Fiber laser tube cutting system processes galvanized steel and highly reflective materials

July 25, 2011

LT Fiber from BLM Group USA is the first automated laser tube cutting machine to use a fiber laser resonator, the company reports. With its 2-kW IPG fiber laser source, the system can process highly reflective materials such as brass, copper, and aluminum, as well as galvanized steel.

The machine accommodates tube up to 6 in. dia. with maximum raw lengths of 256 to 335 in., depending on the chosen configuration. It features a bundle loader and automatic unloader and performs automated changeover to a different tube size in as little as three minutes.

According to the manufacturer, the fiber laser improves energy efficiency compared to a traditional CO2 resonator, leading to as much as a 50 percent reduction in hourly operating cost.

The process is driven by the Artube programming software package that includes direct import of 3-D CAD data, part simulation, cycle time generation, and offline nesting software.