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FANUC showcased its fiber lasers at EMO in Milan

Photo by FANUC Luxembourg Corporation

Photo by FANUC Luxembourg Corporation

FANUC’s new fiber lasers premiered in Europe at the EMO in Milan. The line boasts six models with power ranging from 1 to 6 kW. The first three sizes have 1, 2 and 3 kW. The most powerful laser currently is the FANUC Fiber Laser FF 3000i Model A. Its power levels match the parallel range of CO2 lasers, so that an alternative is available for each power level and customers can choose between two technologies. The various modules of the fiber laser can be combined to achieve the power levels commonly in demand on the market. The 30/31i-LB laser controllers are ideal for fly cutting.

When a new 3 kW CO2 laser arrived on the market at the beginning of 2015, it was clear that FANUC is standing by CO2 technology. For now as ever, this laser technology has its strengths over a wide range of applications. The new laser bearing the name FANUC Fiber Laser FF 3000i – Model A (for the 3 kW version) is a viable alternative. “We offer two technologies that can be interchanged in a system,” says Michael Kuhn, who provides commercial and technical support for all laser activities at FANUC Europe. All the other components of a “yellow” laser system are identical. Apart from the powerful and energy-efficient lasers themselves, the integrated laser package includes, first and foremost, the controller in the two versions 30i-LB and 31i-LB, plus FANUC drive technology in the shape of servomotors, linear motors and direct drives, which are used to drive the gantry, for example, in laser cutting machines.

The “L” in the controller’s name indicates that it comes with specific features for the laser’s intended use, which considerably improves the cutting efficiency, intelligence and quality of laser machine tools. The external appearance and controls themselves are identical (“seamless concept”) to all other CNC controllers from FANUC. As far as the CNC user interface is concerned, customers adding fiber lasers to their fleet of CO2 machines will scarcely be aware that it is a different type of laser. A familiar interface has its advantages: Firstly, operating personnel quickly get to grips with the machine, because they are used to an HMI interface. Secondly, the plant owner does not have to “retrain” his staff and, if he so wishes, he can have a uniform group of controllers for his business. Even transition from a cutting machine tool with FANUC controller to CNC on a laser machine is simple, as they are based on an identical methodology. The operator can therefore concentrate fully on the process right from the start. The CNC FS 30i-LB enables the control of up to 32 axes, 24 of them simultaneously. With 3D laser cutting this allows 5-axis operation, which is ideal for fiber lasers. The laser is not connected via the I/O link, but via the high-speed FANUC Serial Servo Bus, or FSSB.

Since the axis motion and laser power control are synchronized in the controller, the FANUC CNC permits high cutting speeds with simultaneously high cutting quality. If the laser needs to cut a corner, for example, the speed and laser power are regulated simultaneously in such a way as to ensure optimum cutting quality. By moving around the corner slowly, the laser uses less power. In fly-cut mode, laser power can be adjusted with great precision. Cutting can be positioned precisely to the micrometer. Fly cutting requires low latency between signaling and execution – which is also achievable thanks to rapid connection via the FANUC FSSB bus. The time needed in the laser controller is just microseconds. This makes it possible to achieve high fly cutting speeds, combined with high positioning accuracy.

The FANUC fiber laser works with a wavelength of 1.070 µm. With thinner sheets, this enables much faster cutting speeds than with a CO2 laser. With thicker sheets, the CO2 laser is in its element, although this does not detract from its performance with thin sheets. The speed advantage is more beneficial the more rigid the overall design of the machine. By launching this fiber laser, FANUC is also responding to the demands of machine developers, whose designs allow for the flexible beam guidance of a laser of this kind.

For more information, please visit http://www.fanuc.eu.