Sustainability tops the agenda at Trumpf’s INTECH exhibition

Trumpf highlights brake discs coated with HS-LMD which produce far less particulate matter compared to conventional brake discs

German high-tech company Trumpf, which is celebrating its 100th aniversary this year, held its annual INTECH in-house exhibition last week where it showcased solutions designed to boost sustainability and productivity in connected manufacturing. Alongside technologies to lower the consumption of materials, energy and cutting gas, the exhibition also featured processes to reduce or eliminate the use of environmentally harmful chemicals used in automotive manufacturing.

New developments on show included the ‘Eco Cooler’, an innovative technology that uses nothing but pure water to cool Trumpf laser-cutting machines. This reduces energy consumption for refrigeration by 80% and dispenses entirely with the need for environmentally harmful refrigerants.

Trumpf also showcased ‘Highspeed Eco’, a process that reduces gas consumption in laser cutting by as much as 60%. Other exhibits presented technology designed to reduce the use of materials in manufacturing, including the nano-joint process, which substantially reduces the size of the retaining tabs that connect parts to the sheet from which they have been cut by laser. This means that parts can now be nested next to one another, thereby reducing the amount of waste material.

Trumpf also demonstrated how laser technology can help automotive manufacturers to make their operations more sustainable. The company showcased short-pulse lasers that eliminate the use of chemical cleaning agents in the industry. Unlike the conventional process, short-pulse lasers only clean components where it is actually needed, not only saving water but also reducing the use of environmentally harmful chemicals.

Trumpf also demonstrated how the use of high-speed laser metal deposition (HS-LMD) – a technology that is now ready for industrial application – can help reduce brake-disc wear in road traffic and thereby particulate emissions. Even very low concentrations of particulate matter are harmful and around half of the particulate emissions produced by road traffic are due to the abrasion of vehicle brakes, tyres, clutches and road surfaces — about half of this matter is brake dust. Brake discs coated with HS-LMD produce far less particulate matter compared to conventional brake discs.