Setting new standards: Fiber laser cutting with 12 kilowatts

Increased speed and an expanded cutting spectrum. The ByStar Fiber from Bystronic includes a 12 kilowatt laser and features the new "BeamShaper" function. In addition, the newly designed cutting head guarantees consistent cutting quality up to a sheet thickness of 30 millimeters.

In the battle for cutting orders, sheet metal workers must produce quickly, flexibly and cost-effectively. The best price per cut part and short delivery times are decisive for good utilization of production capacity. A laser cutting system and its specific components must achieve high machining speeds, a reliable cutting process and low maintenance costs. Those who can position themselves in this way win orders and gradually increase their productivity. These are the prerequisites for growth.

To best support sheet metal workers in the ever-increasing competition, Bystronic is taking fiber laser cutting to the next power level with the launch of the 12-kilowatt ByStar Fiber. This high-performance fiber laser stands for precise Bystronic technology, a stable laser cutting process up to the highest power level and a wide range of applications. The technological leap from the current 3 to 10 kilowatts to the new level of 12 kilowatts is gigantic.

Cutting speeds on the ByStar Fiber increase by an average of 20 percent (when laser cutting with nitrogen) due to the 12-kilowatt laser compared to the current 10-kilowatt laser source. This increases productivity at sheet thicknesses from 3 to 30 millimeters.

Stefan Sanson, Laser Cutting product manager at Bystronic: "This laser power is of interest to companies that want to achieve higher cutting speeds in material thicknesses from 3 millimeters and up in order to increase their production per unit time. The result is Swiss quality at a lower cost per piece."

Stable processes thanks to new cutting head design
For a stable cutting process and consistently high quality of the cutting parts, the cutting head is essential. This applies even more so with increasing laser power where the cutting material must be processed precisely and reliably. For this purpose, Bystronic has steadily further developed the cutting head of the ByStar Fiber.

The slimmer design of the cutting head increases operational reliability during the cutting process. In doing so, Bystronic reduces the number of different structural parts and integrates important functions inside the cutting head. This reduces the risk of collisions with protruding cutting parts. At the same time, the new design also reduces maintenance and operating costs because the technology used is better protected against contamination with, for example, cutting dust.

In addition, optimal cooling in the cutting head guarantees accurate cutting performance, especially during prolonged cutting with high laser power. Bystronic thus protects lenses and cutting nozzles from excessive thermal stress.

Constant high cutting quality with Swiss technology: Bystronic has steadily developed the cutting head of the ByStar Fiber.

High cutting quality up to 30 millimeters
For sheet metal workers looking to expand their order books to include the largest possible material thickness, Bystronic has another innovation in store. With the new "BeamShaper" function, steel sheets with a thickness of up to 30 millimeters can be cut with high quality. This feature can be selected as early as the purchase of a new 12-kilowatt ByStar Fiber or added at a later date. "BeamShaper" ensures ideal adjustment of the laser beam shape to larger sheet thicknesses and varying sheet quality. At a thickness of 20 to 30 millimeters, this increases the quality of the cutting edges and increases the cutting speed by up to 20 percent.

Whether aluminum, non-ferrous metal or steel, Bystronic's cutting head impresses with its extreme precision in thin and thick metal sheets and profiles.

Optimal material flow through automation
To ensure optimum material flow at high speeds during laser cutting, Bystronic has a variety of automation solutions in house for the ByStar Fiber. These include loading and unloading systems, sorting solutions and individually configurable inventory systems. According to existing production facilities and available space, an automated laser cutting process is thus created that is seamlessly integrated.

ByTrans Cross is the latest loading and unloading solution in Bystronic's product range. The automation can be completely tailored to the different orders and production cycles in laser cutting. Various application scenarios are possible.

As an automation bridge, ByTrans Cross can be built in between the laser cutting plant and the material stock to control the flow of material. ByTrans Cross, on the other hand, can just as easily be used as a standalone solution without coupling to the stock to feed raw sheets of different thicknesses and materials to the laser cutting plant. The base model of ByTrans Cross has two loading carts, which serve as material stock when used standalone.

ByTrans Cross becomes even more versatile when combined with the sorting solution BySort for clearing. Upon request, Bystronic integrates this additional solution into the system. This gives the user the ability to dispose of machined parts sorted to an attached storage location or to additional unloading locations adjacent to the laser cutting facility.

The latter option is ideal, for example, for processing large series where individual cut parts must be sorted according to individual orders. A major advantage of BySort here is that each part is stored exactly in a certain place every time. This task is difficult to perform manually, especially for large cut parts. With manual and automated follow-up processes, the parts that have been placed on a pallet with the utmost precision can be processed more easily because their position has been precisely determined.

More information can be found at: bystarfiber.bystronic.com.