Robust cable guidance for dynamic Bystronic laser cutting machines

Everything from one source: pre-assembled energy chain systems allow fast installation

Machine tool manufacturer Bystronic sets the highest standards for the individual components of its sheet metal processing systems. The energy supply system in the company's new laser cutting system must also be robust and particularly dynamic in order to be able to keep up with the high travel speeds and accelerations. igus offers a remedy here with its pre-assembled readychain solution.

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
Other products for machine tools
energy chain 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!"
Because of the extremely high demands on dynamics, the energy chain has to be stable, strong and not too heavy. The space conditions are also very cramped. "
 
Roman Bloch, Manager Machines + Automation of the Bystronic AG
Laser cutting machine Only pre-assembled energy chain supply systems are used for the laser cutting machines.
Laser cutting Shower of sparks during laser cutting.

New format in laser cutting

With the further development of the Byspeed laser cutting system, which will be exhibited at the "Euroblech", users can now also laser cut sheets with formats of up to 4 x 2 m in the high-speed range. With the machine, there are longer travels and correspondingly higher demands on the energy supply system. On the X-axis, a different type of chain had to be chosen because of the unsupported length. An E6 energy supply is used. Since there is a reduced polygon effect, one expects an even smoother run.
Here again, igus was involved in the development right from the start.
For supply of the harnessed readychain systems, Bystronic uses the so-called Kanban procedure. "We have committed ourselves to keeping a certain quantity of pre-assembled energy chain systems ready to be delivered to the factory within a defined period of time," Artur Peplinski explains. "This allows us to respond quite flexibly to Bystronic requirements. The energy supply system is thus just-in-time at the assembly site where it is installed. In addition, we use disposable packaging that is easy to dispose of with no follow-up costs. " This system shortens assembly times, there is no warehousing and availability increases.
"For us, nothing else comes into question," Roman Bloch, Manager Machines + Automation at the Bystronic AG expresses his satisfaction. Bystronic was quickly convinced of the advantages of the pre-assembled solution.
Photo of project manager Michael Offner (left), Roman Block (centre), Artur Peplinski (right) in a project planning meeting on site.
Supply of energy chain and chainflex cables Delivery takes place just-in-time in the Kanban process. Great importance is attached to simple packaging.
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