Sheet metal prepared for mechanical and plant engineering projects sometimes far exceeds the usual standard dimensions. The German metalworks Blechwerk Bürger has special XXL machines that allow it to supply all needs from a single source, including oversized formats.
Extra-large material
Blechwerk uses a 2-D laser system for cutting oversized sheet metal. The setup includes highly efficient material feeding and finished part removal. The machine, which features a 10-kW high-power solid-state laser, processes up to 6000 mm long metal sheets with maximal material thicknesses of 40 mm. It achieves consistently good part and edge quality with high repeatability at high machining speeds.
Project highlights:
- Two floor-level, double-track rail lines
- Independently movable upper and lower carriages with onboard drives
- Automated feeding thanks to connection to machine control
- High positioning accuracy due to sensor-based end position detection
The clock is ticking
There must be no delays in material provisioning in order to achieve high throughput and short setup times. Therefore Blechwerk Bürger commissioned us to design a rail-based solution for automatic material feeding. Our team of experts developed and installed a complete special solution consisting of two double-track LOXrail lines and special trolleys with a customized drive concept. Working in a tight time frame, we were able to hand over the turnkey system only about two and a half months after we received the order.
Parts transfer at two heights
We mounted geared motors directly on the wheelsets and thus realized a drive solution that takes up minimum space. The motors are powered via concealed energy-guiding chains. We designed customized upper and lower carriages with different loading heights and track widths in order to transport raw materials and finished parts independently of each other over the entire line span of 25 meters. The carriages with a payload of 6.5 tons allow access to both sides of the laser system. The double-deck trolley solution enables flexible material feeding even in parallel operation in order to achieve a high loading and unloading capacity combined with efficient space utilization.
High throughput
We equipped the trolleys with a network-compatible drive concept that enables fully automated machine logistics. The upper and lower carriages are connected to the plant control system, allowing feeding processes to be precisely coordinated with the connected handling portal. The transport trolleys send a load/unload signal to the controller upon reaching the end position. An integrated sensor system ensures the required high positioning accuracy for smooth transfer to and from the feeding portal.
This is what the user says:
“Thanks to the automation of material provisioning and machine loading and unloading, we can now also run the laser system unmanned around the clock. Thereby, we achieve a high throughput in precision laser processing of oversized metal sheets. Our customers benefit from this because we carry out the entire sheet metal processing inhouse. Also, we can ensure short delivery times and meet delivery deadlines.”
Markus Bürger, Managing Partner at Blechwerk Bürger
The full application story has been published in German in the trade journal Blech, issue 2/2021. It is available at:
www.blechonline.de/transportschienensystem-fuer-xxl-bleche