Jena, Germany and Brighton, MI - Jenoptik's Laser Processing Systems business unit of the Lasers & Material Processing division has received the 2013 Vision Award for the JENOPTIK-VOTAN® BIM. This machine is well suited for laser cutting complex 3D metal parts.
The JENOPTIK-VOTAN BIM laser cutting machine was a product which, among the nominated products, had the biggest potential of solving entrepreneurial challenges using technological innovation. Main criteria for the US Vision Award are the three aspects: innovation, value and impact.
Sponsored by the US technology publication, High Tech Views, the award program was founded in 1996 to recognize innovation in the application of information technology. Awards focus on the business benefits user organizations derive from their technology innovations.
The Jenoptik division had presented the JENOPTIK-VOTAN BIM (Beam in Motion) laser cutting machine live in the US for the first time in the fall of 2012. The machine combines a stationary laser with robot-assisted motions. The core is a laser robot with integrated beam guide.
"The robot arm is unique because the laser beam path is fully integrated and can be controlled at extreme repeat accuracy of ±100 micron," said Christon Manzella, director, North American Sales of Jenoptik’s Laser Processing Systems business unit.
With the new machine concept, laser outputs of up to 5 kilowatt, at present, can be used. The benefits of a robot system such as high mobility and accessibility, precision and dynamics of the system, are not curtailed. The JENOPTIK-VOTAN BIM is used for cutting 3D metal parts, particularly in the automotive industry, for example for complex 3D body and structural components or hydroformed pipes for exhaust systems and car body components. Contours and the production of functional holes in so-called white goods, in tanks and vessels can be produced a lot easier. Other potential applications include the processing of very thin metal parts and challenging shapes such as those of an extraction unit or an exhaust unit.
"The innovation in JENOPTIK-VOTAN BIM is expressed in the flexibility of the machine, the high working speed and the efficiency in terms of cost and process offering a number of benefits mainly to automotive producers and suppliers," Manzella added. "The movements of the robot arm’s axes are up to 60 percent faster than the norm in metal processing with laser and therefore allow shorter cycle times than conventional metal processing laser robots."
Other advantages of the JENOPTIK-VOTAN BIM laser machine include excellent contour accuracy and high-quality cuts, short start-up and relocation times as well as low operating cost due to energy-efficient radiation sources. The compact design of the laser machine and the extreme flexibility in handling as well as the dynamic behavior are other features of the machine.