New large format TTM Bystronic flat bed fiber laser ideal for cutting large sheet/plate components.

TWR Steel Service Centre has emerged as a metal cutting service centre that wants to offer more than the rest and where very few others dare to venture. With the addition of a new large format TTM Bystronic fiber laser with a 12.4 x 3.4 metre bed the company can now take on large and complex jobs that other service centres might not want to or, frankly, might not have thought of taking on. The business approach at TWR Steel Service Centre is to differentiate from competitors that might specialise in more routine work.

“We continue to look for opportunities in an extremely competitive environment and are confident that with further investment our market share will continue to grow,” said Tony Windt, Managing Director of TWR Steel Service Centre.

The new large format TTM Bystronic fiber laser with a 12.4 x 3.4 metre bed that allows TWR Steel Centre to take on large and complex jobs. The machine has an 8kW IPG power source and comes with an automatic double pallet system allowing for cutting and loading/unloading at the same time

“We have always wanted technology to be a key enabler in our business so that it could leverage us into a position of strength. The benefits that are derived from using modern technology are self-explanatory,” added Windt.

As an example of the evolution of the business, Windt pointed to the company’s fiber laser cutting experience.

“It was not so long ago that we made the transition into fiber laser cutting. At the time when we invested in our Bystronic BySprint 6kW Fiber 4020 laser cutter we were skeptical about fiber laser cutting fitting into our business profile and we were uncertain whether the technology had reached a point whereby it was worth investing in it,” continued Windt.

“The performance of this latest generation of fiber laser cutting machine was too great to ignore. Once we saw how fast and efficiently that our new BySprint fiber was able to cut material, even through thicker materials, we got excited. We were cutting faster than we were with the CO2 and we were getting the same cut quality, if not better.”

Cutting capabilities of up to 12.2 metres x 3.2 metres are achievable

Fiber lasers (named so because the laser beam is created using solid-state laser diodes and then delivered to the cutting head with fiber-optic cable) have come a long way in being able to handle the variety of metal thicknesses that a job shop has to tackle on a regular basis. The increased wattage from these power sources and cutting heads that have the ability to adjust the beam mode for thicker materials has made the fiber laser a machine tool capable of addressing all sorts of cutting applications.

“We were committed to responding to our customers’ demands and to keeping up with the latest technology to produce quality parts more quickly and more cost-effectively,” continued Windt.

“In our game the bigger the sheet you can cut the more efficiency you are going to achieve. You add the higher wattage that is available these days to the equation, and cutting heads that have the ability to adjust the beam mode for thicker materials, and you have a machine tool capable of addressing all sorts of cutting applications.”

“People like to embrace new technology. They look forward to it. They have been through change, so they know it may be difficult at first. But in the end, the product will be better, and we will be producing it faster. This helps us to offer something new and better to our customers, becoming more diverse.”

“Our machine, which was installed in February 2019, is a TTM Bystronic fiber laser that was manufactured in Italy. Bystronic acquired TTM Laser, a tube and flat bed laser machine manufacturer, in the beginning of 2018. TTM Laser provides laser machines that can cut tube up to 815mm diameter. The two companies have pooled their expertise and are now manufacturing large format flatbed lasers.”

TTM Bystronic fiber laser – model TL 3.12 2D with 12.4 x 3.4 metre bed
“Our new machine is big in many ways. Cutting capabilities of up to 12.2 metres x 3.2 metres, with an overall loading bed size of 12.4 metres x 3.4 metres. This enables us to source the biggest plates available to the market, which is 12 000mm x 3 000mm and still be able to process them via laser production with precision. At this size, it does give us options.”

Inside the machine the new TTM Bystronic fiber laser with a 12.4 x 3.4 metre bed

“The machine has an 8kW IPG power source and comes with an automatic double pallet system allowing for cutting and loading/unloading at the same time. A hopper system is situated under the cutting area so that waste material is easily transported to a bin and eliminates any obstructions on the moving parts. At first we will be cutting mild steel up to 20mm and will go thicker once we have completed initial testing. We will also be cutting stainless steel and aluminium on the machine.”

“Continuous cutting eliminates steps in the process and saves time and money. The bridge on this machine will move and cut over the entire 12 metres of the sheet or plate, without having to reposition, which reduces the prospect of movement or distortion of the material. This is a big advantage and a major unique feature.”

“We have had to extend our building by 15 metres to accommodate the 35 metre long machine but fortunately there has been very little civils that we have had to do. In Europe the companies lower their equipment into a base so that the top of the bed is at floor level, which makes it easier for manual access to say unload cut parts. This would have been a costly exercise for us to do something similar by excavating and constructing new foundations.”

The TTM Bystronic fiber laser has a total length of 35 metres

“Our software supplier has added new modules to our nesting software so as to maximize the utilisation and post processing of the sheets and plate. We have also added another 10-ton overhead crane.”

“We have gone big on this occasion. Besides the benefit of realizing more efficiencies out of the large format, which should be between 10% and 15%, we no longer have to outsource this work, adding to our services and processes that we can offer our customers. You can’t stay relevant if you don’t have the latest equipment, and you can’t buy the latest equipment if you aren’t growing.”

For further details contact TWR Steel on TEL: 011 578 8880 or visit www.twrsteel.co.za