In collaboration with NUM Taiwan (NUM also has a UK subsidiary in Coventry —
www.num.com), the Taiwanese laser machine manufacturer Legend Laser Inc has developed a multi-axis system for the precision cutting of thin sheet-metal parts.
Based on NUM’s latest-generation Flexium+ CNC platform, the laser system combines linear-motor drives with a pulsed fibre laser; it has been designed for 24/7 operation.
Founded in 1995 and located in the Xinzhuang District of New Taipei City (in northern Taiwan), Legend Laser specialises in the design and manufacture of a diverse range of laser marking, micro-machining and micro-tube processing systems.
Initially concentrating on the domestic and Chinese markets, the company nowadays serves a world-wide customer base.
Legend Laser’s new SRC-610 precision sheet metal cutter is a three-axis system with a working area of 1,000 x 600mm and an above-worktable clearance height of 150mm.
To ensure smooth burr-free cutting and to prevent any heat-induced deformation of thin metal workpieces, the power output of the pulsed fibre laser (nominally 1.5kW) is “fully synchronised to the cutting operation”.
The X and Y axes both use linear induction motors, driven by NUM’s NUMDrive X servo amplifiers. The Z axis, which controls the vertical height of the laser cutting head, uses a NUM BHX series AC brushless servomotor and a third NUMDrive X servo amplifier.
The gap between the sheet and the head is controlled during the entire cutting process by the ‘Dynamic Operator’ function in NUM’s Flexium software.
This uses special fast calculation and communication facilities that enable “event-driven machine cycles to be integrated into the real-time CNC kernel”. The machine can cut to an accuracy of ±10µm.
Legend Laser president Sherman Kuo said: “NUM is now our CNC system provider of choice.
“The company’s open-architecture CNC platforms simplify system integration, while its willingness to collaborate in joint machine development projects such as this helps to shorten our time to market significantly.”