Jenoptik Wins 2013 Vision Award for Innovative 3D Laser Metal Cutting
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JENA, GERMANY and BRIGHTON, MI, USA - Jenoptik announces its Laser Processing Systems business unit of the Lasers & Material Processing division received the 2013 Vision Award for the JENOPTIK-VOTAN® BIM. This machine is well suited for cutting complex 3D metal parts.
The JENOPTIK-VOTAN® BIM laser cutting machine was a product which, among the nominated products, had the biggest potential of solving entrepreneurial challenges using technological innovation. Jenoptik demonstrated to judges the sophistication and advancement of its laser technology. Main criteria for the U.S. Vision Award are the three aspects Innovation, Value and Impact.
Sponsored by the U.S. technology publication High Tech Views, the award program was founded in 1996 to recognize innovation in the application of information technology. Awards focus on the business benefits user organizations derive from their technology innovations.
Laser machine for challenging tasks in 3D metal cutting
The Jenoptik division had presented the JENOPTIK-VOTAN® BIM (Beam in Motion) laser cutting machine live in the U.S.A. for the first time in the fall of 2012. The machine combines a stationary laser with robot-assisted motions. The core is a laser robot with integrated beam guide. "The robot arm is unique because the laser beam path is fully integrated and can be controlled at extreme repeat accuracy of +100 µm," Christon Manzella, Director - North American Sales of Jenoptik's Laser Processing Systems business unit, explains.
With the new machine concept, laser outputs up to, at present, 5 kilowatt can be used. The benefits of a robot system such as high mobility and accessibility, precision and dynamics of the system, are not curtailed. The JENOPTIK-VOTAN® BIM is used for cutting 3D metal parts, particularly in the automotive industry, for example for complex 3D body and structural components or hydroformed pipes for exhaust systems and car body components. Contours and the production of functional holes in so-called white goods, in tanks and vessels can be produced a lot easier. Other potential applications include the processing of very thin metal parts and challenging shapes such as those of an extraction unit or an exhaust unit.
"The innovation in JENOPTIK-VOTAN® BIM is expressed in the flexibility of the machine, the high working speed and the efficiency in terms of cost and process offering a number of benefits mainly to automotive producers and suppliers," Christon Manzella adds. "The movements of the robot arm's axes are up to 60 per cent faster than the norm in metal processing with laser and therefore allow shorter cycle times than conventional metal processing laser robots."
Other advantages of the JENOPTIK-VOTAN® BIM laser machine include excellent contour accuracy and high-quality cuts, short start-up and relocation times as well as low operating cost due to energy-efficient radiation sources. The compact design of the laser machine and the extreme flexibility in handling as well as the dynamic behavior are other features of the machine.
For more information, go to: http://www.jenoptik.com/laser-metal-cutting and http://www.jenoptik.com/en-laser-machines-laser-cutting-metal
Images for download: http://www.jenoptik.com/pdb-lasermachines
About the Jenoptik Lasers & Material Processing division
With its Lasers & Material Processing division, Jenoptik is one of the leading providers of laser technology and provides products and solutions along the entire value-added chain of laser material processing – from components up to complete laser systems. In the Lasers business unit, the company has specialized in high-quality semiconductor lasers, reliable diode lasers as modules or systems as well as innovative solid-state lasers such as disk and fiber lasers. This product portfolio makes Jenoptik the ideal partner for the entire pulse width range, from cw to fs. In the field of high-power diode lasers, the company is acknowledged as a worldwide quality leader. In the Laser Processing Systems business unit, Jenoptik develops and manufactures laser machines which are integrated into its customers' production lines as a part of their process optimization and automation.
They serve for the processing of plastics, metals and glass in connection with the processing of thin films. Jenoptik laser systems ensure processing at maximum efficiency, precision and safety. In addition, customers can try out various laser sources and machines at the Application Centers, thus finding the optimal solution for their application. The product portfolio is rounded off with energy-efficient and environmentally friendly exhaust cleaning systems for residue-free removal of pollutants during laser processing and other industrial processes.
