Assembly in Action: Robotic Laser Cuts and Pierces Frame Rails
The system consists of two identical cells. Each feature two laser-cutting robots and a Ferris wheel type part indexing device. The system also incorporates two material handling robots, incoming conveyor, flush booth, operator console and main power panel. A key improvement is its ability to verify the presence of the holes cut during the process vs. the old post-process probe method. A beam switching capability allows the supplier to fix any problem during the cutting process, providing high uptime.
The laser portion of each cell comprises two HL 1003 D 1-kilowatt Nd:YAG lasers. The HL 1003 D laser has a beam quality of 12 mm-mrad, which is optimal for cutting. The focal diameter and position of the beam remain constant, even when the laser power is changed. This allows consistent processing results.