Belgium-based LVD (www.lvdgroup.com), a leading manufacturer of sheet metal-working equipment, has introduced a new automation system for its Phoenix FL-4020 and Phoenix FL-6020 large-format fibre lasers, including a range of Compact Tower (CT-L) solutions for the FL-4020.

The flexible automation system is designed to keep pace with the high-speed cutting of the Phoenix laser and reduce material-handling and preparation time to maximise machine productivity and pave the way for fully automated ‘lights out’ processing.

The load/unload automation system available for the Phoenix fibre lasers handles maximum sheet sizes of 4,000 x 2,000mm (FL-4020) and 6,000 x 2,000mm (FL-6020) and material thicknesses from 0.8 to 25mm. It offers fast process cycle times for complete loading and unloading: just 65sec for the FL-4020 and 90sec for the FL-6020.

Its robust construction allows it to handle large pallets; unprocessed material can be stacked to a height of 159mm, and finished parts can be stacked as high as 240mm.

The system features a streamlined design that gives easy access to the raw material and enables the removal and unloading of pallets from above. The area above the laser table remains free for manual loading/unloading.

LVD’s load/unload system is suitable for shops with high production volumes and for fabricators processing a high variety of jobs, where parts separation and sorting causes a bottleneck.

It is offered as an option on new machines, and it can be retrofitted to an existing machine.

The FL-4020 is also available with six different versions of CT-L for loading/unloading and the storage of raw material and finished parts. The CT-L system enables automated production from stored raw material to stacked, cut parts in a compact footprint.

CT-L versions available for the FL-4020 include a basic system with one tower (in five-, 10- or 14-pallet configurations) and a two-tower system for high-volume applications.

The second tower adds nine pallets to the CT-L 5, 14 pallets to the CT-L 10, and 18 pallets to the CT-L 14. Each input and output pallet has a capacity of up to 3,000kg and 240mm of stacking height. The maximum sheet dimensions are 4,095 x 2,055mm and up to 20mm thick.