Amada is making its new Clean Fast Cut (CFC) technology available as standard on its high power (6kW and 9kW) fibre laser cutting machines. CFC is up to 90 per cent faster than standard Clean Cut (CC) and can use less nitrogen when cutting 8mm stainless steel, for example. This Amada original 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.
The impressive gains made possible by Amada’s breakthrough CFC stem from a new design of cutting nozzle that optimises gas flow dynamics, and the company’s own fibre laser engine with 3kW diode modules – the largest in the industry.
CFC is capable of delivering enormous benefits to general subcontractors who 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 required 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 fibre 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, standard CC is very productive.
Aside from much faster processing speeds and dramatically 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, so keeping part quality consistent.
Importantly, CFC is not an optional extra and is shipping now as standard with newly ordered Amada 6kW and 9kW fibre laser machines. Visitors to the EuroBLECH exhibition in Hanover, Germany on 23-26 October will be able to see the new technology, where it will be presented on Amada’s stand (Hall 12, Stand D06/F06).