Ottumwa, IA—John Deere, a world leading manufacturer of harvesting machinery, has purchased two Bystronic (Hauppauge, NY) Byspeed, 4kW laser cutters served by a Bycell storage/retrieval tower, for installation in its plant here that assembles hay and forage equipment. A similar, but larger system is being installed at the East Moline, Illinois, Harvester Works to make parts for large combines.
After spending more than one year evaluating laser cutting and automation systems, John Deere, selected the Byspeed for its high-performance cutting of thin gauge materials along with the flexibility provided by the 4kW output power for processing thick plate. Combined with the Bycell automated storage/retrieval system, both facilities are expecting tremendous productivity gains over their existing stand-alone laser systems without automation because the new systems will run 24/7. The new systems include an "extension" feature that allows off-loading of cut parts from an extension table for immediate transfer to forming or assembly.
For more on the Byspeed/Bycell combination, access the company's Web site www.bystronic.com.