BLM Group USA releases LT fiber laser tube cutting machine

BLM Group USA, Wixom, Mich., has released the LT FIBER, the newest member of the Lasertube family, which is reportedly the first automated laser tube cutting machine to utilize a fiber laser resonator.

Thanks to the versatility of its advanced 2 kW IPG fiber laser source, the system can now efficiently process highly reflective materials such as brass, copper and aluminum. It also exhibits superior cutting characteristics with galvanized steel and has registered considerable productivity increases in the cutting of thin-walled tubes.

The fiber laser provides a dramatic improvement in energy efficiency when compared to the more traditional CO2 resonator, leading to as much as a 50% reduction in the hourly operating cost. Coupled with that savings is the elimination of routine resonator maintenance and optical beam alignments.

The new LT FIBER laser cutting system accommodates tube up to 6-inches (152 mm) in diameter with maximum raw tube lengths of 256 to 335-inches (6500 to 8500 mm), depending on the configuration chosen. The machine’s bundle loader and automatic unloader enhance speed and improve productivity. Automated changeover to different size tubes occurs in as little as three minutes.

The entire process is driven by the user-friendly Artube programming software package that includes direct import of three dimensional CAD data, part simulation, cycle time generation and advanced off-line nesting software, all helping to reduce set up time and eliminate scrap.

BLM Group's product line includes laser cutting, cold sawing, bending, end-forming, and tube measurement equipment, and wire bending machines.