Amada is making its new Clean Fast Cut (CFC) technology available as standard on the company’s 6 and 9 kW fiber laser cutting machines. CFC is said to be up to 90% faster than standard Clean Cut (CC) and can use less nitrogen when cutting 8mm stainless steel, for example. The technology was developed at Amada’s R&D centres in Japan and has been tested at the company’s European Laser Technical Centre near Munich, Germany.
The gains stem from a new design of cutting nozzle that optimises gas flow dynamics, and the company’s own fiber laser engine with 3kW diode modules, said to be the largest in the industry.
CFC is capable of delivering benefits to general subcontractors that cut mid-thickness stainless steel and mild steel, as the higher cutting speeds and lower gas consumption give a reduced cost-per-part. Manufacturers needing to weld or paint parts after processing will also enjoy advantages as there is no need to clean the edges, which is necessary when using oxygen to cut mild steel. Food, marine, medical and chemical plant equipment producers will benefit too, thanks to higher productivity in stainless steel processing.
On a 9kW Amada fiber laser, CFC is effective on stainless steel from 4 to 15mm thick and mild steel from 4 to 12mm, while on a 6kW machine the technology will produce gains on stainless steel from 4 to 12mm and mild steel from 4 to 8mm. Below 4mm thickness, Amada says that its standard CC is very productive.
Aside from faster processing speeds and reduced gas consumption, a number of additional advantages are available to customers. For instance, the nozzle does not touch the sheet of material, so will not produce marks or scratches, a factor that will appeal particularly to manufacturers in the food and medical sectors. In addition, CFC does not require excessive nesting gaps between parts, so sheet utilisation can be maximised, further reducing cost-per-part, while close pitch holes can be processed without affecting gas flow dynamics, thus maintaining part quality.
Importantly, CFC is not an optional extra and is shipping now as standard with newly ordered Amada 6 and 9 kW fibre laser machines.
For further details contact Amada Johannesburg on TEL: 011 453 5459 or visit www.amada.co.jp
