact on the sheet metal industry. With a Fiber Laser producing parts at nearly twice the rate of a 4kw CO2 laser, it is inevitable that you will experience production challenges in your downstream operations.
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e such downstream operation is the bending of the cut parts. How do you keep up with the additional volume of parts that need to be formed? While there are many ways to improve press brake operations – such as offline programming, quick change tooling and bar code readers – another real advantage lies in the press brake technology itself being able to achieve faster bends.
The new technology for bending parts at up to a two-times faster rate is the electric press brake. Just as the Fiber excels in the material range under 1/8”, this too is the case for the electric press brake. They are up to two-times more productive than a conventional hydraulic press brake and can keep up with the production challenges posed by the Fiber Laser.
The challenges are often not just downstream, though. The ability of front-end systems to keep up with the higher demands of the Fiber Lasers can also place demands on ERP systems and their ability to create the necessary work flows. Programming systems, and their ability to create the required machine tool programs in a timely and efficient manner, is another aspect to consider, especially with the faster processing speeds of the Fiber laser.
By Frank Arteaga, Head of Product Marketing, NAFTA Region
Bystronic Inc., Elgin, IL – Voice.bystronic@bystronic.com