HOMEPAGE EN - Laser Blanking Line

DIE-FREE BLANKING IN TODAYS PRESS SHOP

How die-free laser cutting, using DynamicFlow-Technology from Schuler can make your press shop more efficient.

The Laser Blanking line saves space and increases the OEE

CUTTING WITHOUT DIES

Laser blanking lines with DynamicFlow Technology (DFT) are a highly flexible, productive manufacturing systems. We use extremely powerful fiber lasers for the continuous cutting of coiled material. The result is a high production rate, a superior cutting quality and an excellent contour precision, even for sensitive outer-body-blanks.

Stacked blanks ready for the forming process

QUALITY AND FLEXIBILITY IN ONE SYSTEM

DynamicFlow Technology makes it possible to cut various materials, such as steel, aluminum and high-strength steels, on the same production line. Even the use of material combinations as AlSi-coated steel coils (hot-forming parts) for car-body-frames, poses no problems for our system.

LASER BLANKING WITH DYNAMICFLOW TECHNOLOGY

Thanks to DynamicFlow Technology, cost intensive dies, time-consuming die repairs and die storage are overcome. Backed by Schuler’s years of experience with the specific requirements of the automotive industry, laser blanking lines with DynamicFlow Technology delivers an impressive package of incredibly flexible production conditions at comparatively low investment costs. This makes them a legitimate alternative to conventional, die-based blanking systems in the press shop.

Laser Blanking Lines for producing blanks in the industrial production of tomorrow

MODULAR DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM

Schuler blanking lines offer the complete process chain – from coil to blank stack – from a single source. They work with state-of-the-art safety and control concepts. Their modular design makes customized solutions for the individual user possible. All system components have been proven in practice, are precisely aligned with each other and stand for top availability and reliability. Expansions for processing aluminum and high-strength steel can be integrated easily. No matter where the Schuler system will be used – our services are available worldwide.

Schuler Feeding line for smooth material transportation and high flatness

MATERIAL FEED FROM THE COIL

Optimized for efficient setup times, our over-floor feed line for coils weighing up to 30 tons and measuring up to 2 150 mm wide ensures smooth material transport, a high level of flatness, and optimal delivery of the material to the laser cell.

High dynamic cutting heads working on-the-fly

BLANKING WITH SEVERAL CUTTING HEADS ON-THE-FLY

In the laser cell highly dynamic, simultaneously moving laser cutting heads cut the programmed blank contour on-the-fly out of the continuously moving material. These heads realizes cutting speeds over 100 m/min. During the cutting process the material is protected from process contamination by the special transport system and the dynamic cutting gap.

The product specific programs for the blank contours are created offline by an user-friendly software. All material-specific parameters can be easily loaded and contour or nesting can be modified in no time at all.

Excellent blank quality assured by innovative blank cleaning system

SEPARATING BLANK AND SCRAP

After the cutting process the blanks must be separated from the rest of material (scrap). This is realized by automated systems according to the range of products. Once separated the blanks runs through a blank cleaning device into the automatic stacking system. Excellent outer-body-quality blanks can be assured.

STACKING THE BLANKS

Stop-2-Drop Stackers and also alternative stacking systems are available to assure excellent pile quality.

VARIANTS IN COMPARISON

TECHNICAL DATA IN COMPARISON

Variants	LBL-2.18	LBL-2.21
Coil width	max. 1880	max. 2150	mm
Coil weight	max. 30		to
Coil material	Steel, Aluminum, High Strength Steel
Coil thickness	0.6 - 3.0		mm
Coil speed	max. 60		m/min
Cutting head positioning speed	180		m/min
Cutting speed	max. over 100		m/min
Number of lasers	2
Rated power per laser	4		kW
Blank length	max. 4500		mm
Stack height	max. 750		mm
Stack weight	max. 12		to

YOUR ADVANTAGES WITH DYNAMIC FLOW TECHNOLOGY

LBL 2.18/2.21 – THE MODULAR CONCEPT

The Laser Blanking Lines 2.18 and 2.21 features two cutting heads and a modular design for a user friendly laser blanking system. The modular on-floor-concept can be installed in normal logistic buildings. No special foundations, as for presses required, are necessary. Only the coils must arrive and the stacks will be delivered. The line is available in 1.880 mm (LBL 2.18) and 2.150 mm max. coil width (LBL 2.21). Steel and aluminium car-body-blanks and /or blanks for structural parts can be produced.

MAXIMUM CONTOUR DESIGN FLEXIBILITY

Laser Blanking ist der digitale Weg des Platinenschnitts. Lade die Zeichnung, wähle das Material, und die Software verarbeitet dies zu einem Schneidprogramm. Das Programm wird offline im Büro erstellt und beinhaltet die Möglichkeit verschiedene Szenarien zu simulieren, um die beste Kombination zwischen Materialausnutzung und Ausbringung herauszufinden. Natürlich können die bauteilspezifischen Programme jederzeit gespeichert und modifiziert werden. Hieraus resultiert eine hohe Flexibilität, welche die Entwicklungszeit für die optimale Platine deutlich verkürzt und eine bedarfsnahe Produktion zulässt. Dies erleichtert nicht allein die Produktionsplanung, sondern öffnet die Tür zu einer kontinuierlichen Kontouroptimierung für den Umformprozess. Der Laserschnitt benötigt keinen Trennspalt zwischen den bauteilen, wie üblich bei Schneidwerkzeugen. Dies und das flexible Nesting eröffnet die Möglichkeit zu Materialeinsparungen.

MATERIAL SAVINGS

Laser Blanking offers several methods to save material:

Converting Trapezoid or Rectangle Blanks in Form-Blanks
The only reason to use in the automotive industry trapezoid or rectangle blanks for the car-body-manufacturing is that such blanks are easy to get from cut-to-length lines, which does not require an expensive cutting die. The disadvantage is that this blank is rarely an optimized blank. By digital programmable blanking this blanks can be converted in form blanks using sinus curves or special bows to optimize the material utilization or the forming process.
Form Blanks from Flatbedlasers
In specialy in the aluminium sector or for lower volume vehicles in many cases the required form blanks are produced using flatbed lasers. The raw material in this case are rectangular sheets from cut-to-length lines. For the automated loading and unloading a scrap grid is required. Manufacturing such blanks online from a coil in many cases material savings above 10% can be achieved.
Separation strip between blanks
In case of die blanking a separation strip between the blanks is required. The laser cut allows blanking without separation strip. So, if we save 10mm of separation strip at 1 meter feeding length, we save 1% of the required material.

As more than 90 % of a blank value is material and the total material value on a laser blanking line is very high, such savings could be millions of Euros per year.

Conclusion:

Operation directly from the coil
Optimized blank nesting on the material
Conversion of rectangle/trapezoid blanks into form blanks
Elimination of separating bars between parts
Combination of multiple parts on a single material line
Arrangement of blanks at different angles
Reduced variety of coils since blanks can be freely arranged

LOWER BUILDING AND LOGISTIC COSTS

The modular laser blanking line is an on-floor-mounted line systems. No high loads or forces will be transmitted to the ground. No important noise emissions will be generated. No press foundation, no loop pit, no celler, no die cranes, no higher buildings, no noise or emission protections. The line will be delivered pre-installed for quick start-up operations.

A crane will be required to handle the coil … and a fork lift to take the stacks away. That´s it.

The building costs and die related costs of the conventional press blanking line usually double the initial investment in a blanking line. Well, the Laser Blanking Line saves all this initial and ongoing costs. So many customers decided to install a laser blanking line in warehouses or near to smaller press shops and saved high logistic costs and quality losses.

A MORE PROFITABLE PRESS SHOP

Profitability is paramount to each and every manufacturing process. Blank costs are not only determined by the initial equipment costs, as logistic costs, buildings, all die related costs, also die storage, repair, maintenance and handling, must be considered.

The Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of a laser blanking line is higher than a conventional system, as all die related stops, delays or performance reductions does not exist.

Considering so the overall impact a die-free production system has on the manufacturing process, it is easy to see the significant savings a laser blanking line provides over conventional die-based manufacturing techniques.

Daimler orders Laser Blanking Lines from Schuler

Laser beams instead of heavy dies: Daimler has commissioned two laser blanking lines at its Kuppenheim plant. Both the lines, which are meant for the serial production of compact vehicles, can be changed instantly to another cutting style at the touch of a button. The programming of the contours is done offline and can be simulated for production optimization.

Press releases and customer projects

DOWNLOADS AND BROCHURES

pdf-Dokument, 447 KByte

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!

Find out more about the full range of advantages offered by Schuler’s laser blanking lines. We’re happy to help you with service for your existing equipment, and can assist you with the planning of new systems. Turn around!

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