by Laureen Belleville, [email protected]
The biennial IMTS features the latest in laser production and technology
The 27th edition of the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) will take place September 8-13 at Chicago’s McCormick Place complex. More than 1200 exhibiting companies will occupy 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space for the six-day exhibition. More than 91,000 manufacturing industry professionals from the U.S. and from more than 119 countries attended IMTS when it was last held in 2006. The exhibits are organized in pavilions that are geared toward specific industries, technologies, and solutions, including metal forming and fabricating/lasers. ILS contacted the laser related exhibitors to find out what they will be showcasing at IMTS. The responses we received are detailed here.
Monode Pryor Traceability (Cleveland, OH) demonstrates a production laser marking system specifically for labels and nameplates. The Revolution product line is a pulsed fiber marking laser within the Vestige laser division of MPT but features a compact footprint for high production labels, specifically for the Department of Defense requirement for UID marking. The air-cooled, diode-pumped laser has a lifetime rating of 50,000 hours. The system includes a self-contained fume extraction and filter system as well as on-board software controls.
The compact LC6 coordinate table laser center from Finn-Power (Arlington Heights, IL) features integrated loading, sorting, and stacking. LC6 integrates laser operation and part handling for fabricating high-quality components. Fast, accurate sheet positioning and the integrated Rofin Sinar 2500W diffusion-cooled CO2 slab enable fast, economical processing of a wide range of materials. The laser unit is equipped with an auto-focus cutting head, and laser process control function is available as an option.
The HLx series from ESAB Welding & Cutting Products (Florence, SC) is a mechanized laser welding system utilizing laser only, laser with cold wire fill, or hybrid laser arc welding in a 2D gantry, 3D robotic, or custom mechanized solution with closed-loop weld process control. All the components of these systems are available from a single source and are supported and serviced by ESAB.
LaserStar Technolgies Corp. (Riverside, RI) presents iWeld Advanced laser systems. The systems fit into any work environment with a footprint of only 19in wide x 24.5in long. Peak power is rated at 60J/5.0kW/15Hz. Side entry panels provide easy access when performing field maintenance tasks. The systems are appropriate for a range of metal joining and repair applications in industries such as medical device component assembly, complex electronic components, high-precision industrial assemblies and more.
The new Bystar 6000W laser cutting system from Bystronic (Hauppauge, NY) features a powerful solid-state RF power supply with wear-free power generation components that reduce maintenance and repair costs. This efficient power supply reduces energy consumption, requires no component replacement, and is housed in a compact enclosure to conserve space. The Bystar is available with a rotary axis for processing tubes and profiles. For flat sheet processing, the series is offered in table sizes of 5ft x 10ft and 6ft x 12ft.
Universal Laser Systems (Scottsdale, AZ) offers laser systems that are powerful and versatile business solutions. They can process diverse applications and multiple materials including wood, metal, acrylic, rubber, fabric, glass, stone, and more with speed, detail, and accuracy.
The VLD-300 from Mitsui Seiki (Franklin Lakes, NJ) is a small, vertical Nd:YAG laser drilling machine for 12in cube parts. The machine was developed collaboratively with several aerospace engine component manufacturers who expressed a need for a high-speed and accurate laser drilling machine. The system offers positioning accuracy and repeatability in X, Y, and Z axes of 0.00004in. The VLD-300 is designed to also work with CO2, diode pump, and fiber lasers for aerospace and other applications such as certain electronics, medical, and automotive parts.
TRUMPF (Farmington, CT) will showcase its TruLaser Station 5004 with the TruPulse 103. TruPulse 103 delivers up to 8kW of peak pulse power, which allows for welding and cutting in situations where other processes fail. The TruLaser Station 5004 addresses multiple tasks by supporting a variety of applications that help streamline work processes for optimum efficiency.
The newest addition to the Schmidt Marking Systems (Niles, IL) laser marking family is the YLIA fiber series. With high peak power and high quality beams, the fiber laser enables a range of materials such as plastics, polymers, metals and ceramics to be marked. A small footprint and optical fiber delivery enable easy integration into tabletop systems.
The Raptor 2 laser marker from Electrox features Enhanced Fiber Technology (EFT) and the new E-Box Plus fully integrated desktop laser marking system. The lens is located in the center of the head and the laser is constructed in such a way that a full-footprint mounting platform is not required. The system provides high peak powers combined with low pulse energies for high speed, low damage marking, especially on sensitive substrates. The Electrox Compact Laser Controller provides improved functionality and increased memory.
Trotec (Ypsilanti, MI) will showcase its laser marking solutions. The company offers a range of lasers to support industrial product marking for a variety of manufacturing needs. Among the systems displayed will be the FP100, an entry-level laser for marking metals; the SpeedMarker FL, a compact, galvanometer-based fiber laser for heat- and chemical-resistant laser marking; the Speedy 300, a compact, CO2 benchtop system; and the FineMarker Hybrid, a laser that combines both CO2 and Nd:YAG technologies for engraving, cutting, and marking.