Sheffield, England - Laser cutting specialist Charles Day (Steels) has invested over $1.5 million (£1 million) in two high-powered CNC laser cutting machines from Bystronic to grow their state-of-the-art laser cutting operation.
Related: Fiber laser cutting benefits customers
After the extraordinary success of the previous 3kW Bysprint Fiber 3015 and 6kW Byspeed Pro 3015 lasers installed back in 2013, the company has chosen Bystronic again as they further expand their laser cutting capacity with the 6kW Bysprint Fiber 4020 and 6kW Bysprint Pro 4020.
The decision to invest in a second fiber laser has already helped Charles Day (Steels) tap into sectors in which they previously would have struggled to be competitive, as well as helping them improve their offering to existing customers.
With the new Bysprint Fiber 4020, the company has secured a machine that excels at cutting thin, reflective metals such as aluminium, copper, and brass up to 5mm. These reflective metals have often proved problematic to cut on traditional CO2 lasers, but fiber technology is inherently better suited for these materials—so much so it's even starting to become competitive against punching.
Fiber laser technology is an advanced alternative to the conventional CO2 laser cutting process, offering higher reliability and less power consumption. And on 3mm stainless steel, a 6kW fiber laser is up to three times as fast as a 6kW CO2 laser.
Depending on the type of material and sheet thickness, parts output can be increased by up to 400 percent, with the subsequent cost-saving benefits passed onto their customers.
The increase in capacity is set to increase productivity across a full range of sheet thickness up to 25mm, which complements the company's traditional flame, waterjet, and high-definition plasma profile cutting services.