Laser moves opportunities forward

Precision sub-contractor's CNC laser cutting system purchase allows it cut 2500 by 1250mm mild steel sheet up 16mm thick, SS up to 6mm and aluminium up to 5mm in thickness.

Precision sub-contractor Altex Engineering is no newcomer to CNC laser profiling, having been a user of a Strippit Laser Center until earlier this year, when it was replaced with a Helius 2513 from LVD (UK) of Marlow, UK.

That meant that when the new machine arrived, the Chippenham-based company was already in a strong position to exploit the technical and marketing potential of this latest example of laser technology.

The technical advances and production gains attributable to the hybrid design, 3-axis Helius machine were straightforward.

Altex can now cut 2500 by 1250mm mild steel sheet up 16mm thick, stainless steel up to 6mm and aluminium up to 5mm in thickness.

The ability to process aluminium was particularly good news to Altex because the material had created processing problems caused through the high surface reflectivity on the rather ageing Strippit.

Said managing director Bob Hogton: "We found laser machining on the Strippit made us more competitive in the market.

The versatility of the process has enabled the cutting of all sorts of shapes and in very small quantities without having to use a host of different tools.

Because of the Strippit, we have obviously followed the development of the technology so when the time came to upgrade, John Jackett, our chairman and I, looked at several machines.

It was the user visits, however, that made us decide on the LVD machine and we were also very aware of LVD's recent purchase of Strippit in the United States." Altex quickly took advantage of the Helius specification which Bob Hogton feels makes it a leader in its field.

In meeting the mix of single part and small quantity production, involving up to 500 components, fast turnaround of orders is an essential requirement.

To meet these targets, the 27-man company demands the ability to be up and running and have a rapid cutting process that involves only minor setting to produce the kind of workpieces that, by any other method, might require special tooling and lengthy set-up times.

The Helius met all these criteria and its hybrid design and construction around a single Y-axis table with a two-axis profiling head driven through the longer X-axis is very cost-effective.

The vertical Z-axis automatically maintains perfect height control and thus enables the laser head to follow any undulations in the workpiece material.

And the fast flow 2000W CO2 laser, with its RF excitation, ensures a stable beam without contamination of the optical elements.

The 32-bit integrated laser and machine control system and axis drives are all sourced from GE-Fanuc as part of a package.

Unlike the earlier machine, the Fanuc 16 LA control is able to constantly adapt to the vectorial speed which ensures a quality and consistent cut width and only a small locally heat-affected zone.

The control aids the operator from its single interface for all axis movements, cutting data such as laser capacity, pulse frequency, cutting gas and pressure as well as the clearance between the material surface and the cutting head.

When the machine is started, all parameters including capacity calibration are automatically performed at the control, which is ideal for the operator.

It was partly the acquisition of its first laser machine several years ago that first enabled Altex to grow.

From its original role as a metal component machinist, it has become a company able to offer a comprehensive service covering component machining, sheet metal cutting and forming as well as providing added value through complete product fabrication and assembly.

All this is backed up by computer aided design and off-line CNC machine programming.

In fact, the complete service offered by Altex can, if the customer wishes, begin with a design-for-manufacture appraisal, right through to prototyping and product development.

This capability has enabled more than one client to significantly reduce a product's manufacturing costs.

Altex produces components for a wide span of customers' products ranging from vending machines and office furniture to electrical switch gear and hospital and laundry equipment.

Many now expect, and here the Helius is a major contributor, a fast turnaround involving small quantities of parts.

Welding and fabrication and metal finishing are also among the facilities offered.

A lot of time was spent by Altex investigating the training, support and back-up services that could be provided by LVD (UK) in Marlow.

Hogton said he has been caught out before by certain equipment suppliers that promised to provide the backup and service but later let him down.

"It is important to us that the backup is good so we visited user sites and spoke to managers, setters and operators.

I can honestly say, we didn't find anyone unhappy with their machine or the service and support from LVD's engineers at Marlow," he maintained.

After several months in operation, not only has Altex benefited from the latest technology of the Helius, it has proven to be a good marketing tool for selling additional sub-contract capacity and capability.

Also, along with a number of other modern CNC metal cutting machine tools, Altex is able to take on new forms of work including the manufacture of equipment under license and has set about developing its own product for future expansion.

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