Northern Manufacturing Company(Oak Harbor, OH) has taken delivery of an OPTIMO 3D laser cutting system from Prima North America. OPTIMO is Prima's largest 5-axis, 3D laser cutting and welding system.

Northern Manufacturing is a precision fabricator of custom sheet metal parts and assemblies. The company specializes in precision stainless steel fabrications, including all stainless steel alloys. Northern serves a broad range of industries including automotive, farming, appliance, and energy.

For exceptionally high cutting speeds, the ability to process thicker materials and produce superior cut quality with a reduced heat-effected zone, OPTIMO includes the uniquely designed CV5000 laser resonator.

OPTIMO technological advancements include a direct-drive head requiring no gears or complex kinematics, removing any backlash or wear. Three independent axes provide a high speed of 1.5 rev/s and a rotating axes accuracy of 0.005º. The axes are completely modular in design for high reliability and easy maintainability.

The C-axis offers several advantages, including a long stroke (± 10mm) and an accelertion of 4g. In addition, it automatically adapts to any variation in the sheet metal, making it a true 6th NC axis.

OPTIMO offers a large working volume while offering a compact architecture, along with easy and ample access to the workpiece. A split cabin design provides maximum productivity. The cabin fully encloses the machine and work area, including its ceiling, for increased safety and optimal fume and dust evacuation. The workpiece is fully accessible, allowing the operator to move comfortably around parts for loading, unloading, and programming. The highly accessible structure supports OPTIMO's easy integration with a variety of robotic solutions.

Other system features include the Focal Position Control (FPC) functionality that delivers high and uniform cutting quality, and eliminates production set-up changes when alternating material types and thicknesses. In addition, OPTIMO can be programmed offline with 3D Cenit FasTRIM software.

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Mon Dec 29 14:23:00 CST 2008