JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #38 - January/February 2008 - 15

in partnership with JEC Composites E-letter work at cutting speeds between 200 and 1000 m/min, depending on the model, and efficiency ratings from 10 to 20%. It’s not worth that they cut at higher speeds than scissor systems, yet with much lower efficiency output. Another point is that the wear of rotary blades is mainly due to the abrasive characteristics of high-tech textiles and not to the cutting process itself. It should be noted that a blunt spot on the edge of a rotary blade is very likely to catch a fabric thread and wind it around the blade shaft, which ruins the material or eventually blocks the machine. Some users are known to tape the edges in an effort to eliminate thread winding effects. Pneumatic blade shears with slow rotational speeds are preferably used with carbon fibres because of their conductive properties. The Robuso electro-powered heavy-duty shears are designed to cut multilayered aramid, glass fibre and other heavy-weight materials. These shears work with an up/downoscillating cutter blade at a cutting speed of 12 m/min and an efficiency rating of about 90%. Depending on the material, the cutting table speed is about 10 m/min. None of the system shear feet embody rotating parts to increase safety when working with delicate materials like multiaxial fabrics, i.e. no thread-pulling, etc. More informations: www.robuso.de Cutting tools New generation of laser cutting systems Jenoptik Automatisierungstechnik and Stäubli Robotics are working in close collaboration to set new standards in the development of laser robot systems. The Jenoptik-Votan C Beam In Motion does not carry the laser. The light beam travels through the robot’s arm via a series of mirrors. ost robot cutting systems available today consist of a robot with a laser on its “back”. The fact that the laser is in constant motion significantly reduces the laser’s reliability. Furthermore, the robot’s capacity can never be used fully due to the dynamic nature of the movement. It is severely restricted by the weight and the required media supply for the laser. To meet advanced customer requirements such as shorter cycle times, higher precision and flexibility, it was critical to avoid any compromise that would affect the laser’s reliability. M Effective cooperation This task was the basis for cooperation between Jenoptik Automatisierungstechnik and Stäubli Robotics. The primary target was to compensate the drawbacks of the present laser robots and enhance the range of possible applications, while utilizing the advantages of a stationary laser. This cooperation resulted in a simple but ingenious solution. As a preparatory step, a complete laser beam guide system was integrated in the robotic arm of Stäubli’s standard TX90XL robot, which necessitated fundamental changes to both the kinetic and electronic designs. Adjustable mirrors were developed specifically for this application, which were installed in the robot joints. In addition, all mirrors were prepared for direct water cooling, which means that they can now can be used with lasers up to 2,500 W output. A purging pipe system in the robot arm prevents particle contamination of the mirrors. The core of the robot arm is a special design of the joint-patented component, involving a combination of a gear and motor. Due to the high degree of linearity obtained with this arrangement, the precision, repeat accuracy, dynamics and movement control of the robot have improved. Modular design with integrated exhaust system The modular design of the Jenoptik-Votan C BIM makes the system suitable for adaptation to any customer’s requirements at any time. A turntable 2,100 mm in diameter makes it possible to process parts up to 1,400 x 700 x 500 mm. As the robot arm is fixed laterally, the laser can be set up outside the robot so that the laser beam is directed inside the robot without the robot having to carry the laser. With this solution, high laser output can easily be coupled in the robot for processing large parts. The cutting edge is of excellent quality when processing glass and carbon fibre-reinforced parts. The laser separates the plastic and the fibre components precisely, so that no rework is necessary. An exhaust system integrated in the system’s turntable ensures that fumes and vapours are exhausted directly where they occur. Relying on activated charcoal as a filter medium, the exhaust unit allows thorough and costeffective filtering. More informations: www.jenoptik.com Contact: norbert.preuss@jenoptik.com The laser cutting robot at work No38 January - February 2008 / JEC Composites Magazine EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT

http://www.robuso.de http://www.jenoptik.com

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #38 - January/February 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #38 - January/February 2008