The BLM Adige LT 722D Lasertube tube cutting machine is described as up to 80 per cent more productive than its predecessors – and the more complex the part the greater the productivity increase. It incorporates a number of hardware improvements that contribute to faster processing of tube. However, the biggest change is to the software that has been configured to make optimum use of the new machine’s processing capabilities. The proprietary Artube CADCAM software is dedicated totally to the tube fabrication process, ensuring that the transition from design to finished component typically takes less than five minutes. This includes components with open profiles and special tube shapes.
Off-line programming software creates new programs quickly and easily, while the Siemens Sinumerik 840D CNC allows the operator to manage all the main functions, including program downloads. The LT 722D can process round, square, rectangular and flat-sided oval section tube up to 152 mm diameter in lengths up to 6.5 or 8.5 m, with fully automated bar handling throughout the entire sequence of load, measure, feed, cut and unload. Fast set-up and change-over times means short batches can be managed as cost-effectively as longer production runs.
Automatic changeovers, can be completed in less than two minutes, and once the cutting program has been selected by the operator the system manages the set-up operations according to the size and type of material. To reduce reliance on individual knowhow, a database of ‘ready to use’ cutting parameters is provided as standard, taking account of different tube sizes, shapes, thickness and material to minimise waste and set-up times.
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