Robust cable guidance for dynamic Bystronic laser cutting machines

Profile

• What was needed: readychain harnessed energy chain, energy chain of the type E6
• Requirements: High dynamics of the energy supply solution due to high travel speeds and accelerations with simultaneous high robustness of the system
• Industry: Machine tool manufacturing
• Success for the customer: Thanks to a Kanban procedure, the customer receives the ready-to-install energy chain systems just in time at the installation location, as a result of which installation times are reduced and parts do not have to stored

The pre-assembled energy supply systems show their strength in confined spaces.

Problem

The Swiss company Bystronic is a globally active supplier of high-quality solutions for the economical processing of sheet metal, other flat materials and tubes. Customers benefit from the customised systems and services for laser and waterjet cutting and bending.
The universal and flexible Byspeed 3015 laser cutting system for sheet formats up to 3 x 1.5 m has been on the market since 2001. It convinces with its well thought-out concept. The heart of the system is its own drive concept, which has taken the machine into the high-end range of laser cutting. The maximum axis acceleration is 30 m/s², and the positioning speed is 150 m/min. Depending on the laser source, this machine cuts steel from 0.5 to 25 mm, stainless steel up to 15 mm and aluminium up to 12 mm. The laser power can be extended to 4.4 kW and 5.2 kW laser. The Byspeed 3015 is mainly used by contract manufacturers who process sheet metal for the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, the electrical and electronics industry and apparatus engineering, among others.
Due to the extremely high demands on the dynamics, however, the used energy supply system had to be very strong and robust but not too heavy. The chain experiences very high lateral acceleration particularly on the Y-axis. Here, all the factors of physics meet the energy chain, which means pure stress.  The space conditions are also very cramped.
The pre-assembled energy supply system is filled with a variety of control and drive cables. The motor cable for the Y-axis is of the greatest importance. This is the cable with the largest diameter. The international orientation of the laser cutting system plays a major role in the filling process. UL certification of all filling components is extremely important for Bystronic.

Solution

The pre-assembled readychain energy supply systems from igus are used. As a system supplier, igus has been supplying Bystronics standard models with energy chains for a long time, but it is the first time they have been used in this laser cutting machine. Here, the machine manufacturer was able to get everything from a single source, and igus was also in charge of the complex assignment of the energy supply system as part of the development of the Byspeed.
The permissible bend radius of the drive cables including the UL certification of all components is truly unique in this application. As a supplier, igus was able to bring in an improvement with the UL certification and has replaced the relevant motor cable with a protective conductor core cable, so that the filling now completely meets the requirements of the UL standard.
In addition to the technical benefits, there are also a number of economic advantages in using the pre-assembled energy supply systems. In the case of technical changes, Bystronic now has only one contact person. igus is represented worldwide, so the machine manufacturer always has a local contact at its branches in America or Asia. In this challenging project, the knowledge of the industry experts who provide support pays off. The ever-advancing technology of energy chains must be conveyed in constant dialogue with customers.
The CEO of igus Schweiz GmbH, Artur Peplinski, reports on this: "Since there are extremely strong lateral accelerations in this application, the cables to the Z-axis could totter. We have reduced this with a new interior separation so that the complete energy supply system now runs smoothly. These are quite simply empirical values. Here, the brief on-site visit has paid off!"

Only pre-assembled energy chain supply systems are used for the laser cutting machines.

Shower of sparks during laser cutting.

Michael Offner (left), Roman Block (centre), Artur Peplinski (right) in a project planning meeting on site.

Delivery takes place just-in-time in the Kanban process. Great importance is attached to simple packaging.