The Swiss sheet metal-working equipment manufacturer Bystronic, which has a UK subsidiary in Coventry (www.bystronic.com), has introduced a new version of its ByStar Fiber flat-bed laser cutting machine with a 12kW source; the previous maximum laser power offered was 10kW. On average, the latest model is 20% more productive when cutting with nitrogen as the assist gas.

The latest fibre laser cutting centre also has a new ‘BeamShaper’ function, plus a newly designed slimline cutting head designed to ensure consistent quality of cut when processing material thicknesses from 3mm up to a maximum of 30mm.

This cutting head is the key element for achieving stable cutting and consistently high quality, especially as laser power increases.

It also features more-efficient cooling, fewer components and enhanced resistance to the ingress of contaminants, which reduces maintenance costs.

The BeamShaper function, which can be factory-fitted or retrofitted, gives high levels of quality when cutting thicker steel plate; it “optimises the shape of the laser beam to increase speed and improve the quality of cut edges” when processing material in the 20-30mm thickness range.

Moreover, Bystronic says that to provide optimal material flow to match the high-speed laser cutting, it offers a broad selection of automation solutions for the ByStar Fiber.

These include loading and unloading systems, sorting solutions and storage systems.