Coventry-based Bystronic UK Ltd says that in the past, many metal-processing job shops and OEMs have limited their operations to the processing of sheet metal, and in doing so have missed out on sales opportunities.

“With Bystronic’s ByTube 130 laser cutting system, manufacturing companies can now gain access to new customer groups, as the range of application for tubes is very diverse — from the automotive and construction industries right through to furniture, machine and equipment manufacturers.

“The ByTube 130 is an automated system that minimises the need for manual interventions and makes the entry into the field of tube processing particularly easy, while covering a very wide range of requirement.

“Some 85% of the market potential lies in the small tube segment, and the ByTube 130 is geared toward the processing of tubes with diameters between 10 and 130mm and a loading capacity of 17kg/m. Moreover,the 2-D cutting head allows a large proportion of customer requests to be processed, since vertical cuts account for 90% of the market.

“A growing number of manufacturing companies are discovering laser cutting as an alternative to the two separate processes of sawing and drilling. The fiber laser performs both at once — and considerably faster; and thanks to clean cutting edges, deburring is also a thing of the past.

“Available with either a 2 or 3kW fibre laser, and with a shorter wavelength compared to CO² laser technology, the ByTube 130 has no problems with highly reflective non-ferrous metals, such as copper and brass.”

Highly intuitive interface
On the software front, the new ByVision Tube user interface combines all the functions relating to the laser cutting of tubes on a single touch-screen. Indeed, Bystronic says even entry-level users without extensive experience can immediately start producing with the ByTube 130, as the interface is highly intuitive.

“ByVision Tube is based on the proven Bystronic ByVision software, which the company uses on all its sheet metal-cutting and bending systems. Existing customers will thus find it particularly easy to navigate. The software supports new users with the import and creation of cutting plans, thereby ensuring the straightforward handling of cutting sequences on the ByTube 130.”

In order to guarantee simple operation and ensure that entry-level users are not confused by superfluous functions, Bystronic’s developers deliberately omitted the ‘bells and whistles’ from the ByTube 130’s basic configuration.

Optional features (‘Laserscan’ for higher precision in all cutting conditions and ‘Quick Cut’ for increased speed and parts output) allow the additional and customised configuration for operator convenience and production quality.

“For example, the automated welding seam recognition eliminates the need for manual alignment of the raw materials, while laser scanning automatically compensates any geometrical imperfection of tubes and guarantees the accuracy of the cutting processes regardless of the quality of the raw tubes.

“The ByTube 130 also offers a ‘mirrored’ configuration. This allows customers to choose the optimal layout for their specific production flow and offers a number of benefits. For example, loading and unloading areas no longer get in the way of each other.

“This not only reduces the logistical workload but also saves space and manpower — with faster throughput times resulting in a significant increase of productivity.”